Skip to main content
Global Edition
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Group helps GRTC make pandemic pivot

Credit: WXMI - Scripps
Duration: 03:19s 0 shares 1 views

Group helps GRTC make pandemic pivot
Group helps GRTC make pandemic pivot

WORKING TO REBOUND FROMTHE PANDEMIC, MANY NON-PROFITSARE TOO.

I SPOKE WITH THEGRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE ASTHEY PREPARE FOR THEIR 96THSEASONFOLLOWING HARDSHIPS BROUGHT ONBY THE PANDEMIC, ANDHOW THEY'RE MAKING IT HAPPENTHANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF ONEWEST MICHIGAN GROUP.Bruce Tinker, Grand RapidsCivic TheatreExecutive DriectorI'm thoroughly gratified thatwe're able to come outrelatively in the sameplace that we went in, you know,we haven'tlost a lot of ground.

IT'S BEEN15MONTHS SINCE THE SEATS OF THEGRAND RAPID'S CIVIC THEATER HAVEBEEN FILLED, BUT IT WON'T BEMUCH LONGER BEFORE PATRONS FILLTHESE SEATS ONCE AGAIN.Brue cTinker, Grand Rapids CivicTheatreExecutiveD irector 1:10 when wewent into clokdown in March of2020, we assumedit was June, not realizing itwas gonnabe June a year later.

THECIVIC THEATRE TSOPPED ALLREGULAR IN- PERSONPERFORMANCES, HALTING TICKTESSALE... LEADING TO JOB LOSS,RENNOVATIONS PROJECTS BEINGPOSTPONED, AND PROGRAM UTSC -INCLUDING THEIR WIDELY SUCCESFULTHEATRE SCHOOL.

Bruce Tinker,Grand Rapids Civic TheatreExecutive DirectorI knew that the organizationitselfwoud lsurvive.

What you don'tknow is hwatwhat what does that look like?THE THEATRE RECENTLYANNOUNCED ITS 96TH SEASNO WITHAN EXCITING LINEUP OFENTERTAINMENTINCLUDING THREE MUSICALS, TWOPLAYS AND TWO SPECIALS EVENTS.Bruce Tinker, Grand Rapids CivicTheatreExecutive Directorit really was a time of reset.

Ithink a lot of people felt thatway.

You know, it was atime of like, Well, okay, Inormlaly wouldbe doing these things.

Now, whatam I doing?What's different?

And how do Iaccomplishatht?

HELPING THEM RESET...KENNARI CONSULTING... ANOPN-ROFIT FUNDRAISINGCONSULTIG NFIRM BASED IN WESTMICHIGAN.

JUST BEFORE THEPANDEMIC, THETWO WERE WORKING TOGETHER ON ACOMPREHENSIVECAMPAING TO RAISE $13 MILLION TOSUPPORT CAPITAL, ENDOWMENT ANDPROGRAMMING.

BUT THEN THEPANDEICM HIT ANDAN ADDITIONAL GOAL WAS SET TORAISE $1 MILLION.

Sandi FrostSteensma, Kennari ConsultingPresident and CEOthey really took a pretty bighit in terms of the you know,that portion of their annualbudget that comes from ticketsales.

Andso we really focused on tryingto help beefup sort of the annualndfuraising portion oftheir annual fund.But also they came up with someextremelycreative ways to continue theirwork.AND IT WASN'T JUST THE CIVICTHEATREWHO NEEDED THEIR SERVICES,KENNARIWORKED WITH MORE THAN 100CLIENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC,RASING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

2:56Has there been more fundraisingthanever before, given the pandemic?Or is itabout the same?

Sandi FrostSteensma, Kennari ConsultingPresident and CEO 3:03 You know,that's a really interestingquestion.

You know, there was aprobably a moment of panic inthe very begining.

And thenafter thateverybody sort of settled in,and somereally good tools came in forvirtualfundraising.

AND IT'S THOSETOOLS THAT ARENOW HELPING NON-PROFITS LIKE THECIVIC THEATREE R-OPEN THEREDOORS AND WELCOME PATRONS ONCEAGAIN... AND BRING THEIRPERFORMERS BACK HOME.

BruceTinker, Grand Rapids CivicTheatreExecutive DirectorBut in fact, I think the futureis very bright.

And it's, it'sgoing to look a lot better whenwhen we come back.THE GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATREAGAIN IS WORKING TO RAISE ONEMILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THEUPCOMING 96TH SEASON.SO FAR... THEY ARE 75-PERCENT OFTHEWAY THERE AND ARE OPTOMISTICTHEY WILL REACH THAT GOAL SOON.ALSO, TICKETS FOR THEIR FIRSTPERFORMANCE SINCE THE PANDEMICARE ON SALE... IT WILL BETHE PRODUCTION OF FT LASTANLEYTHE MUSICAL.

You might like