13 Feb
2017
13 Feb
'17
12:37 a.m.
Thanks for your contribution, Mike. Very interesting! It sounds like your
volunteers should feel very much appreciated.
It is good to know that your "pay what you can" system works, as have
others I've heard of. You don't mention it directly but I gather you have
no trouble getting volunteers even though they could just pay what they can
afford, which was part of my original question. Roughly how much time do
your volunteers put in on a night when they volunteer?
One question: I don't understand how the "disconnect between finances and
the dances" (i.e., the organization keeping entrance fees lower by picking
up the excess rent cost, if I understand it correctly) led to a drop in
volunteers and then dancer participation. I would assume the finances were
all behind the scenes, so how did that work? Thanks.
David
On Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 12:44 PM, via Organizers <
organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
David and all,
Our regular dance has flourished and waned over the last 25 years. The
parent group started as an amalgam some contra dancers and bluegrass
campout enthusiasts. Over the decades the organization sponsored many
concerts, special dances and eventually a successful bluegrass weekend.
The budget for the complete range of activities is now in six figures.
When the local university took to increasing rent every year on the dance
hall (eventually tenfold), the organization picked up the tab, at one point
covering dance operating losses of $5,000/year. This disconnect between
finances and the dances eventually led to a drop in volunteers and as a
direct result (I believe) dancer participation.
We have now realized (I hope) that volunteers are critical stakeholders,
important to the vitality of the dance. In most basic terms-- if somebody
is setting up chairs and lights, they will be there to dance. If somebody
is taking money at the door, they will be there to dance. Other members of
the community know they will be there and are more likely to show up to
join them in the dance. From our experience the people taking money at the
door are more important than the actually money they collect.
Our dance has moved to a smaller community hall and is operating in the
black. We do offer "pay what you can" to students and other members of the
community. Our sign at the desk says "Suggested donation $8" but also says
"the actual cost of the dance is $10/person, pay what you can." Our
limited experience suggests that our volunteers are much more important
than the amount of money we charge an individual. If we are successful in
convincing our volunteers that they are important to the success of the
dance, then our dance community will thrive.
This is my first contribution, but I have benefited from many useful
comments and threads over the years.
Thank you,
Mike Reddig
Flagstaff, AZ
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