I decided about a month ago to try a fund raiser with the GoFundMe website. It is free to set up, there is no set deadline for contributions, and you do not need to reach your goal in order to collect the funds. While many people use GoFundMe to help pay for things in times of hardship--medical expenses, rebuilding after storm damage, etc.--it is also used to raise funds for cultural activities, the arts, and community events.
The fund raiser went live on November 11, 2017, and in less than one month I received more than $1,000 USD.
I have just ordered a set of puppets from Miraiker. The Punch and Judy I chose are pictured below. I will also be getting Joey, a Policeman, a Doctor, a Crocodile, and a Devil, along with a few accessories. (I am using some of my own savings for this purchase, too.) This is a good basis for starting.
Any additional money I raise will go toward building a booth.
While I was hesitant at first to go public asking for money, I got no negative feedback from anyone about it. I had nothing to lose and I'm glad about the outcome.
It's certainly something to consider by those wishing to start up.
The url to my GoFundMe is here in case you would like to read the proposal I wrote to generate the contributions. https://www.gofundme.com/puppetry-for-fairhaven-ma
