Newspapers / Philanthropy Journal of North … / Oct. 1, 1993, edition 1 / Page 4
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Nonprofits Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina The public trust More than three-quarters of people surveyed for a new Gallup Poll were concerned about the amount nonprofits spend on fundraising and other expenses not related to their mission. October 1993 Marketing culture Arts groups learn from businesses to make ends meet In the face of increasing competi tion for a declining pool of chari table doUars, arts organizations are adopting marketing tech niques from business. Some groups are finding success in business tactics that include repackaging program offerings, offering innovative pricing and recruiting corporate sponsors. By Kathleen McDonald r wo years ago, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra teetered on the brink of ruin. A 1991 strike and mounting debt threatened to push the 62-year- old symphony over the edge. Enter William F. Lester, 42, a mir acle worker of the orchestra indus try. Since being hired in December of 1992 as president, he’s managed to put the symphony on stable ground. The strike is long over, public per ception is on an upswing and 1993-94 ticket sales are booming - already 51 percent ahead of last year’s final numbers, with three months of sales activities to go. “It’s one of those really exciting periods of times for us,” says Lester, “in that almost everything we touch is working.” The symphony’s position is envi able among most arts groups facing tough times. A sluggish economy has made fundraising difficult. And as government support declines and corporations contribute less, arts groups are forced to compete for a diminishing amount of charitable dol lars. “When the economy suffers and local, state and federal governments are having to ti^ten their belts, the arts tends to fall into the category of frills,” says Bonnie E. Pierce, execu tive director of the Arts Council of the Lower Cape Fear in Wilmington. “It’s regrettable, but it’s a fact of life.” There are few corporate head quarters in Wilmington. So, the Arts Council relies heavily on government allocations. While the state legisla- tnre increased funding for Wilmington’s grass-roots arts pro gram this year by 14 percent, or $3,080, Wilmington city government and New Hanover County govern ment cut a combined $7,880. Worse, the Arts Council owes $42,000 in delinquent federal payroll taxes. A lien has been placed against the organization. “We’ve been kind of struggling throng the snmmer and just trying to keep our head above water,” says Pierce, “but it’s going to be a tough year.” Wilmington could use a little bit of Lester’s magic. But Lester says there is no magic potion. An ex-mar- keting man, Lester has built some thing of a career turning aronnd troubled organizations. When he took over the San Antonio Symphony in 1987, it was near collapse, losing $1 million a year. Five years later, it not only broke even, bnt it turned a profit. Lester’s solntion simply is to use Eleanor Jordan says the Raleigh Little Theatre is having a tough time soliciting corporate sponsorships to help fund new staff positions. Photo by Robert Thomoson basic marketing rules. “We have manipulated all four of the P’s that they teach you in mar keting class: packa^g, promotion, placement and price,” he says. Since Lester’s arrival, the Charlotte Symphony has received a major overhaul. Lester has hired a new music director who is transform ing symphony programming, has added a Winter Pops series to appeal to a more diversified audience, is offering concertgoers more “packag ing” options and has revamped the pricing structure. Last season sub scribers got a meager 5 percent dis- connt, but this season their savings could top 40 percent. “Now we’re able to use in all of our subscription advertising the most powerful word in marketing free. If you subscribe you get two or three free concerts,” says Lester. Lester isn’t the first to realize that to survive in the 90s, arts orga nizations must develop new strate gies in marketing and management. Michael Marsicano, president of the Charlptte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council, says that in philan thropy today, accountability is the major issue. “We have increased the annual Look for ARTS, page 23 Saving farnns Farmers, lawyers work to stem losses of small, minority-owned farms in NC Since it was founded 10 years ago by a group of black lawyers, the Land Loss Prevention ftoject in Durham has been providing free legal advice to thousands of North Carolina farmers threat ened by drought, debt and devel opment. Although the group has been successful in reaching needy farmers, staff members say the state’s farm crisis con tinues. By Barbara Solow uction Day” be gins with a little girl walking along side her father throng a field strewn with leaves. "A As the camera traces their steps, she speaks her thon^ts. “My dad says a lot of people are coming to our farm today. He’s been sad a lot...Maybe when all those peo ple come today, they’ll buy a lot of food and that make eve^hing all better.” The narration on the televised public-service an nouncement stops and a phone num ber flashes across the screen. Viewers worried about losing their farms are nrged to call the Land Loss Prevention Project in Durham for free help and advice. For the past 10 years, the nonprof it organization has been working to reach ont to North Carolina farmers in danger of losing their land. ENVIRONMENT Through educational programs, visits to farms and public service announcements like “Auction Day,” the group has tried to stem the ste^y decUne in the number of small and minority-owned farms in North Carolina. Statistics from the state Department of Agriculture and other , . ,' - sources show that between 1980 and 1991, Carolina lost 33,000 farms, or abont one of every tlmee farms in the state. Those losses included the disap pearance of more than halt of ail black-owned farms and nearly half of all farms owned by Native Americans. Between 1980 and 1989, nearly one in three North Carolina farmers went out of business for reasons ranging from drou^t to debt to devel opment pressure. Despite success with helping indi vidual farmers hold onto their land, project staff members say there’s still alongwaytogo. “I look at the numbers and see that North CaroMna is continuing to lose about 2,000 to 3,000 farms a year,” says David Harris, the group’s executive director. “We are having an impact in terms of educating attor neys and in terms of the clients we serve. But to really address the prob lem, we have to increase our econom ic development activity. It’s one thing to keep the shyster from taking the property but if the property is not Look for LANDLOSS, page 5 On the air Chapel Hill nonprofit eyed by TV The Group B Strep Association in Chapei Hill is dedicated to edu- catii^ parents of children infect ed with the Group B Strep bacte ria. Now, thanks to a proposed TV series on nonprofits, the group may get much wider exposure. By Barbara Solow Id/hen Gina Burns and Jay V V Fulkerson lost their new born son almost four years ago to a bacterial infection they had never heard of, they mourned and reflected, then turned their sorrow into action. Look for TV, page 5 BRIEFLY Salvation Army aids hurricane cleanup During the first days after Hurricane Emily's hit along southern Hatteras Island, Salvation Army mobile units provided food and supplies to nearly 7,000 people, includ ing almost 2,000 bags of ice. For information on Salvation Army hurricane relief.efforts, call 1-800-695-GIVE. Emily's legacy Pilot project for youth The North Carolina Gov ernor's Crime Commission has awarded a $45,000 grant to Wake County Communities in Schools' Project CARE. The Com munities Actively Responsible tor Education project will offer tutoring and other ser vices to truant students. Nonprofit center helps with phone rotes The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits in Raleigh has created a program to help nonprofits save 25 to 40 per-, cent on long-distance tele phone service.The program is open to members of the cen ter. For information, call Phyllis Matthews, (919) 571 - 0811. Nature consen/oncy expands holdings Rare plants, endangered squirrels and peregrine fal cons are among the species living on North Carolina Nature Conservancy land at Grandfather Mountain. The conservancy has expand ed its land protection efforts in the Boone area. For infor mation, call (919) 967-7007. Ro ai )es course ds drug education Cary officials have con structed a three-acre rope courses for use by partici pants in Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). The wood, cable and rope obstacles course will be used to help teach confidence and trust to stu dents.
Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Oct. 1, 1993, edition 1
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