Overview:
The Blissfest Music Organization celebrated its 27th
Annual Festival July13-15 in 2007. The Blissfest festival continues to be the
primary program service and fund raising event for the organization and has
allowed us to fund additional educational, musical and cultural activities year
round. The organization is moving forward in developing its full potential and
enhancing its position as a regional folk-arts and roots music resource. Overall
continuity and coordination has continued to increase with the full time
director and additional support staff. The organization maintains a positive
working relationship with area business and the arts and educational communities
as well as the governing entities that we impact. Our continuing
challenge for 2007 was to further develop our audience, increase our capacity,
and broaden our volunteer base and to increase the reach of the organization
while moving forward with an updated and energized strategic plan. We had some
success in audience development as well as increasing our volunteer base. In
2008 we will continue to develop a new long term land use plan to present to the
township and county planning entities for the festival site.
Programming, Education and Outreach
Review:
The organization’s program service of edu-tainment and
outreach continues to solidify its position as a local and regional year round
folk and roots music arts organization by producing and sponsoring cultural
enrichment and heritage opportunities all year long. Our primary program
service, the 27th annual Blissfest, was well attended by close to 5,000
participants including over 350 volunteers and coordinators assisting to make it
another successful festival and organization fund raising event. We did
experience some fall off in attendance on Saturday due to weather and expenses
for the event have also been on the rise so overall our net was down about $25k
from 2006. The festival has continued to operate by the consent judgment that
was agreed to in March 2002 with
The monthly Swing Dance series in conjunction with The Up
North Big Band has maintained a regular following and tapped into a
cross-generational audience. They moved to a new location in July called the
Rustic Ballroom in
Opportunities and Challenges:
The festival is the primary program service and fund-raiser
for the organization. Our challenge will be to continue to produce a premier
cultural event in an increasingly expanding and competitive market. To do this
we must continue to be mindful of controlling costs and creatively optimize our
revenues while maintaining competitive ticket prices. External environmental
factors including the
Review: The finance committee has continued its activity this year and the director has been consulting regularly with our CPA Bob VanHollebeke with additional bookkeeping entry support from Mike Adams our treasurer. This has provided some oversight and review. The accounting and bookkeeping system now enables the board to review up to date financial statements & balance sheets. The budgeting process and outcomes were within most targets this year. The organization has again shown financial solvency this past year due to another successful festival that was able to net about $125,000. Although down from 2006 by $25k, this continues to offset the expenses associated with all other programming including concerts, Dances, Community Education, Outreach and Administrative. Overall the organization will end the year with about $25,000 in excess money that will be added to investments and contingency funds. The festival has enabled the organization to fund all of its year round programming and in addition allowed us to save for future contingency and capital investments in our property. The organization had good success this year with annual, lifetime memberships and a festival patron membership increasing about 15% from the previous year. Public Grants are all but unavailable but local community foundations have continued to provide some private foundation support. The organization currently has about $200,000 in investments and a money market.
Opportunities and Challenges: The Blissfest organization continues to be challenged in diversifying revenue streams. Funding for the arts through grants and foundations continues to shrink. Consideration of a development specialist within the staff and organization may be beneficial. Our local community foundations have been the most consistent private foundation support for the organization with little to no state support. Merchandising and the roots CD project did not do well this year at the festival and will require some evaluation. A merchandizing page on the website is in the planning stages. Sponsorship and developing new strategies to draw in sponsorship income while maintaining organizational integrity will continue to be explored. Increased advertising rates were implemented in 2007. Considerations for price increases for 2008 are in the works. We must continue to maintain good accounting controls and monitoring methods that allow innovation, creativity, flexibility and responsible management of festival and organizational funds in pursuant of our overall mission. Strategies to develop long term capital campaign, endowment and planned giving opportunities will need to be explored. We plan to develop strategies to increase the potential additional use of the Festival Farm Facility over the long term for additional activities and new revenue sources.
Review: The organization has maintained consistent staff for over two years at approximately 2.0 full time equivalents to handle the day to day operations of the organization with additional staffing support leading up to the festival. In addition we have funded educational outreach instruction. Staff has initiated a regular staff meeting this year, which has helped with overall operations coordination. The board revamped and streamlined the director evaluation process. The Blissfest Festival continues to retain about 85 % of its regular coordinator volunteers for the festival. Regular volunteer staffing continues to experience turnover from year to year with about a 50%-60% return rate. Annual membership levels have increased and lifetime memberships have also remained steady for the past year. The festival patron memberships were an effective new offering the past three years. The organization continued to produce a newsletter this year but has cut it back to 2 times a year in addition to the festival brochure and announcement postcards to communicate with the membership. An e-mail list has also been generated via the web site with regular news/calendar email. The web site has been providing timely information about organization activities and our new MySpace site is doing well.
Opportunities and Challenges:
Operations manual for the festival and day to day programming needs to continue being developed. Volunteer management has improved with the committee working on tasks prior to the festival and improved on-site volunteer sign up documentation. Festival staffing will also include office volunteer staff prior to the festival and searching for a summer intern. Continued recruitment of festival coordinators, and regular volunteers and development of festival supervisors and area meetings will also require additional effort in 2008. The organization needs to continue recruiting members, volunteers and committee members from its large pool of festival supporters, including youth as volunteers. The organization has developed some good will in the community with its new exposure and should build on this to improve and broaden community support as well as increase participation in the organization. The organization needs to continually assess its current and future staffing and volunteer needs and develop plans to meet them. The web site needs to be upgraded and made more user friendly in 2008.
Review: The board continues to meet monthly and consists of 10 members. Most standing committees are meeting regularly and providing input and direction for the board. Standing committees are festival operations, site, finance, programming, human resources and policy. Additional community members would be a good addition to these committees. A Zoning initiative to secure a Special Use Permit for the festival facility is in the initial planning stages for additional utilization and activities.
Opportunities and challenges: The Blissfest needs to continue to develop an activist, broad community based board that brings energy, professionalism and commitment to the organization. Greater involvement and leadership by committee chairs in the future will help to free up staff time. Strategic planning initiatives will require seeking input from the diverse base of the community and stakeholders to create a shared vision for the Festival Farm Facility. Regular board training and development opportunities for the staff, volunteers and the board need to be continued. Involvement of staff and board members at the OCFF Conference and Folk Alliance has been a good investment in the organization this past year.
Review: The Organization has continued to slowly develop the festival farm infrastructure each year. Festival infrastructure was enhanced, fruit trees were planted, the farmhouse got new sill plates and some new roads were constructed highlighting 2007.
Opportunities and Challenges: The organization continues to improve site infrastructure to meet its needs for the immediate future. Plans are in development to use the farmhouse for more festival related activities and possible seasonal rental.
Further large-scale development of facilities such as a dance pavilion, cabins, stage and additional landscaping will be part of the development of a site and land use master plan in conjunction with expanded zoning for additional activities in 2008. The master plan needs to be coordinated with an overall long-term strategic and business plan for the organization with consideration for the local community in the process.
Submitted by Jim Gillespie, Executive Director 11/30/07