Only You Can Save The Day!

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You only have two more days to back the Orchestra 990 Database Project’s Kickstarter campaign so it is time to pull out all the stops and do everything you can to help meet the goal. To that end, we’re going to continue taking a cue from public radio with another variation on their more successful pledge drive themes, as defined by June Thomas’ excellent 2009 article in Slate Magazine on the topic of public radio pledge drives.

Today’s Appeal Is About Saving The Day: It’s Now Or Never

ADAPTISTRATION-GUY-103Many of you have already generously become a backer along with promoting the project through your Facebook and Twitter accounts; each and every one of you have my heartfelt thanks and appreciation! You’re one of a special group who realize the game-changing value related to improving field-wide institutional transparency.

For everyone else, what are you waiting for?

Granted, I’ll admit it is always more fun to be one of those who ride up at the last moment to save the day so if you’ve been waiting for that moment, here it is.

The math behind reaching the goal is entirely straightforward and equally attainable; here’s all it would take if you limit giving to the two primary orchestra stakeholders:

  • If every professional orchestra manager became a backer, it would only cost $8.25/manager (plus you would qualify for the Twitter Shout-out Reward!).
  • If every professional orchestra musician became a backer, it would only cost $3.25/musician.
  • If every professional orchestra manager and musician became a backer, it would only cost $2.25/individual.

Even the partial participation figures are profoundly affordable:

  • 50 percent participation among both stakeholder groups only requires a minimum donation of $4.50.
  • 25 percent participation among both stakeholder groups only requires a minimum individual donation of $9.00
  • Five percent participation among both stakeholder groups only requires a minimum individual donation of $45, which is still $15 less than the average pledge.

When you start throwing everyone else that would benefit into the mix (board members, patrons, academics, students, consultants, etc.), you can see that that it doesn’t take all that much to cross the finish line.

So what are you waiting for? Go, pledge, and enjoy those good deed endorphins!

Become A Backer And Save The Day

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

View all posts by Drew McManus | Website

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