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[scheherazadesghost]

Guess I'll keep saying it til someone picks it up.

Why not invest in actual np development expertise either in the board or admin level? There's, like, a whole profession dedicated to finding and maintaining large individual and institutional donor relationships. Same with grant writing. (Ya know, the standardized np revenue models I keep bringing up.)

I'm all on board for cutting costs too, but some of my expertise is in the area of fundraising and local relationship building. Every np I've worked for relies on this model. Not so much in drum corps and yet we scream there's no other way.

This standardized model is literally staring drum corps in the face.

[ContraFart]

1 minute ago, scheherazadesghost said:

Guess I'll keep saying it til someone picks it up.

Why not invest in actual np development expertise either in the board or admin level? There's, like, a whole profession dedicated to finding and maintaining large individual and institutional donor relationships. Same with grant writing. (Ya know, the standardized np revenue models I keep bringing up.)

I'm all on board for cutting costs too, but some of my expertise is in the area of fundraising and local relationship building. Every np I've worked for relies on this model. Not so much in drum corps and yet we scream there's no other way.

This standardized model is literally staring drum corps in the face.

I think because corps boards see those grants as small potatoes and they need a bigger influx of revenue. a $10k grant would be HUGE for my local community theatre, but would pay for less than 1% of a world class DCI tour. 

However I do agree on the donor bases and alumni relationships. BAC has a huge alumni donor base.

[keystone3ply]

57 minutes ago, LabMaster said:

That right there cannot be overstated. Creation of sustainable revenue streams is lacking in many orgs.  Reliance on only a few sources of revenue is not sustainable. Diversify the portfolio.  Expand the BoD’s to expand diversity in fundraising and creativity in fundraising.  It’s what you would do with your personal wealth management, why wouldn’t the same thinking apply to corps financial resources?  Then manage it with smart spending. Live within your means.

BINGO! Sorry to steal @Jeff Ream's line. 😂

[keystone3ply]

23 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:

I don't see drum corps BODs boasting the skillsets necessary to ethically and efficiently raise revenue using the np model correctly. I see bingo (not mission aligned), strange fundraising campaigns (ex: Cavies booze - also not

Wait; The Cavies sold booze? What did I miss?  Seems like Blue Stars might have missed an opportunity?  

[HockeyDad]

5 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

because the "dinos" who whine about props and electronics are wrong that they are the issue, yet they persist in thinking that if they were gone, that drum corps would magically be fixed. 

That’s not true and you know it. Point to one post on this thread who said if props were gone, all would be fixed. 
But you do seem fixated for some reason on this minuscule cost item. What are your thoughts on reducing transportation and housing costs?  Those are big ones. 

[scheherazadesghost]

1 minute ago, ContraFart said:

I think because corps boards see those grants as small potatoes and they need a bigger influx of revenue. a $10k grant would be HUGE for my local community theatre, but would pay for less than 1% of a world class DCI tour. 

However I do agree on the donor bases and alumni relationships. BAC has a huge alumni donor base.

I'm not talking about $10k grants, although every one of those are helpful (even if merely to help build and maintain local relationships more than generate income. Recall, those local relationships are what help bring in more money later.)

I mentioned large donors and should have included large grants too. I'm talking regional and national funders who dole out the big grants.

I'm also not talking about alumni donations (although again, those are part of the bigger picture in an important way.) I'm talking about large institutional and individual donors. The ones that dole out 4 and 5 figures. That takes a development professional to manage, not just mom-n-pop drum corps folks who think and Indiegogo is fundraising.

[corps8294]

Gone are the years of DCI influencing BOA and WGI. It's the other way around, now; and that's whereupon the financial issues come into play. It's no secret that WGI and winter drumline are the most popular and largest of the competitive marching arts, now. DCI and BOA recognize this and to stay relevant and attractive to the young men and women who perform and instruct WGI and winter drumline organizations; drum corps and marching bands had to adapt. That came with a huge financial cost. With everything including the kitchen sink in a WGI and winter drumline show; a drum corps has to include all that on a much larger scale. A 30 member group vs. a 175+ member group is a vast difference. A box truck for equipment and props and a single charter bus for members vs. an entire fleet that would rival some touring rocks bands is also a huge cost. There's also this huge inflation thing that has taken a pretty big toll on everybody that is also affecting operational budgets. 
This is not a knock on the shows being put on the field; it's the reality of the cost to put those shows the field. The drum corps activity has chosen to put WGI style shows on the football field and it has come with a huge price tag. 

[ContraFart]

7 minutes ago, HockeyDad said:

That’s not true and you know it. Point to one post on this thread who said if props were gone, all would be fixed. 
But you do seem fixated for some reason on this minuscule cost item. What are your thoughts on reducing transportation and housing costs?  Those are big ones. 

Well DCI already made the tour 2 weeks shorter so there is a start.

[keystone3ply]

19 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:

I'm not talking about $10k grants, although every one of those are helpful (even if merely to help build and maintain local relationships more than generate income. Recall, those local relationships are what help bring in more money later.)

I mentioned large donors and should have included large grants too. I'm talking regional and national funders who dole out the big grants.

I'm also not talking about alumni donations (although again, those are part of the bigger picture in an important way.) I'm talking about large institutional and individual donors. The ones that dole out 4 and 5 figures. That takes a development professional to manage, not just mom-n-pop drum corps folks who think and Indiegogo is fundraising.

Reminds me of one the stories about the inception of SOA.  The story was that the ATL based Coca-Cola wanted to fully sponsor Spirit but wanted them to field a "red" uniform.  But they wanted to field a blue uniform & went with a partial Delta Airlines sponsorship thus the Delta logo.  Not sure of it's true or a partial truth, but I would have fielded a Coca-Cola red uniform with the vintage bottle on the sleeve.  I Would have also served free Coke at the souvie trailer. 😆

Edited October 14, 2023 by keystone3ply
cx

[scheherazadesghost]

I've done this before, but to be clear again, here's one of my former np employers. They've been around longer than most drum corps and funded the most notable modern dance choreographers for decades going back to Martha Graham.

Note that their revenue development model meets or exceeds most drum corps revenue requirements AND they're transparent about where the money is coming from. All contributors are mission-aligned and proud to give their money to ADF. They also have at least one (if not two or three) dedicated salaried professionals working these contributors on a daily basis. Drum corps could start with board members doing this on a volunteer basis, assuming they have the right expertise:

https://americandancefestival.org/thank-you/

This is one of thousands of such examples of the standardized nonprofit arts education/presenter models out there.