garfield Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 I got to thinking about what, exactly, DCI would/should do with $2million if it fell into their lap, under the condition that they'd have to use it wisely enough to pay it back over ten years. Forget qualification and terms details for the moment and focus on what they should do with the money to grow the activity and meet the payback requirements. Specifically, how should they use that money, starting day-one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripper Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Long term annuity that should double in 8 years and use the interest to assist funding new open class corps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaffle Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Distribute the money equally to all the WC corps and a proportionally lesser amount equally to all the OC corps and see what they do with it, parable of talents style. This can be a litmus test for which corps are and aren't financially responsible, and establish a framework for future disbursements, and hey, if we find that the G7 is actually better at managing their finances, then maybe everyone can shut up about how it's terrible for the activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Distribute the money equally to all the WC corps and a proportionally lesser amount equally to all the OC corps and see what they do with it, parable of talents style. This can be a litmus test for which corps are and aren't financially responsible, and establish a framework for future disbursements, and hey, if we find that the G7 is actually better at managing their finances, then maybe everyone can shut up about how it's terrible for the activity. Exactly how would one measure "what they do with it" to determine which group is more financially "responsible"? And what happens if the results show that the OC are better at managing finances than WC corps? Who will "shut up" then? Besides, the point is to use the money to grow the activity in measurable ways that will allow the money to be paid back over 10 years. I don't think your answer does much to attain those goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Some crazy ideas... - Dedicate $1000 towards the goal of, by March 1st, getting a 2'x3' DCI poster with the summer schedule on it in every band room of every school in every city where there is a show. - Allocate $10,000 +/- to reward the top 5 school "Ambassadors" with all-expense paid trip to finals. Reward based on the number of student ticket stubs to each show site collected by the Ambassador. The more kids he/she talks into attending the show and giving him/her the ticket stub, the better the chance of winning. - Give each corps $500 for each recruit who's cut from the second round of tryouts but who then marches with another corps down the placement line. Incent the "full" corps to get auditionees to march at another corps instead of going home. - Set up a fund to pay half the cost of audition camps for those cut from the second round of any corps. Encourage kids to continue trying out down the placements until they make the cut and march. - Dedicate $5000 in marketing support to each of the non-corps-sponsored TEP shows, to be spent on local advertising for the show. Posters, mailers, radio/TV time, programs, banners, discount group sales efforts, whatever, with the charge to the show producer to put an extra 250 BITS at each show. At $25 per ticket, and net profit of $15 per ticket, that's $7,500 more profit per show. Then DCI can increase the contract prices by $500 to $600 for a TEP to host the show. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingerland Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 (edited) Focus on funding and creating a matching-gift campaign, where every dollar donors contribute to their corps (or any corps they choose) would be matched out of this $2 million fund. Doing so actually makes it a $4 million infusion of cash to the corps themselves. And then put some restrictions on corps who choose to get involved in this funding scheme, making sure that the new money is being targeted specifically toward localized efforts at increasing awareness of their corps within their communities, rather than paying for a bigger or better set of toys for the pit or a bump in their CEO's annual salary. The funds could be used for hiring a development director or PR specialist, or for seeding community programs designed to increase their local participation levels in one youth performance activity or another. If the funds disbursed were limited to a maximum of $100k for any one organization, there would be funds available to everyone at every level of the activity, and it would give corps who are currently stretched for funds already a tool they could use to leverage local support from individuals and foundations in their cities. After that, it'd be up to the individual corps to retain those donors and use their increased visibility to solicit even more support down the road. Edited April 30, 2013 by Slingerland 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Focus on funding and creating a matching-gift campaign, where every dollar donors contribute to their corps (or any corps they choose) would be matched out of this $2 million fund. Doing so actually makes it a $4 million infusion of cash to the corps themselves. And then put some restrictions on corps who choose to get involved in this funding scheme, making sure that the new money is being targeted specifically toward localized efforts at increasing awareness of their corps within their communities, rather than paying for a bigger or better set of toys for the pit or a bump in their CEO's annual salary. The funds could be used for hiring a development director or PR specialist, or for seeding community programs designed to increase their local participation levels in one youth performance activity or another. If the funds disbursed were limited to a maximum of $100k for any one organization, there would be funds available to everyone at every level of the activity, and it would give corps who are currently stretched for funds already a tool they could use to leverage local support from individuals and foundations in their cities. After that, it'd be up to the individual corps to retain those donors and use their increased visibility to solicit even more support down the road. Thanks. I was beginning to think DCP is a place of complainers with no ideas. :ph34r:/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Focus on funding and creating a matching-gift campaign, where every dollar donors contribute to their corps (or any corps they choose) would be matched out of this $2 million fund. Doing so actually makes it a $4 million infusion of cash to the corps themselves. On every board on which I've sat I've felt that this idea is just a non-creative method of begging, and still begging. What incentive does a potential donor have, who wouldn't have given before, to "match" a gift by some anonymous other person? The idea has never impressed me, and I think it's success would be marginal. However, if you took a $50,000 Lexus and held a national drum corps raffle for $250 per ticket you'd only need 200 players before profit. How about raffling off a COMPLETE package for two to finals worth $3000, with airfare, transfers, hotel, 50-yard line seats - so that all one has to do is pack and show up - complete - for $100? You'd only need 50 players to be profitable. Get the Indy convention and visitor's bureau to kick in the hotel rooms for a little extra juice - but make them NICE rooms, downtown, and within walking distance to LOS. How about a drawing to select 5 MM's parents and ship them to finals or regionals - to see their kid march? ($2000 each, $10,000 total) for $50 each? You'd only need 200 players to break even. There has to be some incentive to get new donors. Even big ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 If the funds disbursed were limited to a maximum of $100k for any one organization, there would be funds available to everyone at every level of the activity, and it would give corps who are currently stretched for funds already a tool they could use to leverage local support from individuals and foundations in their cities. After that, it'd be up to the individual corps to retain those donors and use their increased visibility to solicit even more support down the road. Well, your math needs work but the idea is sound. (There are 37 corps; the payout would be limited to $54,000 if linear, but I'd think it would work best based on pro-rata formula. Say, for instance, based on the inverse of the DCI payout structure last year. :ph34r:/> Fact is, $54,000 means more to Pio's budget than it does to BD's. Have to adjust for that to get everyone involved, I think.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingerland Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 (edited) On every board on which I've sat I've felt that this idea is just a non-creative method of begging, and still begging. What incentive does a potential donor have, who wouldn't have given before, to "match" a gift by some anonymous other person? The idea has never impressed me, and I think it's success would be marginal. My personal experience from a few non-profit clients in the small to mid-size range (under $10 million a year) is that matching gifts actually work very well with small donors ($10-$1,000). Matching gifts are not as important to larger foundations, but you never know - some family foundations might find it the kick they need to write that $2,500 or $5,000 check to the local drum corps. Big donors are important, but the problem is that the biggest donors in town are already on the hook for the local hospital, the local theatre companies, the local museum, their alma maters, etc, etc, etc. Unless you have a Board member who already has that connection with the big donor, it takes a lot of effort to convince them that your drum corps is a worthy cause. Small donors, on the other hand, are the regular folks who are more in tune with the message of drum corps (it's an equal opportunity meritocracy; if you're good or you work smarter, you can rise to the top regardless of your circumstances). While it's going to be important to get the big dogs behind drum corps eventually, we need to help the corps do a better job of cultivating grass roots support from as many pockets as they can. Edited April 30, 2013 by Slingerland 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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