Its Time to Move On...

             Its Time to Move On...
        I've spent  the last three years working as the Executive Director of a city owned historic theater in a small tourist community in West Michigan. I very much enjoyed presenting artists, working with local organizations, volunteers and families; and the beaches were pretty nice too. My employment (and that of a part time caretaker) ended this past December.

Part of the challenge included working with resident organizations that had a long history in the facility which included overall management of the facility. These organizations had been an integral part of the community fundraising efforts that renovated the facility from 1990 to 2005. Unfortunately the organizations were unable to generate adequate support needed to sustain operations and incurred significant debt. Complicating matters was the need for a new roof and HVAC system. The city financed the new roof and HVAC system in 2011, and took over management of the facility. A consultant was hired to do a market study, initiate programming and recommend an operational model going forward.

The city created a governing authority to oversee management that included participants from the community and representatives of the resident organizations. The resident organizations each had their own board of directors, separate memberships and signed lease agreements with the city for space in the facility. The lease agreements were well below costs and significantly limited other programming and rental of the facility. All of which were acknowledged by the consultant's study. My position was created after an internal study identified the need for onsite management to do programming and oversee operations.

Given the size of the marketplace and alternative entertainment options which included a historic movie theater and a casino, it became clear pretty quickly that contributed income, from whatever source, would  be key to sustaining operations. Programming was self supporting with the help of grants and sponsorship's; facility rentals, primarily weddings and dance recitals did make a positive contribution to the bottom line. The facility also hosted community events which were well attended but received discounted rental rates.

Since the restoration project, very little fundraising had been done on behalf of the facility. A 501 (c) 3 organization existed, but had not been active for over ten years. Not having an in depth background in fundraising I attended workshops put on by the Lilly School of Fundraising and gained new respect for what it takes to be a development officer. Updating the database and creating an annual campaign came pretty natural to me, as did creating opportunities to give online. Developing relationships with potential contributors was much more of a challenge. The challenge included the level of city subsidy which was rightly perceived as adequate to maintain operations.The community was also being solicited to support the facilities resident organizations as well as the historic local movie theater. And frankly, being new to the community and not the most outgoing of personalities limited contact with potential donors.

Working with the facilities governing authority was also very challenging as representatives of the resident companies were not interested in making changes. Non-aligned community members became frustrated with the lack of progress on key issues and resigned. In an effort to facilitate communication between stakeholders with the goal of identifying what and how the facility might best operate, outside consultants were once again brought in. And as in the past, a unified governing entity representing all participants interests was agreed upon. Unfortunately efforts to execute the plan fell apart quickly as resident organizations withdrew from active participation. And as a result, the governing board which oversaw operations and included the resident organizations was disbanded.

Several community members who had been apart of the strategic planning workshop, though not directly involved in the facility, showed continued interest in addressing the issues facing the facility. I met informally with these participants reviewing past initiatives and we came to agreement that a community based board of directors was needed to lead and build support for the facility and its programs. I was very encouraged as this group represented resources and donors that would be critical to reducing the city subsidy of the facility (a goal of the city council). As a result, the dormant 501 (c) 3 was reactivated and shortly after entered into an agreement with the city to manage the facility.

Members of the new board met several times with the resident organizations with the goal of creating one governing entity for all as identified in the planning workshop. The resident organizations chose to remain independent. New lease agreements were proposed which included the resident companies vacating their offices and storage spaces (within the year). The organizations will be able to rent the facility, but will no longer be entitled to priority use and rates as in the past. I expect this relationship will continue to evolve as participants of the resident companies represent a large portion of the community interest in the facility and its use.

The agreement with the city to manage the facility included extension of my employment for the first six months of operations. In working with the new board members, it was clear that they thought we could do much more programming and significantly increase the rental business. And with significant investment in marketing, a catering kitchen, concession stand and a unified fundraising effort growth was certainly possible, but not guaranteed. The effort would also require hiring additional staff and creating a robust volunteer base. Unfortunately it was bandwagon I couldn't honestly promote, my analytical side looked at the numbers and I cringed. I think major donors would cringe as well, but perhaps I'm wrong and time will tell. Given my hesitancy I was not surprised when my employment with city ended they wanted to move in a "new direction".

And if anyone has taken the time to read this post, I hope you'll pardon my selfishness and find some value in sharing of the experience. And its time for me to move on!