Holly Million

Current

Owner at Golden Poppy Productions, LLC
Owner at Holly Million, Fundraising Consultant

Past

Director of Development and Membership at Film Arts Foundation
Director of Individual Gifts at Goodwill Industries
Director of Development at GirlSource

Co-Executive Director at Acterra
Director of Development at SFJAZZ
Director of Development at Interplast

see less...

3 more...

Education

Stanford University
Harvard University

Recommended

3 people have recommended Holly

Connections

182 connections

Industry

Motion Pictures and Film

Websites

Holly Million’s Summary

I have been a professional fundraiser, serving nonprofit organizations and independent filmmakers for almost two decades. Experienced in meeting $1 million+ fundraising goals, I have worked for such nonprofit organizations as Interplast, the San Francisco Jazz Organization, KTEH Public Television, Goodwill, Amnesty International, Acterra, GirlSource, and Film Arts Foundation. I am an instructor for the San Francisco Film Society’s education program, teaching classes on film fundraising, including the popular “How to Ask People for Money.” I also wrote for "Film Arts" magazine, where my column, “Show Me the Money,” provided practical fundraising advice from the perspective of a working filmmaker. My film fundraising column appears on the sf360.org website.

In 1997, I secured funding for the Academy Award-winning film, "A Story of Healing," and today I continue to raise money for an eclectic mix of independent films. As a director, I created "Changing Room," a narrative film focused on women and body-image that had its television debut on PBS in 2005.

In addition, I am the author of the book "Fear-Free Fundraising: How to Ask People for Money," available on Amazon.com. My blog, FFFFlog! (Fear-Free Film Fundraising Blog!), www.fearfreefilmfundraising.blogspot.com, provides nuts, bolts, hot tips, and road-tested information for indie filmmakers raising money for films and videos. I am writing a new book, "A Helluva Guide to Indie Film Fundraising" which will be published in 2009.

My Internet radio show, The Money Couch (Indie Film Edition AND Nonprofit Edition), appears every Monday night at 7 PM Pacific Time on Talkshoe.com.

I am a seasoned international traveler who has been to Nepal, China, Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam. I met my husband, cinematographer Chris Million, on a trip to Mongolia in 1996.

Holly Million’s Specialties:

Nonprofit fundraising, film fundraising, writing, blogging, teaching, filmmaking

Holly Million’s Experience

Owner

Golden Poppy Productions, LLC

(Entertainment industry)

June 1996 — Present (13 years 6 months)

I'm a film producer and director. I am also an author and blogger. Golden Poppy Productions is a media company that produces films, books, blogs, and Internet-based television shows.

Some of my current projects include:

"A Permanent Mark: Agent Orange in America and Vietnam"
This is a feature documentary film that tells the story of American veterans exposed to Agent Orange as well as the Vietnamese people still contending with the herbicide. "A Permanent Mark" shows that war doesn't end with "mission accomplished." Visit our film website at apermanentmark.com.

"With You: The Mark Bingham Story"
This is a feature documentary that tells the story of Mark Bingham, one of the heroes of United Flight 93 who helped take over the plane on September 11, 2001. Visit the film website at markbinghamdocumentary.com.
Owner

Holly Million, Fundraising Consultant

(Fund-Raising industry)

1991 — Present (18 years )

I have been a professional fundraiser, serving nonprofit organizations and independent filmmakers in the San Francisco Bay Area for nearly twenty years. Experienced in meeting $1 million+ fundraising goals, I have worked for such organizations as Interplast, SFJAZZ, KTEH Public Television, Goodwill, Amnesty International, Acterra, and GirlSource. In 1997, I secured funding for the Academy Award-winning film, "A Story of Healing," and today I continue to raise money for independent film and television programs. I continue to consult with both independent filmmakers and nonprofit organizations.
Director of Development and Membership

Film Arts Foundation

(Non-Profit; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

2007 — 2008 (1 year )
Director of Individual Gifts

Goodwill Industries

(Non-Profit; 201-500 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

2005 — 2008 (3 years )
Director of Development

GirlSource

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

2002 — 2006 (4 years )
Co-Executive Director

Acterra

(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

2000 — 2002 (2 years )
Director of Development

SFJAZZ

(Non-Profit; Performing Arts industry)

1999 — 2000 (1 year )
Director of Development

Interplast

(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

1995 — 1998 (3 years )

I was the director of development for an international nonprofit providing free reconstructive surgery to children with birth defects in developing countries. During my time at Interplast, I traveled on two of their medical trips, one to Mongolia, and one to Nepal.

Holly Million’s Education

Stanford University

M.A. , Education, STEP Program , 1989 — 1990

Activities and Societies:

Newman Fellowship for teaching excellence,
CA Secondary Teaching Credential
Harvard University

B.A. , English and American Literature , 1983 — 1987

Activities and Societies:

Houghton Rare Book Library staff
Harvard Student Agencies staff
Dean's List