Courtship as Campaign: Charlotte Lucas’s Art of the Ask | Dan Mangiavellano

What do 18th-century charity campaigns, Charlotte Lucas, and today’s Jane Austen legacy industry have in common? More than you might think! In this panoramic lecture, we’ll explore the state of today’s arts and culture philanthropic landscape, discovering why donor support of the Austen legacy industry is more important than ever. In fact, the fundraising that kept Austen’s ring off Kelly Clarkson’s finger in 2013 is a product of Jane Austen’s England! We’ll step back into Georgian England to explore the rise of philanthropy and fundraising as we understand them today—meeting colorful characters along the way—before diving into Pride and Prejudice, where Charlotte Lucas’s quiet, cool-headed pursuit of Mr. Collins is reminiscent of the tactics and strategies employed by today’s fundraisers. Charlotte is both fundraiser and charity case rolled into one. Join us in uncovering what Charlotte can teach us about raising money to keep the lights on within today’s Jane…