FY16 October BOD Meeting Minutes

Cantus
Board of Directors Meeting—1201 Marquette Avenue, Suite 100
October 26, 2015
6:00 – 8:00 pm
 
Present: Julie Carver, Liz Cutter, Jim Dorsey, Chris Foss, Martha Graber, Wendy Holmes, Noel McCormick, Brock Metzger, Marit Smaby Nowlin, Chuck Peterson, David Ranheim, Karl Reichert, Paul Rudoi, Craig Shulstad
 
Staff: Jeff Bina, Joey Hillesheim, Mary Lee, Carly Thornberry
 
Absent: Katie Berg, Pete Cochrane, Patricia Kirkpatrick, Libby Larsen, Jeff Reed
 
 
AGENDA
  1. WH: Call to order                                                                                       6:04pm
    1. Wendy Holmes presiding
  2. WH: Introduce Craig Shulstad
  3. Video: No Greater Love Than This (16/17 touring program)       
  4. WH: Approve: Minutes of FY16 September meeting
Motion: Marit,Smaby Nowlin; 2nd Liz Cutter; motion carries.
  1. CP: Treasurer’s Report
    1. Because Mobius has presented challenges we didn’t anticipate, financials were not included in this month’s materials.
      1. Financials should be prepared by the end of next week to be sent via email to directors.
    2. A Finance Committee meeting will be scheduled for November.
    3. We are current with payroll, insurance etc.
      1. Cash flow is tight. We have been relying on line of credit, but this should change as we move forward.
    4. Our line of credit from Nonprofits Assistance Fund expires at the end of October, but because of our situation, they have extended our loan through November. We will renew before then.
    5. Tim continues to make himself available and will support our FY15 audit in November.
    6. Mary: We provide financial projections quarterly, and a projection will be part of next month’s meeting.
    7. Wendy: We are doing well under the current circumstances.
  2. ML: Update: Cantus 2020
    1. See materials.
    2. After we decided on objectives, we started looking at finances.
      1. We determined a desired singer salary, calculated other expenses, and then created a budget that shows us what needs to happen to get there.
      2. We estimate that an increase over five years of $400,000 will be necessary.
    3. Areas that we predict will not grow include: home bookings, CD sales, Idol (friend-raiser more than fundraiser), and corporate and foundation giving.
    4. We do see potential for growth in home concert ticket sales, management bookings, and individual giving.
    5. This financial understanding starts to give us a map. It tells a story of what needs to be true in order for us to accomplish our goals.
    6. Craig: What are the benchmarks for singer salaries? How will we identify these benchmarks?
      1. Mary: We have that information from other organizations. But it’s like comparing apples and oranges. I would love some direction on how to make a decision about what number is appropriate for Cantus, however.
      2. The Executive Committee will discuss this further.
    7. Brock: Regarding potential growth in management bookings, how does the number of days that Cantus tours compare to Chanticleer?
      1. Mary: Chanticleer has three touring programs.
      2. Paul: We tour based on what is healthy for our voices – and what our other commitments allow.
    8. David: Do we have a sense of trends over the past five years in the other areas that we predict growth?
      1. Mary: We have seen tremendous growth over the past five years. But we’re entering a more difficult time in terms of revenue growth. We’re one of many ensembles in the Twin Cities and will have to get creative about audience growth.
  3. NM/CT: Present FY16 Development Plan
    1. See materials.
    2. This is a living document intended to take individual giving to the next level. The engagement committee will be meeting every summer to review successes and areas needing improvement.
    3. Highlights of the plan:
      1. Cantus Arc
        1. A program to recognize $1000+ donors which will include benefits such as advance notice of Cantus news
      2. Direct mail calendar
        1. We’ll start segmenting our mailing lists. Rather than sending everyone the same letter, letters will be sent according to relevant categories.
      3. Cantus Alumni Program
        1. The value is not necessarily the amount of the contributions, but the continued support from alumni of the organization.
        2. Adam Reinwald and Shahzore Shah will co-chair this year. We sent a letter to Cantus alumni and have received two gifts so far.
      4. Cultivation and stewardship – which means adding donors and improving relationships we’ve already established. This includes:
        1. A social event after an open rehearsal at least once a year
        2. An open rehearsal at 7pm for those who might not otherwise be able to attend
        3. A donor feature in print program (such as a Q&A)
        4. A Cantus newsletter
        5. The creation of three to four success stories that can be distributed three to four months after a donor gives a gift. The letter will be a way to let them know what their donation accomplished.
    4. Wendy: It would be great to see updates on the plan periodically. It will help remind the board that we need to be participants in this plan as well.
  4. Jeff/Paul R: Present: Cantus Media Initiative
    1. The media initiative means giving our audience access to audio and video in as many channels as possible to increase our visibility and build audience relationships.
    2. We have the benefit of having live audio as well as CD recordings. It’s up to us to put it out there – through social media and through our relationship with MPR.
      1. Social media has become an alternate way to learn about Cantus without ever attending a concert.
    3. Where Cantus is active on social media and why:
      1. SoundCloud focuses strictly on audio. We have a free monthly download and offer free streaming tracks.
      2. YouTube includes strictly video, but with audio. We share live performance as well as EPK videos.
      3. Facebook is our number one social media platform. It includes a broad range of demographics.
        1. We promote SoundCloud and YouTube content on Facebook.
      4. Twitter mirrors what we do on other platforms.
      5. Instagram is used mostly by our high school and college-aged audience. It provides more personal content.
    4. Our partnership with MPR:
      1. Frequent air play on Classical MPR
      2. Occasional plays on Performance Today which is national
      3. Thanksgiving with Cantus is aired every year on about 300 stations nationwide.
      4. We’re adding a one-hour special for Valentine’s Day – including music from TFL.
      5. Annual Christmas with Cantus performance is broadcast live to region; streamed.
      6. We hope to distribute audio through MPR to the European Broadcasting Union as well.
    5. Download cards
      1. They provide an alternative to CDs and instant gratification for the consumer.
    6. Cantus Media Initiative dashboard:
      1. A new way to organize information, see what is happening, and react to the data
  5. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Executive Director review
  6. Discussion: Committee and/or Company Reports
    1. We ask AAM to come to the Twin Cities once a year with Rebecca Davis, so they can hear Cantus and talk about our goals. The company spoke with them recently after TFL performance at Colonial Church. Conversation covered:
      1. The current booking environment
      2. Revenue goals and Cantus 2020
    2. AAM was thrilled with the EPK videos and reaffirmed the value of having Rebecca Davis as a publicist.
  7. WH: Adjourn                                                                      8:05pm
Motion: Julie Carver, 2nd Brock Metzger; meeting adjourned.
​