2020-12-09 Board Meeting Minutes

Present: Sara Dean, Michael Hirsch, Dallas Carter, Doug Hughes, Dan Singletary, Jay Steele, Steve Sammonds, Ed Hunter, Jeffrey Henson, Raiña Parks, Jen Maggio, Dave Leon, Sharon Peng, Kevin Brownstein

Start 7:04 pm

Welcome by Michael Hirsch

Agenda

  • Functional Update
    • Marketing & Social Media (Doug Hughes) – 10 minutes
    • Facilities (Jeffrey Henson) – 10 minutes
    • Tech (Dan Singletary) – 10 minutes
  • Financial Update (CFO: Jen Maggio) – 10 minutes
  • Board Retreat Action Items (Michael Hirsch) – 10 minutes
  • Executive Director Update (Sara Dean) – 20 minutes
  • Committee Updates
    • Community, Inclusivity & Accountability (Kevin Brownstein, Sharon Peng) – 10 minutes
    • Development & Fundraising (Dallas Carter; Kathy Switky) – 10 minutes
    • Organizational Development (Jay Steele) – 10 minutes
    • Vision & Planning (Michael Hirsch) – 10 minutes

Actions

  • [Action] Dan Singletary to help with setting up metrics based on Constant Contact information.
  • [Action] Jen will take the action to communicate with the cleaners to see if they are still available to come in and clean once a month starting January.
  • [Action] Dan and Jen to ID the charge and confirm Heartland charge. 
  • [Action] Dan, Dallas and Sara to discuss compiling donor list during meeting on Saturday 12/12/2020.
  • [Action] Jen to ask for status on rent contract which was planned to have a change in terms. – Answered during meeting: “Studio is 25% forgiveness starting January for 1 year.  No contract needed. Email acknowledgement is deemed sufficient. At end of 2021 we will need to renegotiate.”

Functional Update

  • Marketing & Social Media (Doug Hughes)

    • Used Constant Contact feature that allowed for sending emails to folks who didn’t open the first time.
    • Tended Facebook postings and metrics
    • Cleaned up dated stuff from the website
    • Opportunity to set up lots of metrics with Constant Contact as interested. Michael would like to gather data for potential sponsors.
    • Lots of videos this month
    • Growth with YouTube videos

  • Facilities (Jeffrey Henson)

    • Continues to battle trash being dumped in the parking lot
    • Now folks are using the parking lot as a paint wars area. Jeffrey having to stay on top of issues related to vandalism
    • Jen suggested getting someone to come in and clean up. Sara suggested having folks go in to clean the floors (mop/vacuum) and wipe down counters. Code to get into the studio is still the same.

  • Technology (Dan Singletary)

    • Ed shared that we’re at the final step of the proposal to get quotes for lighting upgrade.
      • Cap on the size of the bid ($200,000). Under which can go out fairly quickly for approval, otherwise would take about 6 months due to increased approval level.
      • Unlikely to go out to bid until Jan 1st which means we may not see an approved bid until June.
      • Hoping to have the final Request for Quote on Monday
    • Dan called down to the theater to help work on the sounds system for the theater since the city council was starting to meet in person
      • Problem wasn’t with sound system but with connecting Zoom to the sound system
    • Dallas helped with showtix effort
    • Was using Heartland to process credit card payments. Jen saw a charge just recently. Action for Dan and Jen to ID the charge and confirm charge
    • Need to work on a process for dealing with donors who have a card payment issue. Has mostly been hands off but have noticed some inconsistencies.
    • No process in place to print donation acknowledgements
    • Dan proposing that we make a list of donors for programs, once a year. It’s a fairly involved effort. The other option would be to get rid of the donor listing.
    • Will repurpose a couple macbooks for SBMT loaners as current loaner computers are very out of date. Anyone else have a laptop that they aren’t using, the board would be happy to use. 
      • Will need to be careful that none of the users in the share pool can make the laptop unusable for others. Dan working on a process.

  • Financial Updates

    • Bank balance is still very positive all things considered.
    • Tracking a little bit ahead of the curve for expected donations
    • Running under on expenses.
    • Overall, tracking nicely to the budget compared to donations
    • Michael hadn’t heard any updates on the rent agreement. Jen to ask about status.

  • Board Retreat – Action Items

    • eStudio
      • ED – create high-level schedule; facilitate asks
      • ED – consider hiring production manager for eStudio
      • ED – document processes for production of programs
      • Board – participate in at least one eStudio event/month
      • Board – provide feedback & ideas for new & existing programs
    • Phase 1: Reopening
      • Board – create reopening Task Force
      • Org Dev – update job descriptions for ED & Prod Staff
      • Dev & Fund – schedule discussion on fundraising & friendraising with Clay
      • CIA – establish inclusivity goals & how to be accountable for them
      • V&P – balance programming vision to grow overall audience
      • V&P – plan & schedule January Saratoga Civic Theater (SCT) meeting {yearly meeting where we announce our upcoming season}
    • Phase 2 Transformation – “Next Normal”
      • ED – meet with Jen to discuss budget, season selling options
      • ED – talk with similar 5 show companies (e.g. PAP, CityLights, Hillbarn)
      • Org Dev – survey audience to get general interest
      • V&P –  think through problems, challenges, create feasible scenarios & calendar; find content (e.g. “small” shows); co-productions
    • Doug asked about an action item that might be missing to come up with the type of season we would have (i.e. 1 big show, 5 season show, etc). Michael pointed to how this concern is covered under lots of actions in the list

  • Executive Director Updates

    • Focus:
      • Nov/ Dec & 2021 planning
        • Already planning into March. Got lots of feedback and input for content
        • Wants to add another state of SBMT meeting (based on Doug’s suggestion) *possibly* in January. Puts on an every 4 month recurring cycle
          • Michael suggests that we schedule for later in the year if we don’t have any new information to share. Maybe in the May timeframe
        • Sara working to simplify the list as well
        • Biggest change will be in trying to increase our series offerings
          • Feedback from Vinh’s audition workshop was unbelievably positive!
          • Group from the presentation will be brought back for a Cabaret in 2021
        • Theme: Journeys, Road less Travelled, Community (Doug’s suggestion)
      • OvationTix switchover
        • Going good and donations keep coming in
      • Donation Drive and Development organization
        • Kama has been phenomenal in helping with donations
      • Relationship building: Press release, SVS, Lyric, local companies, Saratoga & chamber
        • Keep working with other peer companies in the area
        • Biggest win was with the Audition workshop
    • Board expectations vs. Exec. Director responsibilities
      • Individual board member meetings
    • Board Retreat – vision, goals, how to enact

  • Community, Inclusivity & Accountability

    • New Co-chair for the committee. Sharon Peng is now co-chairing the group
    • Came up with a Mission statement at the last meeting.
      • MISSION:  We are a diverse group of theatre makers working to identify and re-envision the theatre experience by more accurately reflecting the diverse community that we serve. South Bay Musical Theatre acknowledges the unhealthy history of implicit bias in theatre, and is committed to creating content that is representative of our community and also educates our audience. We hold ourselves accountable at every level, including the board of directors, staff, artists, and volunteers to include, uplift, and amplify underrepresented and misrepresented voices. Respectful representation inspires and ripples out into meaningful and necessary change.
    • Casting Accountability
      • I am a Camera
        • Total Submissions: 56. 
        • Total Cast: 8. 5 BIPOC (63%)
      • Upcoming
        • Rachel (January) Director:  Tanika Baptiste, SM: TBD
        • Pride & Prejudice (February) Director: TBD (SVS), SM: Alexandra Maisonneuve Teixeira
        •  (SVS/ SBMT)
        • Anon(ymous) (March): Director: Vinh G. Nguyen
      • Will not meet again until January. Taking a break during the holiday season.

  • Development & Fundraising

    • Working on the end of the year fundraiser. Drafting email to be sent out shortly requesting continued support through the holiday season
    • Thank you notes sent with a handwritten note. 
    • Looking for an opportunity for Clay to meet with the board
    • Year- End Donation Drive (pulling this info from OvationTix)
      • Mailing sent on Nov 10th to 993 potential donors
      • GOAL = $25,000
      • Currently at $13,211 (52.8% of goal)
      • Dan to help Sara pull this metrics to confirm how being gathered. Lot’s of possibilities with OvationTix that Dan suggested to the team. We will cover further during discussion with Clay
      • Michael wants to have info available during our meeting with Clay to help prompt how we might organize our next year based on this year.
    • In last letter of the year that Dallas plans to send, will include information regarding donor matching.
    • Steve Allhof spearheading the cold calling soliciting for more sponsors.
    • In the future, we can include gift cards / gift certificates as part of fundraisers.
    • Workshop series are the only paid series that we will be doing in the next three months. No plans for replays which can be “paid” events.

  • Organizational Development

    • Short term looked at updating job description updates based on current climate and job responsibilities
    • Further out looking at survey to gain input re: expectations of our patrons once we re-engage post-Covid (i.e. interest in plays vs. musicals)
      • Sara mentioned getting focus on the calendar (something like “Cocktails and Conversation” or “Coffee and Conversation”). Michael feels would be good to plan for an hour.
        • Michael suggested scheduling the events maybe between Christmas and New Years when people aren’t out and about

    • Vision & Planning

      • Reviewed eStudio productions in October 2020
      • Striking, consistent branding by Doug is very effective allowing quick focus on content
      • Cabaret continues to lead in total views (1st place)
      • Reader’s theater still doing well (2nd place)
      • Behind the curtain (3rd place)
      • Awards (review and revamping…)
        • Legacy Robe Award (Production)
        • Marion Drew Orchestra Award (Production)
        • Bobo Reardon Newcomer Award (Production)
        • Harriette Hill Technical Achievement Award (Production)
        • Joan Huff Producers Award (Production)
        • Howard Miller Bless Your Heart Award (annual awards)
        • Fred Hassett Award (annual awards)
        • SBMT Silver Jackets (discontinued)
        • Carol Srigley Heartbeat Award (discontinued)
        • John Houck Newcomer Award (discontinued)
        • Robert McKay Oldtimers Award (discontinued)
    • Email nominations to Michael Hirsch

Meeting Adjourned 8:50pm