Executive Director's Report
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Executive Director’s Report
August 2018
Finances
There are two vulnerabilities: amount and timing of Lorelei and single-ticket sales (single tickets go on sale on Sept. 4), and the timing of the Target Foundation grant.
Fundraising
General and Admin
August 2018
Finances
- Cash flow: We are entering the tightest period in our cash flow, but the situation looks manageable, and certainly better than it did several months ago. Looking ahead to the end of the year:
- Sept. 1: $15,652
- Sept 16: $15,266
- Oct. 1: $63,319
- Oct. 16: $64,389
- Nov. 1: $53,661
- Nov. 16: $59,394
- Dec. 1: $64,743
- Dec. 16: $104,512
There are two vulnerabilities: amount and timing of Lorelei and single-ticket sales (single tickets go on sale on Sept. 4), and the timing of the Target Foundation grant.
- Loan: Our interest-only period ends at the end of September, with regular payments resuming Oct. 2; this is factored into the numbers above. When I met with our loan officer, she offered a few ideas for possible restructuring the remaining ~$50,000 that I look forward to discussing with the finance committee at their September meeting.
Fundraising
- Grants:
- Heilmaier Foundation: $6,000 general operating, which is $1,000 over last year’s grant and above what we budgeted for FY19.
- Upcoming applications: Proposals to the Knight Foundation and Fredrikson & Bryron Foundation will be submitted in September.
- Major gifts: We have received three very generous major gifts already in FY19, including one extraordinary contribution for $10,000 from two relatively new donors.
General and Admin
- Planning:
- General: Staff met offsite for a half-day planning retreat earlier this month to align project calendars and outline admin goals for the year. Singers and staff, in turn, met last week to set internal objectives for the upcoming season.
- 25th anniversary: Chris and I had an exploratory call with Jean Parish and Tesfa at St. Olaf about possible opportunities for collaboration tied to the anniversary season (2019-20). We expect to have an emerging, if still loose, plan to share and discuss at next month’s board meeting.
- New engagements: Cantus will extend its Christmas concerts by one day, adding Hamline Church (St. Paul) on December 23. This was not budgeted and therefore offers a potential revenue boost during what is historically our most lucrative period.
- Lorelei:
- Thank you to the board members who have agreed to host Lorelei singers! I have just received their travel arrangements – most will arrive in the afternoon or evening of Tuesday, Sept. 18 – and will coordinate the specifics of each arrangement with you in the next week or two.
- Classical MPR has confirmed that it will broadcast the concert live.
- Transitions: Sam Kreidenweis (baritone) and Alberto de la Paz (tenor) officially joined Cantus on Aug. 1. Our summer intern, Katelyn Belden, will leave us on Aug. 30. Gregorio Taniguchi – Paul’s sub – joined on Aug. 15 and will be with us through Dec. 23; Tom and Priscilla Northenscold are generously hosting Gregorio during this time.
- Transparency: I have joined the board of directors of Copper Street Brass, an outstanding Minneapolis-based professional brass quintet.