The Human Capital Campaign
1. Our Campaign
2. Our Limitations
3. The Staff
4. Your Role
Our Campaign
As you may know, a capital campaign refers to the “bricks and mortar” that are needed to build a space for a company. Because our “bricks and mortar” are our general operations staff who have tirelessly worked to create a solid administrative base for our artists to jump from, we are introducing a “Human Capital Campaign” to raise funds to support them. For ten years Collaboraction has shaken up the theatre scene in Chicago by the shear determination of it’s artists, friends and allies, but now, as we step into our second decade, we’re looking to take our efforts to the next level.
The next ten year’s for Collaboraction will be a time of major change and growth and the first step in that process is to hire more full time staff members. Currently, the organization is existing with one full time administrator and four part time employees who consistently go above and beyond to make sure the company has the support that it needs to grow. The talents and commitment from these individuals is extraordinary, but without the funds to properly and respectfully give these individuals their due, Collaboraction will not be able to flourish and continue it’s rapid pace of growth. Also, it is our hope that the acquisition of a full-time, experienced executive director and/or director of development would create a snowball effect. They would be able to dedicate more time to the administrative end of raising funds, and raising awareness of our unique company.
It is with the artists’ best interests in mind that we launch our Human Capital Campaign. A solid foundation built by a strong staff of full-time personnel would mean that our artists would be able to spend more time doing what they do best: creating more programs, producing more dynamic events, and staging more powerful productions. With the support of a full-time staff, Collaboraction could have the artistic freedom to produce more truly exceptional and moving art.
For ten years, Collaboraction has developed a reputation for innovation and professionalism that is uncommon in other theatres of its same size. Our distinctive brand of design and creative force has attracted some of the best talent the city and nation have to offer. With your help, the next ten years can build on this tradition and expand it to new heights. We respectfully and gratefully invite you to consider being a part of this special initiative by pledging a gift to Collaboraction.
Our Limitations
Even with our present needs, it is worth noting that Collaboraction has made tremendous strides for a theatre of its size. The year is only half over and it has been a whirlwind for Collaboraction. The Mid-West premiere of Rolin Jones' The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow ran for a successful 16 weeks and Collaboraction's 7th Annual Sketchbook Festival shared 16 world premiere short plays with you at THe Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Theater. Coming soon we have our annual fundraiser, Beggar's Banquet at The Park West.
While we feel that our company has many successes to be proud of, our main setback keeping us from realizing our full potential is that we only have one full-time staff member, and not enough funds to make any other staff members full-time. Each of our part-time staff members are incredibly gifted arts administrators, but the following list represents just some of the obstacles they face on a daily basis:
- The part-time nature of their employment means that they must continue to keep secondary part-time employment. This not only limits the flexibility of their schedules, it often limits the amount of progressive work and planning needed to create growth.
- Limited time in the office means that many projects and initiatives must be restricted in order to fully realize the potential of our top priority projects. This not only stifles the creative impulses of our administrative base but again can hinder future growth.
- The incredible task of running a developing company and balancing day jobs often leads to “burn-out” and over time can increase our employee turn-over rates.
- We believe that our general operations team members are so talented that without the ability to compensate them competitively, we will quickly lose them again hindering growth and creating a high turn-over.
The New Staff
Currently our staff consists of:
- Executive Director—For the past ten year’s our Artistic Director has also served as our Executive Director.
- Controller
- General Operations Manager
- Development Coordinator
- Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator
- Grants Manager
We not only would like to make all of these positions full-time, but would like to add a Director of Development, and separate the Artistic Director duties from the Executive Director duties thus adding two new positions to be filled. A major goal of our campaign is to be able to afford hiring a seasoned Executive Director and Director of Development to usher in and lead a new decade of professionalism and expansion for Collaboraction.
The Importance of Expedience
Collaboraction has found it’s self in the enviable position of having a wonderful pool of diverse and capable staff members. Now is the time to expand their involvement while at the same time rewarding their determination. Below is a list of how acting now and fulfilling our campaign will benefit not only Collaboraction but the entire community of artists they help to foster:
- Greater Flexibility—Not only will our artistic staff be able to spend more time producing more work, but our general operations staff will also be able to spend more time implementing new initiatives. The company will have the room to tackle obstacles while at the same time reaching new creative heights.
- Expanding our Audience— Our core audience is made up of mature theatre patrons as well as youthful, recent members who would not typically go to the theatre. It is our dynamic approach to producing that inspires them to often make their first trip. Again, it is only with a full-time staff that we will be able to continue bringing our audiences the latest innovations to the theatrical arts.
- Enhancing the Chicago Cultural Climate—Inspiring new theatre goers is a responsibility that Collaboraction takes very seriously. By creating an atmosphere of artistic expression and inclusion we are able to reach those that traditional theatres are not able to reach. It is our ultimate goal to continue this tradition and expand it by developing new programs as well.
In the End
Collaboraction has embarked on a courageous journey; to raise $100,000 over the next fiscal year. Already, we have raised $11,100 through our board and close donors. We are now reaching out to the community to raise the remaining $88,900 towards the goal of our campaign. With the first 10% we were able to increase the stipends of our employees and it is our commitment to go further upon the completion of the goal. At 50% of our goal we would feel ready to move three of our positions to full time. At 75% we can transition all of our positions to full time. And finally, at 100%, which we hope to reach by next October, we hope to be introducing our new Executive Director as well as Development Director.
Your Role
It is our hope that you will join us on this endeavor by supporting our Human Capital Campaign. Your pledge will be seen as your commitment to a diversity of artistic communities as well as a commitment to those that work behind the scenes to make Chicago an important cultural force. For ten years Collaboraction has fought to become one of the most industrious members of the Chicago theatre community, and hopefully, with your help, in the next ten we’ll continue to build on that tradition.
