Despite the economic, intellectual, and political prowess of her prime backers, Liberty was thus not to be financed by either the French central government or a small elite group. The first fundraising efforts of the French committee focused on municipalities, civic associations, and businesses. When these efforts did not yield sufficient funds to meet the costs of construction, a lottery and other devices, including concerts and the sale of models of the Statue, were utilized. These efforts brought in contributions sufficient, by July 1880, to insure the completion of the project, on which Bartholdi and a corps of skilled workmen were already hard at work. More than 100,000 individuals subscribed, and 180 towns and municipalities. The total contributed was the equivalent of about $400,000.