It is the Drama Therapy Fund’s 20th anniversary this year. Looking back, so much passion, consideration and hard work went into creating a vehicle to help drama therapists thrive. The fund is fuel for the future of drama therapy, and the founders continue to inspire new generations to innovate. Sally Bailey kindly shared much of her experience with the founding of the fund.
In 2003, Sally had ended a term as the president of the NADTA, during which established drama therapists saw the need for a 501(c)3 which was separate and independent from the NADTA(a 501(c)6). This nonprofit organization would be able to accept donations and provide funds to further the field and support educational and professional development: the Drama Therapy Fund. Patricia Sternberg, Barbara Sandberg, Norman Fedder , Anne Curtis, Marilyn “Toddy” Richman, and Rosilyn Wilder were strong supports on the first board of the fund.
They also had support from NADTA(at that time, the NADT) board members, especially Sherry Diamond, Carlos Rodriguez, and Barbara McKechnie. These board members included the Drama Therapy Fund on the website, membership renewals and conference registration. Not only did this give drama therapists the opportunity to donate, it created familiarity with the new nonprofit.
“I also had advisory help from Virginia Finn and Grace Hwang, colleagues of mine who were both lawyers and involved in non-profits and development,” Sally notes, “My sister Sue Leo, who had created the original version of the NADTA website, created our website pro-bono and has done the updates since.”
A lot of work went into making the fund a success. Sally remembers her living room covered in paper and envelopes as she sent them out for their first fundraising campaign. She put a fundraising letter and return envelope in each one for each member of the NADTA by herself. Did her steadfast cat companions– Quincey, Eleanor and Percy—help in the endeavor? Sally: “I know they tried to help, but as they don’t have opposable claws, they were not very helpful.”
Sally noted that helping students attend conference has led to many of them obtaining a deeper understanding of drama therapy techniques by seeing them in action. Students also get to meet the people who wrote the material they learn from, and to meet the people who created and developed drama therapy theory and techniques. Attending conference, whether in person or online, allows the exchange of ideas between drama therapists in all stages of their work and professional life.