HMWV is a volunteer steering group that promotes Videobloggers to the general public for financial support.

 

THE PROMOTION PROCESS...

Having your cool project idea promoted by HMWV is a process of clear communication and hard work between you and the steering group...

 

STEP 1: Make First Contact

The group considers a videoblogging project for promotion if a group member advocates for a project in our group discussions. If you'd like someone to advocate for your project, apply for an advocate by contacting someone from our List of members. There are details on that page about how to aproach a member and explain your proposal.

 

STEP 2: If an advocate likes your idea

When you contact someone and ask her or him to advocate for your project, the person will probably have some questions for you. The person needs to get a good sense of what your project is about to decide if it is a good fit for the variety of passions and goals of our very eclectic group. After some conversation, the goal is that you'll end up with an Advocate who is as excited about your project as you are!

 

STEP 3: Your advocate takes up your cause

A period of conversation with your Advocate will help get your proposal in fantastic shape. Through e-mail, or maybe on the phone, or even getting together over coffee if you live in the same city, your Advocate will ask clarifying questions and make suggestions for the planning of your project. You're not obligated to change anything about your vision, this is about you and your Advocate working together because you both believe in your project.

 

After a week or two, your Advocate will present your proposal to the rest of the steering group, and we will spend time discussing it together. We'll have questions for your advocate about logistics and purpose. During this time your Advocate will stay in touch with you to let you know how it's going, and maybe ask some more questions.

 

STEP 4: If the Group Gets Excited

The goal is for everyone on the steering group to come to consensus that your project is something we can get behind and promote for support. If that happens, your project proposal will be featured on our Web site and we'll start contacting people we think will be interested in supporting what you are trying to do.

 

This process lasts 30 days, and it's not magic; it's hard work! We'll give you guidance about how to help us in the promotion process. You'll contact people you know to direct them to our site so they can learn about what you're doing. We might ask for 1 or more videos that could help us explain your goals to people in our own networks.

 

During this whole time, individuals from the general public will be visiting our site, learning what you're about, and, hopefully contributing money to your project! We all want to see the funding process successful. Your project gets funded only if you raise all the money you need!

 

OTHER QUESTIONS...

 

What if you apply for an advocate, but the person isn't interested? Sometimes the person you approach for advocacy won't agree to join forces with you. There are many reasons this might happen.

 

Maybe your project isn't precisely the kind of thing the person needs to spend time on (we all have day jobs that keep us very busy, so we have to choose our projects carefully!) Maybe the person doesn't quite understand the project's goals, or maybe there's a different group member who might be a better fit. Or maybe there's something about your idea that doesn't quite match the overall sort of project the group usually gets excited about.

 

If it doesn't work out, you can always change your proposal and try again, or approach a different member of the group. Above all, don't lose heart. If your work doesn't mesh perfectly with HMWV, we recommend Fundable or our PledgeDrive Wordpress plugin. Anybody can raise funds anywhere. Go for it. We can help you do that, too. The PledgeDrive plugin will be ready for use on other sites the end of Sept 2006. Keep checking back for updates.

 

SOME POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND...

• We are interested in funding videoblogging projects that will not be made if the community doesn't fund it.

 

• We need to know "the nature and purpose of your project", "your timeline" and "where you plan to spend the funding".

 

• Since we don't financially profit from doing this, at least one of us has to fall in love with your project. We don't really know how to explain this one, but we want to support projects that are out of the ordinary, projects we feel are important in a change-the-world kind of way. Call us idealists. We are.

 

• Since we are not paid to run this site, we must fall in love with your project in order for us to spend the time and our repuations to help fund your idea.

 

• We do NOT want to simply give you money to do what you are already doing...(even though we all deserve free money). We want to fund projects that really push the boundaries of what can be accomplished in a videoblog.

 

• The videoblog is a new medium. It's not simply a TV show or a movie. Be a pioneer.

 

• We expct the creator to have some sacrifice making the project.

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