TRU Producer Boot Camp: Raising Money for Theater: How, Who and When to Ask January 29, 2012

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the TRU Producer Boot Camp
Raising Money for Theater: How, Who and When to Ask. The all-day intensive workshop will focus on many crucial aspects of raising money for theater. The workshop will take place on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 10am to 6pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street, NYC. The cost is $175 with a $25 discount for TRU members or individuals who register before January 21, 2012. For an application and payment details, please visit http://www.truonline.org/BootCampMoney12.htm.

Faculty this year will include legendary producer Ben Sprecher (Rebecca, Sly Fox, Three Tall Women, Fortune's Fool, Lisbon Traviata, The Shape of Things, Moon for the Misbegotten revival), Cheryl Wiesenfeld (Porgy & Bess, Play Dead, A Steady Rain, Legally Blonde, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty), Patrick Blake (The Exonerated, Play Dead), Van Dean and Kenny Howard co-founders of the producing company the Broadway Consortium (Ch’ing•lish, Bonnie & Clyde, Porgy & Bess, upcoming Evita); plus attorneys LisaRoxanne Walters and Erach Screwvala, international fundraising consultant Laura Fredricks; financial advisor Bailie Slevin; and accountant Dave Spaulding.
SCHEDULE (subject to change)
Sunday, January 29, 2012
10:00 to 10:45 - "Commercial and Not-for-Profit Asks: Defining the Differences" - with attorney LisaRoxanne Walters. We will define terms, then focus on the not-for-profit side: the legal paperwork and structure that is necessary in order to ask for donations, and the responsibilities to your donors, plus the ways in which not-for-profits and commercial companies can work together.

10:45 to 11:30 - "Commercial Financing: Formalizing Your Ask" - with entertainment attorney Erach Screwvala. The required paperwork and structures at every level of development, from front money agreements to private placement to Federal filings. And the limitations placed on asking. NOTE: TRU Accountant Dave Spaulding of Janover LLC will be on hand to discuss and explain any tax or accounting issues that come up during the two legal presentations.
11:45 to 12:30pm - "How To Present Yourself to Investors"- with financial adviser Bailie Slevin. We will take a look at a basic money raising pitch both from your side and the investor’s side, learning how to speak the same financial language, exploring how to best communicate your proposal to your target audience.

12:30 to 1:15 - "How to Make Your Best Pitch: Asking Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose" - with international fundraising consultant Laura Fredricks. GETTING the money is what it is all about but HOW you go about the process makes all the difference. It takes simplicity, focus, structure, organization, and follow through to make it happen. This section will concentrate on "winning language" and "successful steps" to get the support for your creative projects.
2:00 - 3:00 - "The Care and Feeding of Investors: Identifying, Cultivating, Maintaining Them" - producer Ben Sprecher 

3:00 -3:30 – “Crowdsourcing and Social Media Tools” 

 


3:45-4:30 - "Building Your Portfolio," with producers Van Dean (Rooms, Catch Me If You Can)) and Kenny Howard of The Broadway Consortium (Ching•lish, Bonnie& Clyde, Porgy & Bess, Evita). Presentation includes an interesting new investment model for theater.
4:30-5:30 - "How to Bring Partners to the Table" with producer teams Cheryl Wiesenfeld (Porgy & Bess, A Steady Rain, Play Dead, Legally Blonde, The Exonerated, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty) and Patrick Blake (The Exonerated, In the Continuum, Play Dead); Van Dean and Kenny Howard; others tba.
5:30-7pm - RECEPTION

Curriculum is subject to change.

TRU was founded in 1992 to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theater community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the business capability of producing organizations, individual producers, self-producing artists and other theater professionals. The company holds monthly seminars on a wide range of subjects important to theatrical producers and artistic directors conducted by panels of experts from both the commercial and not-for-profit segments of Broadway, Off-Broadway and the motion picture industry. TRU also publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions. In 2001, TRU began giving annual scholarships to The Commercial Theater Institute to encourage the development of aspiring producers, created a Producer Development & Mentorship Program whose mentors are among the most prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop the business skills they need.

In addition, TRU presents the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and the TRU VOICES Annual New Musicals Reading Series. These are new works series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings to nurture new works as well as new producers for theater. In March ‘08, TRU was associate producer of its first Equity showcase, Missives at 59E59 Theatre, a play that was developed in the 2006 TRU reading series. TRU programs for actors include an Annual Audition Event; and TRU partners with Weist-Barron Studios to offer quarterly Resource Nights and “Speed Dating” as well as free monthly actor workshops. The next Resource Night is scheduled for Friday January 27th. Actors may inquire about this and other actor programs by contacting Jaye Maynard at [email protected]

Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as generous support from the Friar’s National Foundation Association.

For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org or call 212-714-7628.

Official Website: http://www.truonline.org/BootCampMoney12.htm