April 26, 2015

St. Matthews Church Music Room

Minutes of Music Guild Board Meeting

Doering called meeting to order.

February board minutes approved, with amendments as discussed.

Financial review

Income

  • Raised $23k in LA County Matching Grant against an $16k request
  • Subscription totals are $7k below last year and $10k below budget, and
  • We are $6k below budget on Unrestricted Contributions – Other

Expenses

  • Contracted labor is at approximately $80k YTD vs. $117kannual budget. We will spend another $50k ending the year slightly over budget

Cash Projected End of Year

  • Anticipate ending year with approximately $59k including Lather transfer of $20k

Increasing Subscriptions and Donations

Discussed strategies and methods of increasing subscriptions and donations. Proposals to consider included:

  1. Board members and other active attendees to bring new potential subscribers to concerts
  2. Consider software or service provider that would contact people who have subscribed
  3. Donation shortfall came from one subscriber who was unable this year to make an additional donation of $10k
  4. Agreed that seeking donations of, say, $2,500 from 5 to 10 subscribers would be wise
  5. Action Item: Anne to work with Fred, Tom, and Bill Greene to develop a strategy for contacting current and potential donors, including asking current donors to act as ambassadors to other potential donors. Two ideas:
  6. Fundraiser solicitation: Chief donor to host dinner (at restaurant or private home) with Tom Neenan as guest, who will present a short lecture and / or performance
  7. Salon evening with up-front donation from attendees: musical recital of a soloist in someone’s home as fundraiser
  8. Organize “we love you but do more” get-together. Idea is to thank existing donors, explain what additional donations would mean to the Guild’s programs, and invite them to step up to the next level.
  9. Revive existing programs that have been dormant
  10. Dinner with Tom and principal of section (oboe, FHN, etc.)
  11. Action Item: Revise brochure to remove wording at Angel ($2,500) level so that they are chair underwriters, but not program underwriters
  12. Action Item: Revise brochure for concert so that $1,000 (Gold) level offers benefit that would be more appealing, currently 18 people. Suggestions include:
  13. Sponsorship mention in program as part of an “Underwriting Group”
  14. Lunch or other meeting with Tom and concertmaster or some other member of the orchestra (details about lunch etc. to be determined)
  15. Action Item: Board members to suggest appropriate wording for Seraphim level of subscriptions

April 10 Concert Report

  1. Agreed concert was a success, both musically and as an outreach to the community. Anecdotal reports suggest that it was very popular.
  2. Although original concept was for lower-key event, it evolved into a separate concert that cost $16.5k but we received $31k in grants.

Brochure for Music at St. Matthew’s

Tom distributed draft versions of brochures for discussion. Agreed top picture of April 10 concert should be main image, with a designer who would propose changes, which might include cropping, Photoshop and / or screen back (reduce intensity of image) to make it look pleasing, and make other adjustments.

The board prefers inside cover layout with box and single column of text. The board also prefers the layout of the program pages with a smaller picture and two columns of text, with a prominent date and time for the event. Agreed to direct designer to consider the color scheme in light of these choices.

One suggestion was to de-emphasize the cross so that the event doesn’t appear to take on a religious character.

Agreed to circulate next draft to design committee.

Program and Dates for Next Season

A list of next season’s concert plans was distributed.

Investments

The board received a report on the performance of the funds.

Treasurer

The board congratulated and thanked Cynthia for converting the Guild’s books to Quickbooks and otherwise professionalizing them, and thanked her for her service.

Glenn Ossiander

The board agreed to consider how to memorialize Glenn’s contributions over the years to the Music Guild. Ideas included an insert in a future program with an image Glenn painted, along with a biography; and a concert dedicated to his memory.