Donor Spotlight: Danny Strong
Introducing another edition of Donor Spotlight, the blog series where we highlight donors to the Writers Guild Foundation and their reasons for giving. We’re only able to provide our programs and resources for the screenwriting community because of our donors’ generous support. Thank you to our spotlighted donors — and all of our donors — for your generosity!
Over the years, Danny Strong has done a lot for the Writers Guild Foundation. He’s given his scripts to our Library, he’s shared his wisdom at our events, he’s a member of our Advisory Council, he's done A LOT.
This past December Danny added to that long list: he made a generous donation to WGF’s year-end appeal. In his own words, Danny shares what inspires his consistent support for WGF, why now was the right time to make his first donation, and why other supporters should consider donating too.
Tell me a little bit about how you were introduced to the Foundation. How did you first hear of us?
I had been hearing about it for quite a while before I did my first panel. I've always thought it was a terrific organization, how it preserves great writing and simultaneously has community outreach.
Do you have any standout memories from being involved with the Foundation over the years?
I was really impressed with the Veterans Writing Project and how there was a program for veterans to encourage them to write and to help them pursue careers in this field. I made a film called Rebel in the Rye that deals with PTSD and writing. It was all about how JD Salinger was a writer who went to war and how it transformed him. Writing became his therapy in many ways. I was really moved by that story, so the fact that there is a veterans outreach program to help them on their creative journey is a very special thing.
What's your favorite aspect about the Foundation’s work? Would you say it's the vets program?
I think it's the vets program, but also the preservation. An organization that is dedicated to cataloging all these incredible writers and their works provides a great service to the arts.
This past December, you made your first donation to the Writers Guild Foundation as part of our year-end appeal. And I just wanted to, first of all, thank you for doing that.
Thank you for what you do.
I also wanted to know more about how you came to that decision and what inspired you to donate.
I do a series of year-end donations every year and I wanted to do some more arts donations. The first thing that popped into my mind was the Writers Guild Foundation. So literally I was like, “Oh, I should do that!” and then I went and looked it up online and donated.
So that's really what it was. It was just this feeling that I wanted to support more arts causes and [the Writers Guild Foundation] was the first one that I thought of.
It's really nice to hear just how simple donating can be.
Yeah, I'm glad I did it.
How would you encourage other Writers Guild Foundation supporters to donate? Maybe they give scripts to the library or they volunteer with our programs or events, but they've never actually donated money. How would you encourage those people to make their first donation?
Write a check! Just do it!
Ha! That’s great encouragement.
Yeah, absolutely. I just think supporting writers, supporting the preservation of their works, and supporting up-and-coming writers is all incredibly important. And if you're passionate about writing and this industry and what we do, I couldn't think of a better organization to donate to.
Finally, what script or scripts would you recommend someone read next time they visit the Library?
My two favorite scripts are Chinatown and Network. They're both masterclasses in the art form, and so I would highly recommend them.
If you’d like to join Danny and become a donor to the Writers Guild Foundation, click here!