Oh, It Is So On!

As a proud Chicagoan, I love my NHL Western Conference Division leading Chicago Blackhawks. So you can imagine how disturbing it was to see my California based doppelganger (this Drew McManus) boasting on Facebook that the San Jose Sharks would beat the Hawks in tonight’s game. I immediately gave Drew grief, an exchange ensued, and we ended up with the following bet: in the unlikely event the Sharks win, he gets Adaptistration for two days and when the Balckhawks win, one of my 501(c)(3) readers will receive a free fundraising project on Bring Light. It is so on…

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A Worthwhile Concessionary Agreement Part 1

Amid the dizzying array of contract reopeners, work stoppages, and other fraught-filled collective bargaining negotiations since last fall, the ensuing agreements are more alike than not in that they contain some degree of compensation/benefit concessions. For the most part, these agreements have nothing special worth looking at but there are a few exceptions. One of those exceptions is from the Utah Symphony & Opera, which announced their concessionary agreement at the beginning of October. What makes this settlement worth examining is how it is designed to marginalize a syndrome rarely discussed in public forums: board atrophy…

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Raising Money When The Concerts Are Done

Hello all!  I’d like to start by thanking Drew for inviting me to participate.  I’ve known Drew online for many years, going back to a series of animated but friendly discussions about Executive Director compensation right here at Adaptistration.  I was happy to meet Drew in person for the first time recently at the League of American Orchestras’ conference in Chicago.

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Increasing Revenue Through Micro Fundraising

Last July, we took a quick look at how orchestras can benefit from micro fundraising (or from the donor’s perspective, micro philanthropy) but never really followed up on it. In 2008, the artificial economy was in full swing and most orchestras weren’t concerned about maximizing small dollar giving. In 2009, it is a different story and orchestras of all budget size can’t afford the luxury of staying inside development comfort zones…

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Increasing Earned Income Without Selling Your Soul

“Psssst…hey you…yeah, you der…c’mer…over here. Yeah, dat’s right, over here…I hear youse been lookin’ for a new revenue stream. Say, buddy, I’se got just what youse need…” That might seem a bit melodramatic but the reality is that some managers are so desperate for revenue they would be willing to talk shop in a dark alley. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to reach that extreme, but you will have to continue reading this blog post to find out more about how to tap into a sustainable revenue stream that can be developed without sacrificing other revenue performance resources …

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