Charitable Performances
Mon, 27 Sept 2004, 03:23 pmWalter Plinge19 posts in thread
Charitable Performances
Mon, 27 Sept 2004, 03:23 pmI have noticed, lately, a few charitable organisations popping out of the woodwork and putting on theatre productions. The advertising clearly states that "all proceeds go to ( insert charity)"
Well How true is that statement really
The Director, MD, Choreographer, SM, Musicians and even the ticket sellers are paid.
Then we have the theatre, the lighting designer, set designer , set builder etc etc etc ...all paid
As these are "amature" productions ...the cast are NOT paid.
So how true is the statement that "all proceeds go to the (insert charity)"??
These organisations are run by marketing people who , once again , get paid. It is in their best interests to make a profit to fund their next production.
However when the public purchaes a ticket to a show that states all proceeds go to ...whichever organisation I suspect the paying public think their money is going to help those people afflicted by the particular condition/illness/disease and not line the pockets of production teams, marketing gurus,publicists and the like.
Well How true is that statement really
The Director, MD, Choreographer, SM, Musicians and even the ticket sellers are paid.
Then we have the theatre, the lighting designer, set designer , set builder etc etc etc ...all paid
As these are "amature" productions ...the cast are NOT paid.
So how true is the statement that "all proceeds go to the (insert charity)"??
These organisations are run by marketing people who , once again , get paid. It is in their best interests to make a profit to fund their next production.
However when the public purchaes a ticket to a show that states all proceeds go to ...whichever organisation I suspect the paying public think their money is going to help those people afflicted by the particular condition/illness/disease and not line the pockets of production teams, marketing gurus,publicists and the like.
Re: Charitable Performances
Tue, 5 Oct 2004, 08:03 amThanks to Greg Ross for his supportive comments and endeavours to provide an insight into some of the harsh and competitive realities of trying to raise funds in the not-for-profit charitable sector. Thanks also to Greg for allowing me to access this chat room under his password.
I am the marketing and sales manager for the MS Society in WA. As Greg mentioned previously, the MS Society in Perth is producing 9 performances of The King and I at the Regal Theatre in October.
Given some of the concerning comments I have seen on this site, I thought it appropriate to respond.
Because of the highly competitive nature of charitable fundraising, as Greg Ross mentioned, innovation and differentiation are 2 key ingredients in securing meaningful corporate sponsorship, and of course public interest.
Due to PerthÂ’s proximity, not many nationally operating companies have their head office domiciled here. ThatÂ’s just a fact of life. In Western Australia alone there are approximately 400 registered charities all vying for the same sponsorship dollar. In the case of the MS SocietyÂ’s The King and I production, through a lot of hard work we have successfully secured Foodland and Associates Ltd (FAL) through their Supa Valu chain of supermarkets as naming rights sponsor. We are extremely grateful to Supa Valu for their support.
Our move into the musical theatre arena is based on a very successful formula applied by MS South Australia over the last 4 years. They have produced a number of highly successful shows generating a considerable amount of money to support people with multiple sclerosis.
A musical production also allows access to a large market to not only raise awareness of multiple sclerosis, but also to give something back to our loyal supporters. An affordable and enjoyable night out at the theatre sounded good to us.
The King and I production is openly promoted as a Pro/Am production, as a very, very small number of people are paid what I would term as nominal amounts of money, or honorariums. In fact I have been extremely pleased with the level of local support and encouragement received from everyone I have come into contact with about the production. This includes suppliers, cast members, production crew, sponsors and the media.
Many people who would normally have commanded a considerable fee have either reduced their expectations significantly, or even donated their time free of charge. Their approach reflects very positively on them as they either know someone with multiple sclerosis, or canÂ’t afford to donate money. As their personal time is a valuable asset this is offered in lieu. There is no pressure placed on them to do this and through their own caring nature they want to help. They are all keenly interested in maximising the amount of money raised to assist people with MS, a very worthy cause.
Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic neurological disease affecting young Australians today. In Western Australia alone we are now averaging 16 newly diagnosed people with MS each month. That equates to over 200 new members each year. There is no known cause and there is no cure.
While some Government funding and support is forthcoming, largely the MS Society is self reliant on sustaining a financial position to provide essential services and support to people with MS, their families and care givers.
With the MS SocietyÂ’s long range financial forecasts showing a substantial deficit between likely revenue over coming years compared to an escalating cost base, the Society needs to take appropriate action. Otherwise the only alternative available is to cut back on essential services provided to people with MS.
Anyone experienced with undertaking full production responsibility for a show such as The King and I knows it requires a considerable financial outlay. Despite everyone’s goodwill and kind considerations there are unavoidable costs. When you are applying what I term as “other people’s money” as in, hard come by funds belonging to members of the MS Society, there are significant risks to manage as a financial loss cannot be contemplated. Any decisions to apply the member funds towards a musical theatre production have a very thorough evaluation process to ensure they are robust.
However, make no mistake; our aim is to maximise our return on investment. We need to make as much money as we can for people with MS. This is no different to any other fundraising event (ball, golf day etc.) conducted by any charitable organisation.
The charitable not-for-profit sector is a highly sensitive environment largely dependent on positive public sentiment. Any actions or events generating a negative outcome or negative press, can adversely affect other charities through either direct or indirect association. This is because we all extremely reliant on trust and integrity to maintain public and corporate support.
The MS Society of WA is proud of the fact that it undertakes all of its own fundraising preferring not to use or rely on external agencies or service providers.
Consequently, the MS Society holds its excellent reputation in highest regard and will not compromise this highly sought after position. The MS Society operates at all times with maximum transparency.
As the MS Society is producing The King and I then clearly there is full control over all the financial aspects. Therefore, all proceeds do benefit the MS Society and people with MS - directly.
The MS Society will always ensure compliance with all contractual and legal requirements relating not only to this musical theatre production, but all and any other undertakings.
I am the marketing and sales manager for the MS Society in WA. As Greg mentioned previously, the MS Society in Perth is producing 9 performances of The King and I at the Regal Theatre in October.
Given some of the concerning comments I have seen on this site, I thought it appropriate to respond.
Because of the highly competitive nature of charitable fundraising, as Greg Ross mentioned, innovation and differentiation are 2 key ingredients in securing meaningful corporate sponsorship, and of course public interest.
Due to PerthÂ’s proximity, not many nationally operating companies have their head office domiciled here. ThatÂ’s just a fact of life. In Western Australia alone there are approximately 400 registered charities all vying for the same sponsorship dollar. In the case of the MS SocietyÂ’s The King and I production, through a lot of hard work we have successfully secured Foodland and Associates Ltd (FAL) through their Supa Valu chain of supermarkets as naming rights sponsor. We are extremely grateful to Supa Valu for their support.
Our move into the musical theatre arena is based on a very successful formula applied by MS South Australia over the last 4 years. They have produced a number of highly successful shows generating a considerable amount of money to support people with multiple sclerosis.
A musical production also allows access to a large market to not only raise awareness of multiple sclerosis, but also to give something back to our loyal supporters. An affordable and enjoyable night out at the theatre sounded good to us.
The King and I production is openly promoted as a Pro/Am production, as a very, very small number of people are paid what I would term as nominal amounts of money, or honorariums. In fact I have been extremely pleased with the level of local support and encouragement received from everyone I have come into contact with about the production. This includes suppliers, cast members, production crew, sponsors and the media.
Many people who would normally have commanded a considerable fee have either reduced their expectations significantly, or even donated their time free of charge. Their approach reflects very positively on them as they either know someone with multiple sclerosis, or canÂ’t afford to donate money. As their personal time is a valuable asset this is offered in lieu. There is no pressure placed on them to do this and through their own caring nature they want to help. They are all keenly interested in maximising the amount of money raised to assist people with MS, a very worthy cause.
Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic neurological disease affecting young Australians today. In Western Australia alone we are now averaging 16 newly diagnosed people with MS each month. That equates to over 200 new members each year. There is no known cause and there is no cure.
While some Government funding and support is forthcoming, largely the MS Society is self reliant on sustaining a financial position to provide essential services and support to people with MS, their families and care givers.
With the MS SocietyÂ’s long range financial forecasts showing a substantial deficit between likely revenue over coming years compared to an escalating cost base, the Society needs to take appropriate action. Otherwise the only alternative available is to cut back on essential services provided to people with MS.
Anyone experienced with undertaking full production responsibility for a show such as The King and I knows it requires a considerable financial outlay. Despite everyone’s goodwill and kind considerations there are unavoidable costs. When you are applying what I term as “other people’s money” as in, hard come by funds belonging to members of the MS Society, there are significant risks to manage as a financial loss cannot be contemplated. Any decisions to apply the member funds towards a musical theatre production have a very thorough evaluation process to ensure they are robust.
However, make no mistake; our aim is to maximise our return on investment. We need to make as much money as we can for people with MS. This is no different to any other fundraising event (ball, golf day etc.) conducted by any charitable organisation.
The charitable not-for-profit sector is a highly sensitive environment largely dependent on positive public sentiment. Any actions or events generating a negative outcome or negative press, can adversely affect other charities through either direct or indirect association. This is because we all extremely reliant on trust and integrity to maintain public and corporate support.
The MS Society of WA is proud of the fact that it undertakes all of its own fundraising preferring not to use or rely on external agencies or service providers.
Consequently, the MS Society holds its excellent reputation in highest regard and will not compromise this highly sought after position. The MS Society operates at all times with maximum transparency.
As the MS Society is producing The King and I then clearly there is full control over all the financial aspects. Therefore, all proceeds do benefit the MS Society and people with MS - directly.
The MS Society will always ensure compliance with all contractual and legal requirements relating not only to this musical theatre production, but all and any other undertakings.
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