Support us
Donate Give us
your money (please)
Donate Give us your money (please)
Give artists a leg up. Give to Fringe.
Let us paint you a picture: the independent arts are like a human pyramid, full of heads packed with ideas and bodies that take to the stages. And there Fringe is at the bottom – providing a strong platform for artists to make magic up above. Our number one priority is supporting artists – in 2020 we supported 2,300 of them – and we put over $800,000 in their pockets. But, as the saying goes, money doesn’t grow on trees (or hide in the back of sofas, no matter how many times we go hunting for it).
That’s where you come in. Will you help give artists a leg up?
2021 has already had some real ups (we got to re-re-open our beautiful year-round venue!) and some real downs (we had to re-re-close our beautiful year-round venue!). The pandemic uncertainty is still real and present in our industry. Cancellations and lost contracts are still a thing and many of the brilliant independent artists we work with are doing it tough. But whether it’s a stage to play on, our digital platform, development opportunities, straight-up cash, or a literal leg up – we will always support artists to make and sustain their work. Through rain, through hail, through shine and through face masks.
So, give us your money (pretty please!), and your gift will support:
- Our Artist Fund: giving independent artists cold hard cash to make risky, bold, exciting new work.
- Our Access Fund: reducing barriers to participation by covering things like registration fees, and access costs like Auslan interpreters, so anyone can be part of Fringe.
- Our Sustainability Fund: securing the future of Melbourne Fringe so we can (literally) keep the lights on now, and for future generations.
Ready to Donate?
- Online – select the amount you want to donate (or choose your own) and add it to your account.
- Phone – give us a buzz on 03 9660 9600 and we can process your donation live (we’ll sing you a thank you song)
- Cheque or EFT – just fill out the online form here and then donate by posting us a cheque or sending your donation by bank transfer (take a look at the form for our bank/post details).
Donor Levels:
They say it takes a village, right? Which is why we’re grateful for any donation, big or small. All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible, and donations larger than $200 get you a fancy friend-of-Fringe title (and our unending love and devotion).
Adventurer $100,000 +
Troublemaker $50,000 +
Hero $25,000 +
Creator $10,000 +
Discoverer $5,000 +
Explorer $2,500 +
Innovator $1,000 +
Rabblerouser $500 +
Accomplice $200 +
What you get:
- Personal acknowledgement on the Melbourne Fringe website, in our Festival Guide and in Annual reports.
- Be lifted through the streets triumphantly (optional)
- Exclusive opportunities to meet the team
- Get up close and personal with artists
Legacy Program:
Why not give your money to Fringe - the child you always wanted (and never knew you had)?!?
Etch yourself into the arts Hall of Fame with a posthumous gift to the Melbourne Fringe.
To find out about how you can leave a gift in your will, go here.
Melbourne Fringe is on the Register of Cultural Organisations under Subdivision 30-B of the income Assessment Act 1997 and is endorsed by the Australian Tax Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). But all you need to know is that every donation of $2 or more is tax-deductible.
Your Donation
Buy us a (tax deductible)
gift
Buy us a (tax deductible) gift
Gift registries aren’t just at your cousin Geoffrey’s wedding.
You can peruse our Gift Registry containing a list of the things we actually need to help our independent artists to make art.
Things like better staging equipment for our performers, shimmer curtains (because it’s Fringe, after all) and even a round of celebratory beers so artists can celebrate after a successful show. (Our gift registry contains items we will pay for and when you ‘purchase’ an item, you are technically making a gift of its value to Melbourne Fringe. The great news? All gifts are tax deductible.)
$50, $500, $5000… no matter what your budget is, there’s something you can purchase that will make a real difference. So please, have a browse.
Having trouble using the gift registry? Just click here to donate.
You can also give us a call on 03 9660 9600 (10am – 6pm Mon to Fri) or email us on info@melbournefringe.com.au.
For a plain text version of our registry, please download here: Plain Text Gift Registry
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION | EXTRA RECOGNITION | NUMBER AVAILABLE | DONATION PER ITEM | |
Commission a Cabaret Show  | Description Life is a cabaret and we want to commission a group of fierce, diverse artists to make something spectacular to headline Trades Hall this year. | Extra Recognition Dinner with some of the project’s creative team, a big thanks in the printed guide and the event’s online listing, plus a sign at the project crediting your extraordinary contribution. | Number Available 2 of 2 | Donation Per Item $15000 | |
Engage an Artist – Matthias Schack-Arnott  | Description Contribute to the presentation costs of a giant participatory musical project for the Festival, by percussive artist Matthias Schack-Arnott. | Extra Recognition Dinner with Matthias and Creative Director Simon Abrahams, and a sign at the project crediting your extraordinary contribution. | Number Available 1 of 1 | Donation Per Item $10000 | |
Kit Out Our Festival Hub Rooms  | Description All the things we need to turn historic meeting rooms into fully functional theatres every October: portable staging, drapes, a sound system and a lighting rig | Extra Recognition We’ll invite you to the opening night at the Festival Hub so you can see the rooms in all their glory. | Number Available 5 of 5 | Donation Per Item $5000 | |
Commission an Innovative New Digital Work  | Description Pay an artist to go on a digital discovery – creating an innovative work for digital presentation at the Festival. | Extra Recognition We’ll give you a big thanks on our website, and send you some tasty treats to enjoy at home during the show. | Number Available 2 of 2 | Donation Per Item $5000 | |
Support our Digital Fringe Platform  | Description Contribute to the ongoing design and hosting fees of our bespoke Digital Fringe platform. You’ll be helping more artists and audiences have access to great art. What a win. | Extra Recognition You’ll be credited in the pre-roll video that plays before every event on Digital Fringe. | Number Available 1 of 1 | Donation Per Item $3500 | |
Pay For a Gig at Fringe Common Rooms: The Works  | Description Housing a gig ain’t cheap. Cover the costs of putting on a one-off event: artist fees, Auslan Interpreting, marketing costs, security, and venue and bar staff wages. A burger with the lot, except it’s art. | Extra Recognition We’ll invite you and FIVE friends to the event at Common Rooms, and throw in a bag of chippies. | Number Available 10 of 10 | Donation Per Item $2500 | |
5X Artists’ Registration Fees  | Description Cover the Festival registration fee for FIVE artists who can’t afford it. | Extra Recognition We’ll invite you and FIVE friends to one of the events | Number Available 10 of 10 | Donation Per Item $2150 | |
Commission a Writer For a Major Public Artwork  | Description Commission one of four writers for one of our exciting keynote projects in October. We can’t say too much now, but this project is going to be really special. | Extra Recognition You’ll be credited on the event’s online listing and in our printed guide. Plus, we’ll write you a haiku to say thanks. | Number Available 4 of 4 | Donation Per Item $1500 | |
A Deadly Fringe Mentorship  | Description Employ a professional to provide cultural and artistic support and mentoring to our First Nations artists and producers | Extra Recognition We’ll thank you on our website and invite you to a Deadly Fringe event. | Number Available 2 of 4 | Donation Per Item $1500 | |
Commission a Deaf or disabled Artist to Test an Idea For a New Work  | Description Give a Deaf or disabled artist an opportunity to test a creative idea as they explore and push the boundaries of their art-form in a supportive space | Extra Recognition We’ll invite you to the artist’s work-in-progress showing and a give you a big thanks on our website. | Number Available 4 of 4 | Donation Per Item $1000 | |
Pay Our Rent For a Week  | Description Literally help us keep a roof over our heads – lights on, doors open. | Extra Recognition You can come by and visit anytime, and we’ll put a framed picture of you in the office. | Number Available 5 of 6 | Donation Per Item $600 | |
Staff Professional Development  | Description Help cover the costs of professional development for our staff. From Cultural Safety training, to workshops and mentoring. | Extra Recognition We’ll post you a selfie of all the staff doing their best “learning” face. | Number Available 14 of 15 | Donation Per Item $500 | |
A Design Fringe Mentorship  | Description Employ a professional to coach the next big things in design. | Extra Recognition We’ll invite you to our Design Fringe opening night, and we’ll say a big thanks to you on our website. | Number Available 4 of 4 | Donation Per Item $500 | |
An Artist’s Registration Fee  | Description Cover the Festival registration fee for an artist who can’t afford it. | Extra Recognition We’ll give you a big thanks on the Money for Art page of our website. | Number Available 8 of 10 | Donation Per Item $430 | |
A Ring Light For The Fringe Common Rooms Green Room  | Description Our artists are beautiful inside and out – imagine what they could do with proper lighting when they’re doing their pre-show make up and hair? | Extra Recognition We’ll give you a free ticket to a Fringe Common Rooms event, and we’ll invite you to the Green Room for a quick, perfectly-lit selfie. | Number Available 1 of 1 | Donation Per Item $350 | |
Support an Artist in XS  | Description Support an artist in our children’s experimental art program by contributing to their artist fee | Extra Recognition We’ll send a picture of you drawn by a kid for you to stick on your fridge. | Number Available 6 of 8 | Donation Per Item $300 | |
Buy us a Comedian  | Description Pay for a comedian to do a set at Club Fringe. | Extra Recognition Free entry to Club Fringe on the night of your choice. We’ll send you our best knock-knock joke with your ticket. | Number Available 3 of 4 | Donation Per Item $250 | |
Buy us a Drag Queen  | Description Pay for a Drag Queen to do a spot in Club Fringe. | Extra Recognition Free entry to Club Fringe on the night of your choice. We’ll make up a drag name for you and book your ticket under it. | Number Available 0 of 4 | Donation Per Item $250 | Sorry, I'm all gone |
Buy us an Acrobat  | Description Pay for a circus artist to do a spot at Club Fringe. | Extra Recognition Free entry to Club Fringe on the night of your choice. Plus, we’ll name our office hula-hoop after you. | Number Available 2 of 4 | Donation Per Item $250 | |
Auslan Interpreting  | Description Cover the costs of an independent artist engaging a qualified Auslan interpreter to translate their show for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. | Extra Recognition We’ll send you a video of the interpreter saying thank you in Auslan. | Number Available 16 of 20 | Donation Per Item $200 | |
Computer Monitors  | Description Buy us a big computer screen so that we can really excel at spreadsheet creation. | Extra Recognition We’ll put your face as the desktop background for the rest of the year. | Number Available 9 of 12 | Donation Per Item $150 | |
Shimmer Curtain  | Description Buy us one of those big, glittery shimmer curtains for the Fringe Common Rooms stage. Everything looks better with glitter. | Extra Recognition We’ll take the perfect insta-worthy photo of you in front of the curtain. | Number Available 0 of 1 | Donation Per Item $150 | Sorry, I'm all gone |
Chip In to the Sustainability Fund  | Description Our sustainability fund secures the future of our organisation. Chipping in to that for only a hundy? What a bargain. | Extra Recognition We’ll shout you a bag of chips next time you’re at Fringe Common Rooms. | Number Available 11 of 12 | Donation Per Item $100 | |
Chip In to the Access Fund  | Description Our access fund reduces barriers so anyone can be a part of Fringe. Chip in? You know you wanna. | Extra Recognition We’ll shout you a bag of chips next time you’re at Fringe Common Rooms. | Number Available 7 of 12 | Donation Per Item $100 | |
Buy us a Tech  | Description A 3-hour call with a technician to make our events look slick and sound sick. | Extra Recognition A COVID-safe high five with the tech next time you come to Fringe Common Rooms. | Number Available 7 of 10 | Donation Per Item $100 | |
Chip In To The Artist Fund  | Description Our artist fund puts money directly into the hands of artists through commissions and fees. Go on, chip in. It’ll feel good. | Extra Recognition We’ll shout you a bag of chips next time you’re at Fringe Common Rooms. | Number Available 11 of 12 | Donation Per Item $100 | |
Water for a Month  | Description Supporting artists 24 x 7 x 365 is thirsty work. Fill our office water cooler for a month and save the planet by stopping us buying single use plastics. | Extra Recognition We’ll invite you to the office for a chat around the water cooler about the reality TV show of your choice. | Number Available 11 of 12 | Donation Per Item $75 | |
5 Beers for 5 Artists  | Description Help five artists ‘Get on the Beers.’ | Extra Recognition ‘Legend’ status with our community or artists. | Number Available 13 of 15 | Donation Per Item $50 | |
Office Stationery  | Description Help us keep the office running with the essentials. Think paper for the printer, Post-It notes, those cool rubber stamps that say official business-y things like “APPROVED” and “SIGN HERE”. | Extra Recognition Save a trip to Officeworks and come print that pesky form at our office. | Number Available 16 of 20 | Donation Per Item $25 | |
Phone Headsets for Our Staff  | Description Help our office staff host Zoom meetings with artists without that pesky background noise. You’ll also be helping us achieve our dreams of looking like Britney Spears. | Extra Recognition If you visit our office one of us will put on the headset and sing you the chorus of “Baby One More Time”. | Number Available 15 of 18 | Donation Per Item $25 |