FY16 May Executive Director Report

Budgeting and Fiscal Strategies
  • First draft of FY17 budget was presented to Finance on May 18. Excellent feedback.  Draft #2 will go to finance and board in June.
  • Short-term need to boost “bridge fund” to minimize FY16 shortfall. Great progress already (see Carly’s report).
  • Long-term strategy to get rid of deficit. Finance committee will be making recommendation for budget surplus for FY17 and future years.
 
 
National bookings and national publicity
  • Currently we are at $328,900 for confirmed bookings in FY17 on a goal of $390,000. We have asked for an update on how they will meet their goal and expect it for the board meeting.
  • Continued discussions with Trish Santini and Frank Butler (originally of the Guthrie) and their newly formed company, Mainspring Arts Cooperative, to tour “Romeo and Juliet” in the summer of 2017. (Alliance Artist Management would continue to tour all of our ensemble productions.) Likely part of presentation at June’s Theater Communications Group (theater’s big conference).
 
HR
  • Joey Hillesheim is going to 4/5-time beginning in mid-May as he returns to school part-time.
  • David Geist has been hired as a baritone for the 2016-2017 season.
  • Resumes for both new hires (Jacob Christopher, tenor and David) are included in board materials.
 
Foundation/Government
  • Athwin Foundation has increased their support of Cantus from $12,000 to $14,000 for FY16.
  • Cantus was awarded a $20,000 grant from the NEA for touring in FY17. An increase of $10,000 from FY16.
 
New recording
  • Publicist Rebecca Davis has brought us to the attention of Entertainment One or eOne (formerly Koch International), an international entertainment group. Their classical producer is interested in making a recording of our new music with us this summer. Rep would include “The Four Loves” and other recent commissions.
  • Business details TBD. Cantus would invest through artists’ time. eOne would cover recording, venue and distribution costs.
  • Ordway Concert Hall has provided an estimate with a deeply discounted rent to make this happen.
  • Timing is a fantastic opportunity to capture repertoire with the current ensemble.
  • eOne has worldwide distribution.
 
Romeo & Juliet
  • Final dates for production have been confirmed.
  • First draft of budget has been created between Cantus and Guthrie.
 
Department of Labor ruling on exempt employees
  • The Department of Labor announced their updated ruling on determining the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees. The rule goes into effect on December 1. There are no exemptions from the ruling for nonprofit organizations.
  • “Exempt” means that employees are exempt from earning overtime (time and a half) after 40 hours of work.
  • To be “exempt” an employee must make at least $47,467 and meet a “duties” test that determines if an employee has some independent decision-making ability.
  • All current Cantus employees have been considered “exempt” including singers.
  • Mary will review administrative staff for compliance.
  • The ruling will be complicated to implement for singers. While we have until December 1 to implement the ruling, we want to decide on how we will do this in time for the budget to be approved.