Hi, it's Philip and Meera, the founders of The Unscripted Project. We’re so excited to launch our 2021 Campaign. This year we will again cap our fundraiser with a Virtual Celebration to bring together the whole Unscripted family, and will ALSO be throwing an in-person celebratory event in NYC. We hope you will continue to support us on our journey as we bring the power of improv to more young people in Philadelphia and beyond!

Campaign:

Our goal is to raise $30,000 by the end of 2021 to launch and grow our free 10-week series of improv workshops in more schools in 2022. Unscripted is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible - you will be emailed a donation receipt once the transaction is complete. 

Progress:

To date, 516 students across 43 different classrooms and 9 Philadelphia public middle and high schools have completed our free, 10-week improv workshop series, developing skills like speaking confidently, collaborating effectively, and growing more comfortable with uncertainty - all while creating community in the loneliest of times.

Fall 2021 (our first in-person semester):

• 6 school partners who receive our free in-person improv programming
• 16 classrooms
• 317 students (157 students completing our 10-week program and 160 students completing our one-time workshops)

Additional Highlights:

• We won the Greater Philadelphia Social Innovation Awards in the category of Educational Entrepreneurship
• For our work, we've been published in Psychology Today, The Philadelphia Citizen, The Pennsylvania Gazette, and many other publications. View our recent media here

Our impact (2020/2021 school year)

• 23% of students who initially screened positive for social anxiety screened negative
• 82% of students felt they could better understand their own emotions and the emotions of others
• 86% of students feel more confident participating in class
• 67% of students increased in social self-efficacy
• 79% of students believe that the skills of improv are relevant and helpful in everyday life.

Take a look at our 2020-2021 annual report for a comprehensive view of what we've been up to this past year.

Impact of your donations, and tokens of our appreciation:

Virtual Fall Celebration

Our virtual fall celebration on Thursday, December 9th at 9 pm EST is an opportunity to share our progress over the past school year, highlight our students and champions, and celebrate a successful and safe return to the classroom. You will hear from our team, teachers, and students on why improv remains such a powerful tool to build critical social and emotional skills. In addition, we will have special guest appearances and performers throughout the event. 

All donors and supporters are invited to join us from the comfort of their own homes for this special live-streamed event on this page or on our Facebook live. The broadcast will also be available on-demand following the live stream. 

In-person Campaign Wrap Party

Mark your calendars - you do not want to miss this special event! 

Since we launched during a pandemic, we have not had the opportunity to thank our supporters and celebrate the growth of The Unscripted Project in person. This year we will be capping off our fundraiser campaign with an in-person celebratory event in NYC on Saturday, December 11th from 9-11pm ET at the Blue Haven East bar in Kips Bay. Join us for a fun evening of celebration where you can mingle, enjoy some music, and dance the night away. There will be a small ticket fee ($35) that will include entry, snacks, coat check, 2 drink tickets, and a raffle entry. 

Please note this is a 21+ only event. IDs and vaccination cards will be checked at the door. 

There will be limited tickets available and tickets/further details will be released 2 weeks prior to the event. Donate today for early access to ticket release. You do not want to miss out on this special event!

Corporate Matching

Many companies offer corporate matching for any contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations. Check your company intranet or benefits for details on the company matching process. Common providers are Benevity and YourCause. Here is some information you may require for company matching:

Org: The Unscripted Project
Unscripted EIN: 85-0844633
Address:  3720 Spruce Street, Suite 404, Philadelphia, PA 19104

If you're having any issues, shoot us an email ([email protected]) and we'll walk you through it! Please do take the time to check as this is the single most effective way to double (or more) your impact. 

About Unscripted

The Unscripted Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia, PA (www.unscriptedproject.org). Our mission is to equip students with the building blocks for personal and professional success (like speaking confidently, collaborating effectively, and growing from mistakes) through the power of an improv education. We do this by holding free in-school 10-week improv workshops for Philly middle and high school students, and by offering Act 48-accredited professional development workshops for Philly educators to incorporate improv into their classrooms.

Launched through the generous support of The University of Pennsylvania’s President's Engagement Prize, we are deeply committed to taking a methodical and interdisciplinary approach to building an innovative and impactful program for the students of Philadelphia. 

You can continue to follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram