Opera America Conference Report

On Wednesday, May 4th, I attended a day-long seminar entitled "Taking Center Stage With Your Capital Campaign". It was led by Dory Vanderhood of Genovese, Vanderhoof & Associates. Having no prior training in fundraising, I found it very informative. Topics covered included:

• Wealth Identification
• Prospect Management Systems
• Major Gift Programs
• How to Form Capital Campaign Teams
• Stating the Case for Donations

On thing I found especially helpful was Mr. Vanderhood's outline of a Prospect Management System. On a spreadsheet, he keeps track of the following for each person who has had contact with the opera company:

Relationship, Moves and Future Moves, Assignments, and Measures of Potential Gift/Ask.

The different types of relationships are as follows (in more or less chronological order):

1. suspect (anyone who you have come into contact with is a suspect)
   
2. hold (not actively pursuing the prospect for some reason)
   
3. research (find out capacity)
   
4. prospect
   
5. cultivate (develop a relationship and an awareness of and affinity for the organization)
   
6. solicit (ask)
   
7. steward (follow up - thank - continue relationship)
   
8. steward-solicit

He also discussed how he measures a prospect. To be a good prospect, you need: (1) a capacity to give, (2) an affinity for the organization, and (3) a contact that has access to that prospect.

On Thursday, I attended the opening general session in which Toni Morrison was the keynote speaker. She explained her relationship with music, beginning with a musical family (she confided that she was embarrassed when her parents sent her to take piano lessons---because everyone else could already play any instrument they picked up, she thought they were "remedial"). She gave us an overview of her part in the making of Margaret Garner, an opera by Richard Danielpour for which she wrote the libretto. The story is based on the life of a slave, Margaret Garner, whose life inspired Morrison's novel Beloved.

In the afternoon, I took in a break out session led by Carol Weisman, of Board Builders, on motivating and managing volunteer fundraisers. I got some creative tips on how to manage myself!

In the evening, Ford, which was a sponsor of the conference, hosted a cocktail reception at The Henry Ford Museum. I took a picture of a particular car for Mark Zimmerman, though I now have no idea why (maybe he can tell me!). I promise I had only used one of my two drink tickets at the time!

On Friday and Saturday, I attended sessions on:

• Putting the "Special" Back into Special Events
• Development: A Home Town Approach (especially for affiliate members)
• Churches, Bodegas, Community Centers: Making Authentic Connections
• Instituting Institutional Change Through Board Diversity
• Considering Co-Production (especially for affiliate members)