Development

Date: August 24, 2010

Fellow ChoralNetters,

I have an interesting opportunity on Friday and wanted your input. My husband is the president of the board of a small local professional orchestra. As many arts groups are, they are doing many things to stay afloat financially. The Development Committee wants new ideas on how to gain new donors--"development" in their world really means beating the bushes for folks to donate money! This committee is having a "brain-storming" cocktail party on Friday and have invited all board members and their spouses. I am told my ideas will be listened to for a change, since they are desperate. In the spirit of cross-exchange of information of the performing arts, I would like to hear others opinions, experiences, ideas, etc. etc. on this subject. What works, what doesn't in your situation and community.

Please realise this is a professional orchestra, with a fairly good rep--they are the 2010 Illinois Professional Orchestra of the Year--but they are not the Chicago Symphony!

Thanks for your help and I look forward to reading your ideas.

Marie Grass Amenta, founder and music director

the Midwest Motet Society

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Replies (4): Threaded | Chronological

Dean Rishel on August 24, 2010 12:43pm

A Personal Appeal might work.

Print out copies of a form letter asking for support and explaining what you need and why you need it, but on that page leave room for an individual to write a personal note. Then give ten copies of that for letter to every member of the orchestra. Ask them to write just a short personal note encouraging interest, donations, whatever support, and have them mail those ten copies to ten people on their Holiday card list.

I got this idea from a professional fund-raiser, and although I haven't yet persuaded my board of directors to do it, he assured me it would work.

Dean Rishel

Marie Grass Amenta on August 26, 2010 9:25am

Thanks Dean. They have not asked the musicians of the orchestra to really do anything other than occassionaly play at a fund raising event or give a speech about how much the IPO means to them. I think this is worth thinking about.

Marie

Wayne F. Miller on August 25, 2010 11:46am

Marie,

You may as well hear some of the corny ideas as well...you did say "'brain-storming' coctail party!" I'm a church musician, and for a fundraiser to buy new choral attire we had an auction bake sale. Members of the choir baked all kinds of cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, etc. and they were auctioned by a professional auctioneer. I know you're saying, "Hokey," but one Italian Cream Cake sold for $400 and another cake for $360 (note I did say "professional auctioneer."

Invite your constituents to a per-plate/table sponsored dinner and auction dessert! The orchestra could entertain as a whole and in ensembles.

Just a thought from a local yokel! ~ but we did raise almost $10k.

Wayne

Marie Grass Amenta on August 26, 2010 9:34am

Wayne,

They have all sorts of parties, auctions, dinners to raise money--a golf outings, etc.--what they really need are people with money to give regularly. However, the cake auction is something that hasn't been done before and could be another fund raiser and might even be painless.

I am tired, myself, of having to participate in yet another fund raiser for them----my group has sung for "musical feasts" and I've bought more junk (tango lessons, anyone?) than I know what to do with--but I know in order to survive, they have to do something.

I am impressed with you raising $10K! Good for you!

Marie

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