Ultimately, budgeting is critical to success -- in your personal life or as the manager of an organization. The larger the organization, the more variables you must manage in creating and monitoring a budget. Ultimately, the numbers, while important, are not as important as the thought process and the logic that goes on behind it. Ultimately, however, the point is sustainability. What does this linked file tell you about balancing mission to sustainable processes?
Analysis and financial management frameworks (laws and regulations) are more complicated. One interesting resource is: http://managementhelp.org/nonprofitfinances/index.htm
There have been significant changes in this arena post-Enron (it affected the nonprofit sector as well as the for-profit). Read more about the SARBANES-OXLEY bill. Non-Profit specifics are particularly related to board ethics (as we've discussed lightly in class). Additionally, the recent ACORN scandal further presents the issues of 'why' financial management and accountability are important.
From Sarbanes Oxley to ACORN, what are your thoughts on financial accountability and management?
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Contributed Income - The Long and Winding Road
Contributed Income is the other side of the income coin for a nonprofit organization. These monies are not available to for-profit organizations. They are tied to the fundamental assumption that nonprofits are serving the community and donations are the means by which the community contributes to their existence. (very short version -- read the book too :-)
There is an publication that all professional fundraisers read -- Chronicle of Philanthropy: http://philanthropy.com/section/Home/172
There is an organization dedicated to the field, as well -- The Foundation Center: http://www.foundationcenter.org/
Read the "about us" of the Foundation Center and poke around their web site. Read a column in the Chronicle.
What do you glean of the job of someone working in the field of Development/Fundraising? Who are these people and what do they do?
Emerging modes of on-line fundraising include "Pepsi Refresh" and "KickStarter". How are these new and different ways to raise money/engage people in a cause?
FYI: Imagination Stage participated in the Pepsi Refresh project in December. We did not win, but we got a lot of engagement . . . (we were SO close -- one away from winning!). You can see our core fundraising video at (it is the first of 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El3QUFAsHKE&list=PLA9984DAF61EACB12&feature=plcp&context=C47f5c98FDvjVQa1PpcFOMyVbqkYDXWKk0b0xv1tPkkxkfwKm2Agc=
There is an publication that all professional fundraisers read -- Chronicle of Philanthropy: http://philanthropy.com/section/Home/172
There is an organization dedicated to the field, as well -- The Foundation Center: http://www.foundationcenter.org/
Read the "about us" of the Foundation Center and poke around their web site. Read a column in the Chronicle.
What do you glean of the job of someone working in the field of Development/Fundraising? Who are these people and what do they do?
Emerging modes of on-line fundraising include "Pepsi Refresh" and "KickStarter". How are these new and different ways to raise money/engage people in a cause?
FYI: Imagination Stage participated in the Pepsi Refresh project in December. We did not win, but we got a lot of engagement . . . (we were SO close -- one away from winning!). You can see our core fundraising video at (it is the first of 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El3QUFAsHKE&list=PLA9984DAF61EACB12&feature=plcp&context=C47f5c98FDvjVQa1PpcFOMyVbqkYDXWKk0b0xv1tPkkxkfwKm2Agc=
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Communications: Marketing, Advertising,Public Relations, Audience Development . . . the options continue
What are we really talking about? Creating relationships and offering opportunities for exchanges (you give me money, I will give you a __insert adjective here__ experience). Communicating from a nonprofit (or for profit) arts organization is a 'leveler' in many ways. Advertising in a newspaper, for example, is the same for a production of INTO THE WOODS as it is for a new make-up. You are hitting the same audience and you have to grab their attention.
Terminology:
Advertising: paying someone else to run an ad (print or radio or web).
Public Relations: giving reporters information such that they can, if it seems like it might be of interest to their readers, write an article about it.
Reviews: Encouraging reporters to engage in an artistic endeavor and write about it.
Marketing/Communications: a strategy to bring about an exchange. It usually involves direct mail/email, advertising, public relations and personal selling (remember last week's box office?) to enact a single ticket purchase.
So, how does an arts marketer convince a potential audience member to buy a ticket (or a subscription) to a performance? Pick up your free NY Times in the entrance of Center for the Arts and pick an advertisement or an article. What are they trying to communicate? Who will find that interesting? (that would be the target market.) How do you know? (write about it below and bring to class)
Check out your organization's web site . . . how are they 'converting sales' or are they? Check out the Super Bowl Ads . . . who is their target market? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4804033000500581013. How are they converting sales?
Finally, who are the people interested in seeing theatre or the arts? http://nea.gov/research/research.php?type=R Check out research reports 54 and 49 (2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and Beyond Attendance: A Multi-Modal Understanding of Arts Participation).
The reports are large -- so glean the basics from the summaries. What does that tell you? pay attention to shifts and percentages . . . who really cares that Everyman or Center Stage have performances ever?
Extra Credit: You are surrounded by marketing every day, all day long. . . . the noise is what marketers are trying to break through anyway they can. For 'professional' peer-to-peer advice, check out this blog: http://arts-marketing.blogspot.com/2012/02/learning-from-past-looking-toward.html?m=1
Terminology:
Advertising: paying someone else to run an ad (print or radio or web).
Public Relations: giving reporters information such that they can, if it seems like it might be of interest to their readers, write an article about it.
Reviews: Encouraging reporters to engage in an artistic endeavor and write about it.
Marketing/Communications: a strategy to bring about an exchange. It usually involves direct mail/email, advertising, public relations and personal selling (remember last week's box office?) to enact a single ticket purchase.
So, how does an arts marketer convince a potential audience member to buy a ticket (or a subscription) to a performance? Pick up your free NY Times in the entrance of Center for the Arts and pick an advertisement or an article. What are they trying to communicate? Who will find that interesting? (that would be the target market.) How do you know? (write about it below and bring to class)
Check out your organization's web site . . . how are they 'converting sales' or are they? Check out the Super Bowl Ads . . . who is their target market? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4804033000500581013. How are they converting sales?
Finally, who are the people interested in seeing theatre or the arts? http://nea.gov/research/research.php?type=R Check out research reports 54 and 49 (2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and Beyond Attendance: A Multi-Modal Understanding of Arts Participation).
The reports are large -- so glean the basics from the summaries. What does that tell you? pay attention to shifts and percentages . . . who really cares that Everyman or Center Stage have performances ever?
Extra Credit: You are surrounded by marketing every day, all day long. . . . the noise is what marketers are trying to break through anyway they can. For 'professional' peer-to-peer advice, check out this blog: http://arts-marketing.blogspot.com/2012/02/learning-from-past-looking-toward.html?m=1
Sunday, April 1, 2012
How do theatres earn income?
Earned income comes from a myriad of sources for theatres in the United States. However, there are some distinct differences between resident, nonprofit theatres and Broadway-based Commercial theatres.
Read p. 6 - 11 on TCG's Theatre Facts 2010 to get a sense of where the industry is and how it is moving forward specifically to earned income. (feel free to read pp 1 - 5 to get the executive summary overview) http://www.tcg.org/tools/facts/
Here are some stats for Broadway: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052118 , http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118048205
http://www.broadwayleague.com/index.php?url_identifier=research-and-informationn
Very different reports/industries, yes?
How do nonprofit theatres generate earned income? What are the differences between these lines of income and a Broadway Theatre or a movie theatre? Why do those differences exist?
Are there items theatres might be able to sell (or things you would like to buy) that have yet to be offered?
Nicki -- this is your week to jam! Have fun!
Read p. 6 - 11 on TCG's Theatre Facts 2010 to get a sense of where the industry is and how it is moving forward specifically to earned income. (feel free to read pp 1 - 5 to get the executive summary overview) http://www.tcg.org/tools/facts/
Here are some stats for Broadway: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052118 , http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118048205
http://www.broadwayleague.com/index.php?url_identifier=research-and-informationn
Very different reports/industries, yes?
How do nonprofit theatres generate earned income? What are the differences between these lines of income and a Broadway Theatre or a movie theatre? Why do those differences exist?
Are there items theatres might be able to sell (or things you would like to buy) that have yet to be offered?
Nicki -- this is your week to jam! Have fun!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Facility and Audience Management
We have touched on the facility concerns from a macro - design perspective. We are now going to evaluate the jobs and the requirements of running a facility and managing audiences.
While Facility Management, per se, does not have a theatre specific union. It does have a support association: http://www.ifma.org/. Additionally, theatre managers (think rental/touring houses dedicated to that use) are members of APTAM: http://www.atpam.com/. Check out each organization and compare their membership and interests.
Here is an interesting video (UK based but still relevant) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpRjmFnwmQk
What did you find out from her explanation that eluded you in the text?
Check out Center Stage and Round House Theatre (both nonprofit producing theatres that also rent their spaces). What do you find out about policies? fees? etc?
http://www.centerstage.org/Visit/Lobbies-and-Theaters.aspx
http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/about-us/facility-use/
While Facility Management, per se, does not have a theatre specific union. It does have a support association: http://www.ifma.org/. Additionally, theatre managers (think rental/touring houses dedicated to that use) are members of APTAM: http://www.atpam.com/. Check out each organization and compare their membership and interests.
Here is an interesting video (UK based but still relevant) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpRjmFnwmQk
What did you find out from her explanation that eluded you in the text?
Check out Center Stage and Round House Theatre (both nonprofit producing theatres that also rent their spaces). What do you find out about policies? fees? etc?
http://www.centerstage.org/Visit/Lobbies-and-Theaters.aspx
http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/about-us/facility-use/
Monday, March 12, 2012
Presenting Organizations
Remember when we were talking about the turn of the century managers and the Theatrical Syndicate? They controlled the tours and the talent stream? The theatre touring/presenting system is no longer working under a monopoly although there are some contributors who control a lot of what we get to see.
This week we are going to investigate who presents, why the present, and how the system works: how do presenters find the work? How do producers of work for tour find the presenters for their shows? How do they coordinate all of these moving pieces?
The national organization that represents presenting organizations, in much the way Theatre Communications Groups represents nonprofit professional theatres, is the Association for Performing Arts Presenters aka Arts Presenters aka APAP. APAP has many services it offers for the field of presenters. It most notable event is its annual conference in NYC in January, a conference that connects people much in the spirit of the turn-of-the-century annual meeting of booking agents scheduling trains and tours across the country. The highlights from the 2012 conference are here -- http://www.apapnyc.org/schedule/Pages/highlights.aspx; Watch one of the videos of presentations.
A similar conference is held each year for international performing arts companies for youth (aka IPAY): http://www.ipayweb.org. Check out their web site to see how they are similar yet different from APAP.
The mid-Atlantic resource is the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation: http://www.midatlanticarts.org/ . How are they yet different than APAP and IPAY?
Finally, look at the relationship between Broadway Across America and the Baltimore presenting hub of the Hippodrome/Franc-Merrick Theatre . How are the Hippodrome, the Lyric and Baltimore Theatre Project (all presenting orgs) unique to one another (what niche does each fulfill?)?
This week we are going to investigate who presents, why the present, and how the system works: how do presenters find the work? How do producers of work for tour find the presenters for their shows? How do they coordinate all of these moving pieces?
The national organization that represents presenting organizations, in much the way Theatre Communications Groups represents nonprofit professional theatres, is the Association for Performing Arts Presenters aka Arts Presenters aka APAP. APAP has many services it offers for the field of presenters. It most notable event is its annual conference in NYC in January, a conference that connects people much in the spirit of the turn-of-the-century annual meeting of booking agents scheduling trains and tours across the country. The highlights from the 2012 conference are here -- http://www.apapnyc.org/schedule/Pages/highlights.aspx; Watch one of the videos of presentations.
A similar conference is held each year for international performing arts companies for youth (aka IPAY): http://www.ipayweb.org. Check out their web site to see how they are similar yet different from APAP.
The mid-Atlantic resource is the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation: http://www.midatlanticarts.org/ . How are they yet different than APAP and IPAY?
Finally, look at the relationship between Broadway Across America and the Baltimore presenting hub of the Hippodrome/Franc-Merrick Theatre . How are the Hippodrome, the Lyric and Baltimore Theatre Project (all presenting orgs) unique to one another (what niche does each fulfill?)?
Monday, March 5, 2012
Community, College, Stock and Dinner Theatres
The remainder of our "producing theatre" models are thrown in together this week. Most of you have had experience in at least 2 if not more of these models. We will definitely be speaking of your experiences and the unique models for each in class on Thursday.
Today, you get to delve a little deeper into their worlds. Look at the sites below as organizations and exemplars of some of the models.
www.aact.org
www.urta.com
http://www.trinityrep.com/on_stage/current_season/special_performances_3.php
http://dreams.zinzanni.org/
http://www.strawhat-auditions.com/who.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eoDYM0vExQ (summer stock in its heyday and in its idealized state)
Select one area: community theatre, college theatre, summer stock or dinner theatre. How did the models linked above give you a better/deeper understanding of this arena? What questions did it raise in your mind.
As producing, nonprofessional or amateur theatres, how are the different than their for profit siblings? How are they similar yet different from their nonprofit brethren?
Today, you get to delve a little deeper into their worlds. Look at the sites below as organizations and exemplars of some of the models.
www.aact.org
www.urta.com
http://www.trinityrep.com/on_stage/current_season/special_performances_3.php
http://dreams.zinzanni.org/
http://www.strawhat-auditions.com/who.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eoDYM0vExQ (summer stock in its heyday and in its idealized state)
Select one area: community theatre, college theatre, summer stock or dinner theatre. How did the models linked above give you a better/deeper understanding of this arena? What questions did it raise in your mind.
As producing, nonprofessional or amateur theatres, how are the different than their for profit siblings? How are they similar yet different from their nonprofit brethren?
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