08.11.21 Thanks to the generous support of the Scarecrow Community, the Scarecrow 2.1 Campaign is FULLY FUNDED! We are humbled and grateful for everyone’s investment in our future and look forward to better serving Scarecrow fans with the upgrades you’re making possible.

If you’d like to stay updated on our progress toward the new and improved Scarecrow, sign up for our e-newsletter here!

And while this funding will make overdue improvements to our digital infrastructure happen, we are always in need of operating funds to protect and grow the collection, produce community outreach events, and keep the lights on. If you haven’t yet, you can make a tax-deductible contribution here.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND VIVA PHYSICAL MEDIA!

07.07.21 – HUGE NEWS! An anonymous donor has stepped forward and offered to match every dollar we raise for Scarecrow 2.1 going forward. That means that our campaign for crucial infrastructure upgrades will be fully funded IF we make it to $200K. DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT WITH A GIFT TODAY!

Become a Physical Media Defender… Join us in the Scarecrow 2.1 Campaign!

If you are reading this, then we know that you, like us, have a great love for physical media, and understand the need to ensure its survival. Scarecrow 2.1 is our most ambitious effort ever to move Scarecrow forward to make this a reality – but it will take everyone’s help to make it happen.

This past year’s challenges have taught us two things: 1) we have the most amazing supporters in the world; and 2) in order for Scarecrow to survive all that the future has in store, we must bring our infrastructure into the 21^st century. By joining us on this journey with your support, you will help us:

• Build new systems to seamlessly integrate with our public web portal which will:
  • Allow for real-time inventory updates 
  • Create a rent-by-mail experience that is easier for users and more efficient and cost-effective for us. 

• Completely overhaul our website which will offer:
  • A better user interface for searching the collection, 
  • Higher functionality in reserving titles, 
  • Recommendations for what to watch next, and 
  • A centralized place to enjoy our original video and audio content.

• Continue serving the community with free programming like Silver Screeners, Children’s Hour, Movies in the Park/Carpool Cinema, a full-slate of activities in our Screening Room, as well as more online accessible content and experiences like our Scarecrow Radio podcast and Youtube content like our Viva Physical Media episodes, our twice-monthly Twitch screenings, and our virtual Film Club.

MAKE YOUR GIFT NOW!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN!

What’s behind the Scarecrow 2.1 Campaign…

In our 30+ year history stewarding the world’s largest library of film, we’ve overcome a lot of challenges and bounced back from threats to our continued operation, all so we could continue fulfilling founder George Latsios’s mission to connect people with film.

We never foresaw a global pandemic, though.

Shortly before the world went into lockdown, we were offering a pilot rent-by-mail program. As more and more people sheltered in place, interest in the program exploded, and we’re now shipping films to movie lovers in 25 states.

But we’re doing it with severely outdated systems. It’s probably not news that our website has needed an upgrade for far too long. Behind-the-scenes, the tools we’re using to manage the collection and the search utilities you use to explore it are reaching a breaking point. We are grateful to have survived the pandemic, but the experience has made it clear that we need vital infrastructure upgrades to continue beyond it.

Further, recent events have also highlighted the severe limitations of streaming content and, at this point, physical media remains the best way to guarantee that the fullest spectrum of works remains available for us to enjoy while connecting with it as a representation of our collective history. Scarecrow remains the best place on Earth to experience it. Please make your gift in support of Scarecrow 2.1 to assure that remains the case for years to come.

MAKE YOUR GIFT NOW…

Viva Physical Media!