Crowdfunder launched to pay bills at 17,000 indie store grassroots campaign
The message that buying just a card is how many independent retailers and creative businesses will survive is as relevant now as when Just A Card was launched almost a decade ago – but the campaign behind it is now at make-or-break point.
To ensure grassroots campaign Just A Card reaches its 10-year anniversary of championing support for supporting independent retailers, publishers and creative businesses by inspiring the public to show their allegiance to indies, it is launching a crowdfunding campaign.
“The time has come for some honesty,” founder Sarah Hamilton said. “Passion alone doesn’t pay the bills – our campaign is very costly and time-consuming to run.”
As indie retailer Heidi Early, of Stoke Newington’s Earlybird and a stalwart of the GCA’s #Cardmitment campaign to remind the public of the importance of greeting card sending, explains in the short reel above, the Crowdfunder kicks off on Tuesday, 29 October. And Sarah herself featured on an Insta Live event this morning, 25 October, on Instagram with @joyofindiemarket talking in person about all things Just A Card as well as the Crowdfunder, which can be seen below.
Explaining how things have changed over the past nine years, Sarah went back to when she started Just A Card after hearing how a gallery owner had said if customers had bought “just a card” each time they told her how much they loved her store, she wouldn’t have had to close the business.
And she reiterated: “Now my artwork is reasonably expensive, but I also still make cards. And, with an event like my Open House, a lot of people come and buy cards, and that little bit of money adds up.
“So many people say, ‘Oh I’m sorry. I’m just buying a card this today’. I think ‘please don’t say sorry’! I love you all with a passion if you buy a card for me for £3.50, £5, or a painting which cost a lot, a tiny investment in my work very often leads to a larger piece.
“How often do we see estate agents’ blurb that says ‘this lovely town full of independent shops’? It isn’t a museum. They need support!”
Still a passionate believer in the merits of supporting small businesses and makers, Sarah said the reality is that running the campaign takes a lot of time, money and effort because it was originally funded from the proceeds of her book House Of Cards about different ways of creating handmade cards – which is still available to buy online – but the monthly bills still need paying, including for the website and an admin assistant, which is where the Crowdfunder comes in.
The pledges start with a three-month listing on the Just A Card website at £30 or for £50 there’s a directory image and listing, £100 buys an Instagram post and directory listing, and for £250 there’s a directory listing and newsletter feature – full Crowdfunder details available on the website – and donations can also be made without reward from anyone who just wants to support the campaign.
There are other ways to help too with the resources bundle to help get out the Just A Card message currently at just £5 instead of £12, plus the classic and Christmas pins – as worn by stars including Natalie Dormer, James Norton, Richard E Grant, Felicity Jones, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sir Michael Palin and Twiggy – are available from the shop at £12, along with a We Are The Makers print by artist and greeting card publisher Jessica Hogarth for £16.
Over 17,000 shops across the globe already have Just A Card window stickers and many join in with Indie Friday, the colourful alternative to Black Friday, and Just A Card in Indie Week which has reached thousands of artists, makers, independent shops, small businesses and customers worldwide, generating massive press coverage.
Megastar actors Daniel Craig and Benedict Cumberbatch even designed hugely popular Christmas cards to spread the Just A Card and Anno’s Africa charity message.
Sarah added: “As we need to preserve all our energy for the Crowdfunder, sadly we won’t be running Indie Week this year. Fingers crossed we’ll be back next year for an incredible 10-year celebration!
“Fingers and toes crossed we hit our Crowdfunder target. Please pledge early, it makes a huge difference to the dreaded Crowdfunder algorithm, so please keep that in mind.
“I do believe that we should all pitch in. That’s why I say, please, like our Instagram posts. Please, do what you can. Please, if you’ve got a lovely shop in your town, go in and tell them about Just A Card. Please, if you supply shops, tell them about the Just A Card campaign. Tell people they can use our posters and resources. Let’s all pull together.”
