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Job Descriptions - IV. Standing Committees Twin Cities Show Chorus - Content Update: 5/29/05
WAYS AND MEANS Current Ways & Means Projects
  1. Plan and attend to the details of projects to increase the chapter treasury by the amount stated on the annual budget.
  2. Maintain an accurate record of all projects, itemizing all income and expenses.
  3. Routinely report to the chorus on every fund-raising project, recording the same in the Special Projects book.
  4. Collaborate with other Special Event Chairs (Style Show, Music Schools, and Regional Meetings) for role and responsibilities.
More About the Chorus Budget + Ways 'N' Means
The TC Budget is only available to the chorus membership. Contact our current Treasurer or any member of the Twin Cities Board should you need this information for any reason.

The Twin Cities Chorus is a member of Sweet Adelines International which is a non-profit educational organization and files income tax as such.

Besides our member dues, our income is derived from shows, performances, and various fundraising projects. This income is utilized to purchase costumes, music arrangements, coaching, director education and expenses, risers, the rehearsal hall and other miscellaneous running expenses. A certain percentage is utilized to offer musical scholarships, several special community projects the chorus deems worthy and appropriate.

FUNDRAISERS

All ideas for fundraisers are important and welcome. The goal is to make roughly $100 per member over and above chapter dues income. Some members pay other members to have their costumes sewn or the beadwork done. Some have done taste testing, given plasma, or, when there's a boutique, they contribute a craft, or some just write a check. It's up to the individual.

IT ALL ADDS TO THE WAYS AND MEANS POT!

The "$100 Project" -- At the beginning of each year (May 1), the Board of Directors develops a budget. In that budget they itemize all the expenses of the chorus. They come up with a total. This includes music, coaches, paying our director and much more (if you want to know specifically what we spend, contact a member of the Board). They then estimate how much income will likely come from dues, shows, and performances. The balance of those expenses, after all possible income sources are identified, is given to the "Ways and Means" committee to make up the deficiency.

RATHER THAN RAISE THE CHORUS DUES, we try to come up with projects and develop ways to come up with the needed income. This became the $100 project one year when $8000 was needed and we had approximately 80 active members. Thus, we had to figure out how to earn approximately $100-a-member. Below are listed some of our current fund-raisers. You don't have to participate, but we encourage you to contribute your $100 worth in some way if at all possible. The projects are usually designated to pay for a specific thing - like costumes, or the chorus breakfast at competition, but usually something the chorus needs as a whole.
Current Projects Auction
Scrips 		Cookie Sale
Book Sale
Garage Sale 		CD-"Celebration"
CD- "Gotta Sing!"
Car Window Decals

A Garage Sale has been a regular annual event and has been quite successful. It's a great way to clean the house and get rid of things we don't need without taxing the pocket of only chorus members.

An Live/Silent Auction has also become an annual event as it has grown bigger every year. Many have contributed, shared in the fun and purchased items at the auction. We invite our friends and neighbors, get contributions and donations from local businesses and our own membership. It begins with the silent auction, occasionally a luncheon is provided for a small fee. We then finish the silent auction bidding and distribute the items and move on to the live auction. This has become a lively, entertaining and exciting event. Some of the items are not only FUN, but useful and appreciated as well. "Theme" baskets have been a very popular item, an overnight stay at a summer cabin, a house-cleaning or window washing, or just about anything and everything has been offered up for our bids. Our quartets often auction off a performance. And, often, there's a couple of raffle items as well. Watch for fliers nearer to the event and participate to the fullest in this fun event.

The Cookie Sale idea is another provided by various members. It often provides some members with a much wider variety of holiday baking goodies than they would normally have.

The Book Sale has become a "fill-in" fundraiser after coaching sessions or special rehearsals that allows members to buy books from other members.

We still sell the 3.5" Sweet Adelines window stickee. They are $1 each. Check with or Sue White sue.white@fastsigns.com to obtain them. When they're gone, they're gone. We also have a diamond-shaped "CAUTION: Driver Singing" window decal.

Our Chorus CD "Celebration!" is another good item which we still have a few left from 1997. And our latest CD -"GOTTA SING!" made in 2003 is also available for sale. There is a "preliminary" shorter version of the Gotta Sing CD that our PR committee uses to send out as demos for performance prospecting, but it may also be sold by the membership.

Our next SCRIP offering will be for Valentines Day. We are giving you two flyers so you can share with a friend. We have listed the businesses that give us the best percentage hoping that some of them are your favorites. These businesses give us at least 10% but most are more than that. We will give other offerings later. If you're going to spend the money anyway, why not through the chorus. It is an easy way for you to help without spending EXTRA.

Some members do sewing for other members, taste testing is an option, and some just write a check. How about babysitting for a chorus member. They would be happy to pay you!

All ideas for fund-raisers are welcomed. Just let our Ways and Means chair know if you come up with an idea.

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