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Imperial Sound's Financial Appeal


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I visited the Imperial Sound website. There are many things that you seem to be doing right. Hats off to you in your quest to get a drum corps off the ground. My biggest concern is that according to your website you have yet to fill out your board of directors. Are there any updates? Many metro areas have organizations aimed towards twenty-somethings that are climbing the corporate ladder. Have you looked into anything like that to recruit members for your board? I think there would be people interested in serving a fledgling non-profit arts group and helping it grow. I know here in Milwaukee there are organizations that mentor start up non-profit groups and work at placing people who want to serve on boards. Is there anything like that in the Philly/West Chester area?

Once again, I would like to tell you what an admirable job you have been doing thus far. If you could address the board of directors concerns I think it would sway some people who are on the fence about donating.

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I visited the Imperial Sound website. There are many things that you seem to be doing right. Hats off to you in your quest to get a drum corps off the ground. My biggest concern is that according to your website you have yet to fill out your board of directors. Are there any updates? Many metro areas have organizations aimed towards twenty-somethings that are climbing the corporate ladder. Have you looked into anything like that to recruit members for your board? I think there would be people interested in serving a fledgling non-profit arts group and helping it grow. I know here in Milwaukee there are organizations that mentor start up non-profit groups and work at placing people who want to serve on boards. Is there anything like that in the Philly/West Chester area?

Once again, I would like to tell you what an admirable job you have been doing thus far. If you could address the board of directors concerns I think it would sway some people who are on the fence about donating.

About the board...

Our board of directors is an important thing, and we are trying to fill it with knowledgeable "Corps" people as well as some established names in the community. However, it is not the most important thing, and I will admit that I've been perhaps a little lax in recruiting members of the board. Currently, I'm using my staff, many of whom have worn financial and logistical hats before, as the de facto board. I have a list of people that I compiled of people that I want to use in each position. Unfortunately, between both the recession and their time commitments (many of them are big high school & college band directors), most of them have declined an invitation.

There was also a question of whether or not the business would succeed, which, of course, will linger with us until our first year is won and done. The moment we hit the parade route or the show turf is our penultimate moment of redemption and success, and this is what I've been telling the kids to focus on.

Some other things we're working on:

Fund Raising

Membership Retention

Membership Paperwork

Membership Recruiting (Specifically for the Hornline)

Budgeting & Planning

Capital Investing

Accounting

Adjusting the 5-Year Plan

Compiling a Complete Staff Bio for DCI

Building Ties with the Mayor

Developing a Risk Management Policy

Maintaining Records of Income/Expenses

Collecting Money Owed (By Another Corps)

Putting Together Presentations for Facilities That Don't Care

Attempting to Purchase Instruments with Limited Funds

Maintaining & Building Staff Retention & Satisfaction

Marketing Products & Campaigns to Possible Donors

Setting a Calendar & Getting Up-to-Date Information from Organizations Holding Events

Asking for Cheap Charity Donations of Pieces of Old Equipment/Silks/Etc

Setting up a Logistics Schedule for Event Days

Gathering Recording Equipment/Editing/Posting Video/Clips/Music/Pictures

Mediating Between Arrangers & Visual Design

Posting Updates & News to Supporters & Members

Collecting Music Licensing Agreements

Settling on a Date/Time for DCI On-Site Evaluation

Building a Booster Club (Parents/Volunteers)

Finding a Site for Outdoor Rehearsal

Setting up Emergency Procedures

Ensuring that all Staff/Volunteers are Cleared and Have Appropriate Training (First Aid, Child Abuse, Etc.)

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I was looking through your website, which I found to be quite informative. You've made reference to Imperial Sound being a "nonprofit" organization - yet neither the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania nor the IRS have any organization with the word "Imperial Sound" listed in their databases as a registered non-profit. Without those things in-place, donors can't be assured that their deductions will be tax deductible - so its a pretty important step to complete on the road to being a viable organization.

I don't see "getting non-profit status with IRS" on your task list above. Am I missing something?

Good luck with your efforts.

Edited by BetoSuave
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We're already a chartered program of two non profit organizations, whose protection is enough for DCI's standards, as Sue, coordinator for new and emerging corps, told me it was. KickStarter contributions are not tax deductable, and I have made absolutely no claims. All donors are informed of this on KickStarter's site when they sign up.

I don't see what your qualm is. If you had a question, you should have asked. Email and messages work fine, and I've made mine very transparent and viewable, as well as all information on the corps and our progress.

Any other drum corps would not let you have such privileged information, especially at our young stage.

Edited by ImperialSound_Director
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