2024 Grant Application: TEDxHartlandHill 2024 - expansion
Grant Overview
Please enter a brief descriptive name for this grant*
TEDxHartlandHill 2024 - expansion
Briefly describe the purpose of the grant
TEDxHartlandHill, having run for two successful, consecutive years, we are ready to expand the audience capacity. We have also learned what is necessary to make this event even better each year, recognizing that it is critical to bring staff in sooner during the prep stage and create a larger budget for compensate. The bulk of this grant is for that purpose.
Re: Expanding capacity
TED gives licenses that originally only allow for 100 attendees in the theatre and 100 attendees in an overflow or remote location. After successfully producing TEDx these past two years, I am now eligible to obtain the license that will allow for the event to not be limited regarding attendees. In order to obtain this, I am required to attend a TED conference, to be more formally inculcated into how they want their larger events to be created. By expanding our ability to have more attendees, we can more than double the revenue as we move forward, helping us become more self sustaining.
What is the total budget for the project for which you are requesting EDC support?
$77,000
How much funding are you requesting from the EDC?
$15,000
Applicant and Organization Information
Name of Applicant / Organization / Business
TEDxHartlandHill
Mailing address
PO BOX 305
South Woodstock, VT 05071
Name of Project coordinator
Deborah Greene
Coordinator's email address
deborah@tedxhartlandhill.org
Coordinator's telephone number
802-296-1421
Organization's website
www.tedxhartlandhill.org
Organization's EIN
88-3488277
If you are applying on behalf of an organization, describe the organization and its mission (if you are applying as an individual enter "None")
TEDxHartlandHill has created a forum that is an ongoing place to find the best new ideas for building more cohesive communities and to celebrate local innovation with respect for the past and an eye towards the future. At TEDxHartlandHill, we have joined a global community of TED events combining live presenters and TED Talks videos —sparking deep conversation and connections at the local level. Woodstock remains an ideal place to forge conversations about creating peaceful communities, innovation in business, farming, technology, and living a more sustainable life.
If you are applying on behalf of an organization, what is your annual organizational budget (if you are applying as an individual enter "None")?
77,000
Project Description
Please provide a detailed description of the project
On September 24, 2022, the inaugural TEDxHartlandHill made its debut at the historic Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont. TEDx is an international community that organizes TED-style events, celebrating locally-driven ideas and elevating them to a global stage. The Woodstock event brought together a dynamic and diverse group of people from the local community and beyond to share ideas and inspire change while honoring our past. TEDxHartlandHill 2022 featured 14 captivating speakers, eight of which were from Vermont. The speakers covered a wide range of topics, such as building peaceful communities, embracing sustainable living, and celebrating innovation and art all under the overarching theme, “Community – Home, Heart, and Hearth.” We received a score of 94% by TED for the program.
In 2023, out theme was "The Art of Living" which explored the art of finding balance and purpose in our lives and featured a diverse lineup of speakers who will shared their unique perspectives and experiences from the academic to the artistic, the concrete to the cutting edge. The videos for this year are now being released by TED. We will be promoting them as each one gets released over the coming weeks.
** Just a note, that TED is the only place the videos can be posted and they are in charge of releasing them to YouTube.
For 2024:
As we head into what will likely be a complicated year, TEDxHartlandHill's theme for 2024 will provide a respite from any of the pressures we may be feeling this coming fall. Our theme will be AWE. Our goal is to create an event that will leave people marveling at our capacity to build beauty or expand our ability to innovate beyond what we thought was possible or immerse ourselves in spectacular nature or... there are many possibilities for how the program will come together and is a perfect topic for expanding.
In addition, once we obtain this license, it also begins the process on obtaining other ways to share our talks, by streaming or creating salons by 2025.
What is the timeline for the project (e.g. when will it be ready to start, when will it be completed,
are there important milestones along the way?
TEDx is already in the planning stage for the 2024 event and will open submissions by officially announcing the 2024 theme at an event on Feb 29th @ the Norman Miller Library.
Team and new hires begin immediately.
The TED conference is April 15-19, which I will attend to be granted the next level of license, increasing our capacity enabling larger audiences. Again, this is a key aspect to becoming more self sustaining.
Final program announced by July.
Event takes place Sept. 14th.
What will success look like?
Last year, even with the limitations on attendees, our tickets sales increase by 49%. We would like to it increase that by at least another 50% this year. The goal would be to have our first year with a surplus to build from for the next year. Success would also be expanding the production team and bringing qualified members in earlier.
Project Budget
Please provide a link to a spreadsheet that shows the project's budget, using the format as indicated
in this example
Please confirm that no in-kind expenses are included in the budget spreadsheet
Confirmed
If there are any explanations you would like to provide to help us better understand the project budget spreadsheet
please enter them here
The budget is missing the in-kind line item for venue.
Community Support
Is there a "project champion" who strongly supports the project?
We have received generous grants from Jack and Dorothy Bryne Foundation, Mascoma Bank, The Rausch Foundation, Mad Old Nut, Mt. Ascutney, and the Woodstock EDC. Woodstock Inn, Billings Farm, Artistree have been important partners in bringing the event to Woodstock. Also, The Shire and Sleep Woodstock have supported our work with generous discounts for our speakers.
Describe the level of community support for this project
We've had over 40 local businesses involved with the project over the last two years. They have advertised, sponsored, and participated in the TEDx weekend.
Woodstock Magazine ran a three page article in Fall of 2023 and we have been featured in the Vermont Standard, and WCTV.
** In addition, we were able to offer a Tickets for Teachers program this year with 34 educators receiving free tickets for all the weekend events. The Rausch Foundation helped to make this possible. (Thank you!)
Questions and ResponsesQuestion: I was unable to open your budget so maybe it answers this...at what point, if any, would you expect to not need EDC annual financial support? Is your financial model consistent with other similar Ted X programs. (submitted by Larry Niles)
Response: Yes it is similar. The main difference with successful models it the ability for a larger audience and longer involvement with community, which we are building. I am working to significantly and yearly reduce the amount of assistance we ask for each year. I reduced the ask baby over 40% from Y1 to Y2. This year, we have additional one time costs to get the larger audience license. The goal is to be sustainable within five years. I also can't get into the budgets but will bring with tomorrow incase that's still an issue. Thx!
Response 2: Pardon the autocorrect. I did not reduce the "baby over 40% from Y1 to Y2." I reduced the ask by over 40% from Y1 to Y2.