Board and Management Resources

There are some excellent materials available at https://massculturalcouncil.org/blog/managing-in-an-age-of-crisis/  which include a three-part series on Organizational Cash Flow Planning in a Crisis, Building Organizational Scenarios and Testing Budgets and Managing in an Age of Crisis.  All three provide outstanding background materials on the challenges we face.

You may also want to explore https://culturaldata.org/pages/long-haul/  for an article entitled In It for the Long Haul featuring a discussion of how arts and cultural organizations can consider adapting as we plan for a post-COVID future.

These are indeed trying times and many of our organizations are seeing our concert seasons going up in smoke. Here are ways to adapt your fundraising even while your chorus is not performing.

Transforming your chorus’ fundraising event into a Virtual Event
Blog by Tori Cook, Chorus Connection

Host a viral non-event!
Blog by Tori Cook, Chorus Connection

Stream a previously performed concert that you have filmed.

• Invite composers, artist director, soloists, and guest artists to participate in a virtual live “Red Carpet interview” before the concert starts and at intermission
• Post the concert program for download for viewers
• Include a link to your website for donations to support your chorus and make a verbal ask during the live interviews

For more information, visit Streaming Concerts in the GALA Resource Center.

Our friends at Chorus Connection have created an excellent primer on the various forms of possible Federal aid currently available.  Start here if you need an overview: https://blog.chorusconnection.com/new-pandemic-relief-funding-for-your-chorus .  It provides an excellent description of the new programs available under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and includes a FAQ section that answers many of your most likely questions.

Also read our blog post at https://galachoruses.org/blog/federal-relief-options-update-1-23-21/ for a discussion of the interplay between the new round of PPP loans and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants.  Choruses have some difficult decisions to make even though all the information we would like to have is not yet available.

The SBA has issued some initial regulations around the Shuttered Venues Operators Grants (SVOG).

UPDATE (2-16-21): Presenters with volunteer performers, such as choruses, are generally eligible to apply for SVOG .
To quote the SBA, "...provided the events a nonprofit live performing arts organization stages are produced and managed primarily by paid employees, the use of volunteers in the production casts would not disqualify it."

Join GALA chorus leaders for a in-depth discussion of what the COVID-19 pandemic might mean for your chorus and for our future at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqEaRttNu3g.

There are a number of challenges to think through in beginning to address what reopening will look like and how we need to prepare.  The article at https://www.colleendilen.com/category/covid-19-updates/  provides insight regarding perceptions and intentions of our audiences to return to performing arts venues.  Also https://www.audienceoutlookmonitor.com/  provides statistics and interviews on similar topics.