Creative or highly effective funding mechanisms

[ouooga]

I work with a few pro bono clients, and I preach the importance of micro transactions and providing value to your "donors". The age of "just appeal to the richest people out there" are dying for myriad reasons, but people are still spending money. But if you can sell a product, ie. concession food at sporting events, hosting community movie nights/bbqs with affordable ticket and food prices, etc., you've got a shot at making a solid gross dollar amount at the end of the year. Then work on reducing overhead costs on those activities by getting food product donated in exchange for sponsorship opps, utilizing owned or public spaces to host events, using volunteers, you increase net.

 

On top of that, any corps that utilizes their assets for additional purposes has a strong chance. Blue Devils are the obvious one, using their existing talent/notoriety to develop and sell actual performance groups for corporate/public events year round, is a great way to earn money in our activity. On top of that, Star used their buses to literally have a tour bus service throughout the year. Bluecoats also own their own hall and rent it out as private venue space. Repurposing what you have when it's not in use is just smart business.

 

Final thought, and this one I don't know how profitable it is since I'm so far removed, but taking advantage of a corps' talent to interact with regional high school music programs. Hosting branded summer music camps, winter music camps, high school marching band and winter program shows, all with a competition fee, a door fee and concessions/merchandise seems like low hanging fruit.

[kkpjm16]

15 hours ago, garfield said:

Yea, but drum corps is not a convicted criminal behind bars, it's an activity involving kids and million-dollar budgets.

Throughout your cheerful banter, the OP's question still remains...

 

Derailed in less than 10 posts. 

[Stu]

20 hours ago, BRASSO said:

 A noted academic Psychologist from a renowned Ivy League University once went to do an in depth study of the inner workings of the mind of a notorious thief and bank robber( Willy Sutton ) to find out what made him tick, and to find out some of the deep analytical motivations behind his years of criminality, as perhaps a future way to understand what makes a criminal like Willy do these things. Was it perhaps a repressive, non nurturing, non loving upbringing ? Was it perhaps something hereditary ?.. or perhaps his environment of poverty ? Or something else, even more deeper, sinister ?

 So the Psychologist met with Willy Sutton in the Prison Library, and after a few pleasantries of words were exchanged to have Willy relax and feel comfortable so that he would reveal his deepest, darkest, thoughts... the  Psychologist asked Willy...... " So Mr. Sutton, take your time on this, but could you answer me this question... as I'd really like to know.... Mr. Sutton, why do you rob banks ?

 Willy Sutton reportedly looked at the Psychologist with a very befuddled, confused look on his face... then replied..... " You are asking me why I rob banks ? ( The psychologist nodded his head slowly.. ..yes ). Willy then replied... " Because that's where they keep the money. "

 Sometimes things are not as complicated as we'd like them to be, imo

Your response to the inquiry posed by OP is to state that raising millions of dollars each year is not that complicated; and preface it by implying that the corps staff merely needs to rob banks, because that is where the money is at, and then hope they do not end up in prison.  Nice.

[BRASSO]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

  Your response to the inquiry posed by OP is to state that corps staff merely needs to rob banks, because that is where the money is at, and then hope they do not end up in prison.  Nice.

 LOL!!!!!!!...   Your reply here is so funny, that any effort expended by me of an attempt at " splainin' it " for you , might just ruin it for others who likewise might get an enjoybable good chuckle with your reply here to my joke above !!. lol!....(.Too funny !!... I know.. haha!)

Edited March 9, 2017 by BRASSO

[Stu]

58 minutes ago, BRASSO said:

 LOL!!!!!!!...   Your reply here is so funny, that any effort expended by me of an attempt at " splainin' it " for you , might just ruin it for others who likewise might get an enjoybable good chuckle with your reply here to my joke above !!. lol!....(.Too funny !!... I know.. haha!)

But.... you did state, "Sometimes things are not as complicated as we'd like them to be ".  So please explain how raising millions and millions of dollars each year to run a single qualitative and competitive drum corps is 'not' complicated.

Edited March 9, 2017 by Stu

[BRASSO]

9 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Point missed. Too bad.

 Yup.

[garfield]

1 hour ago, BRASSO said:

 Yup.

Really?  Just what point did I miss?  Please, I've read and re-read your post(s) and, as far as I can gather, you answer the OP by saying A) Find lots of rich donors B) It's not that complicated, and C) go where the money is.

Do I have that right?

If you've proposed those answers to the question from an actual drum corps, how did that advice work out for the corps?

If I take these profound (/sarcasm) solutions to a board meeting this weekend, what sort of response should I expect from them?

 

 

[garfield]

10 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Point missed. Too bad.

Ulterior motive.  Point dismissed.

So far, I haven't seen much in the way of creative solutions from those claiming that I missed some profound point.

But then, I do more than just banter about these issues from the comfort of my home.

c'est la vie

 

 

[BRASSO]

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 7:02 PM, DrumManTx said:

 Dept'sSeems like getting involved with the community of Boston has done wonders for the Boston Crusaders in recent years.  Can't beat some of that good old community support.  

 Its what I mentioned above. Its not enough to find affluent new donors( as important as this is ), but the donors must find that in return they receive a sense of personal, or sense of community pride, and/ or financial reciprocation back to them for their donation. It sounds simplistic, but its amazing that when you give something to your community, its not surprising that influential community leaders sit up and notice that benevolence. Don't overlook either if the donors like you, or like what you do either. Fund Raising is an endeavor requiring the personal intangible people skills of the ability to personally connect with potential donors so that they will give you money. Simple sounding, but not so easy unless you have the requisite people skills and business saavy. Networking with high net worth individuals ( or company Corporate Gift Giving Dept's ) on an ongoing basis is critically important too. So is leveraging one's organization into purchasing or aligning with new business ventures with similar like kind enterprises that can be mutually beneficial is important too, imo. Surrounding yourself organizationally with community movers and shakers that like and appreciate what you can potentially do for THEM, that they might not have thought of before, is like a powerful aphrodisiac to potential donors as well. Organizations with brain power understand that you must bring perceived new value to potential donors or to new alliances that could be formed. Its helpful to have organizations run with people with a strong understanding( via business degrees, or professional career experience, or law ) of business principles, economics, finance, law, taxation, etc.. It also helps to have people in the organization that have the ability to pick up the phone and talk directly with successful sports franchise owners, big city mayors, presidents of prestigious Universities,  or former US. Sec. of States, or governors, or conductors of symphonies, and so forth and receive advice( or a donation ). Or pick up the phone and be able to talk with your former world renowned economics professor about an idea or two to see what he thinks, or how best to implement it. it helps if you have organizational leaders that know how to monitize efficiently and invest the monies received productively, or allocate the monies in a most productive fashion. Donors like to give to organizations they perceive as on a future success track, or with a mission statement they approve of. It thus becomes a snow ball of a self fulfilling prophecy.. as fund raising success tends to breed even better future fund raising success, imo. Having good publicists to get the word out on your organizations fund raising efforts is important too. It also helps to have organizational leaders that are entrepreneurial in temperament, yet with a naturally curious mind, and willing to listen to others that have successfully navigated the difficult road of fund raising. Its also helpful to have an Alumni base that is deep and wide and respected by the Organization leaders, not simply as a group you must " put up with " .  Having leaders in the organization that have contacts that can provide new exposures for the corps via newspapers, TV, celebrities, provides an additional future donor base that can be tapped into, as well as provide students an enriching new exposure for themselves. In summary, networking, business leveraging, brain power, entrepreneurial success in professional careers apart from " Drum Corps or MB", intelligently drawing upon the vast and diverse skills of those on your BOD, Community outreach, and community perceived value, " giving back " something of perceived value to affluent newly found donors, while simultaneously valuing the Alumni of whatever donorship levels they can provide, are all self evident factors that tend to provide a glimpse into the Organization's future Fund Raising chances of success, imo

Edited March 10, 2017 by BRASSO

[Stu]

1 hour ago, BRASSO said:

 Its what I mentioned above. Its not enough to find affluent new donors( as important as this is ), but the donors must find that in return they receive a sense of personal, or sense of community pride, and/ or financial reciprocation back to them for their donation. It sounds simplistic, but its amazing that when you give something to your community, its not surprising that influential community leaders sit up and notice that benevolence. Networking with high net worth individuals ( or company Corporate Gift Giving Dept's ) on an ongoing basis is critically important too. So is leveraging one's organization into purchasing or aligning with new business ventures with similar like kind enterprises that can be mutually beneficial is important too, imo. Surrounding yourself organizationally with community movers and shakers that like and appreciate what you can potentially do for THEM, that they might not have thought of before, is like a powerful aphrodisiac to potential donors as well. Organizations with brain power understand that you must bring perceived new value to potential donors or to new alliances that could be formed. Its helpful to have organizations run with people with a strong understanding( via Business Degrees, or Professional Career experience, or Law ) of Business Principles, Economics, Finance, Law, Taxation, etc.. It also helps to have people in the organization that have the ability to pick up the phone and talk directly with successful Sports franchise owners, big city Mayors, Presidents of prestigious Universities,  or former US. Sec. of States, or Governors, or Conductors of Symphonies, and so forth and receive advice( or a donation ). Or pick up the phone and be able to talk with your former world renowned Economics Professor about an idea or two to see what he thinks, or how best to implement it. it helps if you have organizational leaders that know how to monitize efficiently and invest the monies received productively, or allocate the monies in a most productive fashion. Donors like to give to organizations they perceive as on a future success track, or with a Mission Statement they approve of. It thus becomes a snow ball of a self fulfilling prophecy.. as fund raising success tends to breed even better future fund raising success, imo. Having good publicists to get the word out on your organizations fund raising efforts is important too. It also helps to have organizational leaders that are entrepreneurial in temperament, yet with a naturally curious mind, and willing to listen to others that have successfully navigated the difficult road of Fund Raising. Its also helpful to have an Alumni base that is deep and wide and respected by the Organization leaders, not simply as a group you must " put up with " .  Having leaders in the organization that have contacts that can provide new exposures for the corps via newspapers, TV, celebrities, provides an additional future donor base that can be tapped into, as well as provide students an enriching new exposure for themselves. In summary, networking, business leveraging, brain power, entrepreneurial success in professional careers apart from " Drum Corps or MB", intelligently drawing upon the vast and diverse skills of those on your BOD, Community outreach, and community perceived value, " giving back " something of perceived value to affluent newly found donors, while simultaneously valuing the Alumni of whatever donorship levels they can provide, are all self evident factors that tend to provide a glimpse into the Organization's future Fund Raising chances of success, imo

Ummm... what you mentioned above is, "Sometimes things are not as complicated as we'd like them to be".  Yep; this lengthy rambling convoluted paragraph of yours sure does adhere to that premise!