Real ideas for sustainability & revenue

[LabMaster]

Through many of these threads, an ever increasing amount, poster after poster complain, point out, espouse, blather, etc.,etc. on the pitfalls of corps and impending demise of drum corps.  There are lots of shoulda’s; should regionalize tours, should cut down corps size, reduce the pit, reduce instrumentation, go back to traditional uniforms, reuse instruments, limit staff, limit trucks and busses, and so on.  Cost cutting is great to demand.  A very logical step and should be part of the year to year managing of a corps finances.  But finance management is seriously lacking in many orgs.  As we have seen. Basic financial management with constant checks and balances,  is not every corps forte’ or their focus.  Stating the obvious here.  
What is missing in the cost cutting discussions,  are ideas on revenue generation.  Sustainable revenue generation and creation. Saving money is good but you need to make money to save it.  Corps need help in creating sustainable revenue streams.  Not short term revenue creation but long term.   Diversifying the portfolio.  Don’t rely on a small number of revenue providers. If one goes away, you are screwed. 
There is a lot of brain power on DCP, can ideas be put forth?  Real, achievable, ideas with details and steps outlined to be followed, to be successful.  Don’t just say run a Bingo or sell candles.  Maybe say apply for grants;  “here is what you can put in for, and here is the best way to do it”.

Reach out for corporate sponsors; “here is who are out there that align with youth activities”; or musical programs or theater production. 
Providing detailed information  may hopefully get to some orgs who haven’t looked deeper into revenue streams or maybe are aware what might be available. 
So what detailed ideas can be shared?

[Jeff Ream]

Form partnerships with any band and indoor circuits in your home area. 

if at all possible, start smaller performing ensembles that can play local or even regional gigs.

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, LabMaster said:

Don’t just say run a Bingo or sell candles.  Maybe say apply for grants;  “here is what you can put in for, and here is the best way to do it”.

Run a bingo.

Sell candles.

Apply for grants.

Collect fees from members.

Collect fees from non-members for camps that double as educational clinics ("experience camps").

Expand the above idea virtually via online music lessons.

Collect fees from auditions to offset the cost of staging them; invest any surplus back into the corps.

Tweak above fees to ensure there is a surplus.

Run related youth programs (i.e. dance, drumline, band) in profit mode, and invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Buy/sell related equipment if it can be done at a profit, and invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Rent equipment out during the off-season while it would otherwise be unused.

If you have a corps hall and/or land, rent it out when the corps is not using it.

If you don't, consider investing in the above.

Solicit donations.

Host a show.

Host two shows.

Run a marching band circuit.

Run an event ticketing service.

Sell souvenirs at DCI shows.

Sell souvenirs via an online store.

Partner with other businesses such that a percentage of sales you generate go back to the corps. 

Similar to the above, a corps-branded Visa or Mastercard where 1% of purchase amount is automatically donated to the corps.

Run concessions at a local sports venue; invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Run a pep band, drumline, etc., for a local sports team; invest the fees you collect back into the corps.

Run a custom music/motion entertainment service for corporate clients; invest the fees you collect back into the corps.

Move your corps to a suburban Chicago city, and talk their local government into sponsoring the corps.  (Or maybe reverse the sequence of events there.)

Collect appearance fees from DCI.

Apply for DCI membership, to increase appearance fees and add revenue sharing.

[LabMaster]

3 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Run a bingo.

Sell candles.

Apply for grants.

Collect fees from members.

Collect fees from non-members for camps that double as educational clinics ("experience camps").

Expand the above idea virtually via online music lessons.

Collect fees from auditions to offset the cost of staging them; invest any surplus back into the corps.

Tweak above fees to ensure there is a surplus.

Run related youth programs (i.e. dance, drumline, band) in profit mode, and invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Buy/sell related equipment if it can be done at a profit, and invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Rent equipment out during the off-season while it would otherwise be unused.

If you have a corps hall and/or land, rent it out when the corps is not using it.

If you don't, consider investing in the above.

Solicit donations.

Host a show.

Host two shows.

Run a marching band circuit.

Run an event ticketing service.

Sell souvenirs at DCI shows.

Sell souvenirs via an online store.

Partner with other businesses such that a percentage of sales you generate go back to the corps. 

Similar to the above, a corps-branded Visa or Mastercard where 1% of purchase amount is automatically donated to the corps.

Run concessions at a local sports venue; invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Run a pep band, drumline, etc., for a local sports team; invest the fees you collect back into the corps.

Run a custom music/motion entertainment service for corporate clients; invest the fees you collect back into the corps.

Move your corps to a suburban Chicago city, and talk their local government into sponsoring the corps.  (Or maybe reverse the sequence of events there.)

Collect appearance fees from DCI.

Apply for DCI membership, to increase appearance fees and add revenue sharing.

Funny (not really).  No help at all.  

[TOC]

4 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Run a bingo.

Sell candles.

Apply for grants.

Collect fees from members.

Collect fees from non-members for camps that double as educational clinics ("experience camps").

Expand the above idea virtually via online music lessons.

Collect fees from auditions to offset the cost of staging them; invest any surplus back into the corps.

Tweak above fees to ensure there is a surplus.

Run related youth programs (i.e. dance, drumline, band) in profit mode, and invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Buy/sell related equipment if it can be done at a profit, and invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Rent equipment out during the off-season while it would otherwise be unused.

If you have a corps hall and/or land, rent it out when the corps is not using it.

If you don't, consider investing in the above.

Solicit donations.

Host a show.

Host two shows.

Run a marching band circuit.

Run an event ticketing service.

Sell souvenirs at DCI shows.

Sell souvenirs via an online store.

Partner with other businesses such that a percentage of sales you generate go back to the corps. 

Similar to the above, a corps-branded Visa or Mastercard where 1% of purchase amount is automatically donated to the corps.

Run concessions at a local sports venue; invest the proceeds back into the corps.

Run a pep band, drumline, etc., for a local sports team; invest the fees you collect back into the corps.

Run a custom music/motion entertainment service for corporate clients; invest the fees you collect back into the corps.

Move your corps to a suburban Chicago city, and talk their local government into sponsoring the corps.  (Or maybe reverse the sequence of events there.)

Collect appearance fees from DCI.

Apply for DCI membership, to increase appearance fees and add revenue sharing.

Have a Concert in The Park and collect several hundred thousand from the business community.

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, LabMaster said:

Funny (not really).  No help at all.  

While I included a little humor, these are all real-life revenue/fundraising ideas for drum corps. 

I provided a couple of dozen because as SCV teaches us, and as you said in the OP, "Don’t rely on a small number of revenue providers.". 

At the same time, I think everything should be on the table.  If a corps has the ability and opportunity to operate a legal and profitable bingo, why should we tell them not to?

[HockeyDad]

1 hour ago, LabMaster said:

Funny (not really).  No help at all.  

Pot meet kettle. You’ve provided zero detailed ideas (your words).

Edited October 20, 2023 by HockeyDad

[LabMaster]

10 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

While I included a little humor, these are all real-life revenue/fundraising ideas for drum corps. 

I provided a couple of dozen because as SCV teaches us, and as you said in the OP, "Don’t rely on a small number of revenue providers.". 

At the same time, I think everything should be on the table.  If a corps has the ability and opportunity to operate a legal and profitable bingo, why should we tell them not to?

There are several ideas, good ones too, but some folks need details on how to go about putting it in action.  Some folks get stuck and can’t get off square 1. Like how to you find grant opportunities.  Where is that information?  Where do you find pro grant writers.  Where can you learn to write grants.  There must be people who have experience in this.

[LabMaster]

9 hours ago, HockeyDad said:

Pot meet kettle. You’ve provided zero detailed ideas (your words).

Because I asked other posters who may have knowledge or experience with revenue creation,  to share details on how to, beyond simply throwing a general idea out there.  Many posters throw out cost cutting ideas but not so much revenue creation. There is a lot of brain power on DCP that could teach others about revenue creation.  

[cixelsyd]

14 minutes ago, LabMaster said:

There are several ideas, good ones too, but some folks need details on how to go about putting it in action.  Some folks get stuck and can’t get off square 1. Like how to you find grant opportunities.  Where is that information?  Where do you find pro grant writers.  Where can you learn to write grants.  There must be people who have experience in this.

Since no one was responding, I posted some ideas to help start the discussion.