Building your Board of Directors
Don Nguyen - Written for PerformanceOmaha.com

If your theatre or organization is incorporated in the state of Nebraska, then it’s most than likely that you will need to establish a board of directors. Although the executive director and the administrative staff, if there are any of these, are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the theatre, the board of directors is responsible for the overall direction of the theatre.

This article will focus on the experiences I had at the Shelterbelt Theatre in choosing and implementing board members. (For those who don’t know - The Shelterbelt is a small 55-seat, nonprofit theatre. It was started 10 years ago by four UNO theatre students who wanted to establish a place where theatre artists could practice their craft in a small, intimate and safe space.)

Getting Started
When the Shelterbelt board was implemented, the theatre was about 10 years old. As its volunteer base started to grow, I noticed a few standouts, people who were truly enthusiastic about working at the theatre and helping in any way they could. There's an old saying that I live by, "One man with a belief is more powerful than 1,000 people with mere interests." Find the people that believe in what your theatre is doing, and you will be off to a very good start.

Choosing the right people
It was important to me to choose the right people for the board. This may sound obvious, but many boards fail because they have the wrong people on them. (Even though you think you have the right people.) This brings up the question of whether you should have an inside board or an outside board.

Inside or Outside?
An inside board is made up of family, friends and contacts you trust. An outside board is made up of people you recruit based on the skills you need to expand your organization. I believe the Shelterbelt has a good mixture of both.

Keep your board diverse
I also wanted board members who would diversify the theatre. Just like a good stock portfolio, bringing in board members that are diversified in different areas of theatre and business is important.

Build the initial working board
Again, your board of directors should be chosen from your most productive and enthusiastic volunteers. Since theatre is a collaborative art, you want to call on those candidates who are willing to collaborate, bring in new and fresh ideas, and roll up their sleeves when necessary. The Shelterbelt board also serves as the production staff, and each member is responsible for performing key tasks involved in any given production.

Below, you will find how the Shelterbelt’s board of directors is structured. The way you structure your own board will depend on you and your organization. It probably will differ from what we’ve come up with.

President/Executive Director
Joe Basque – a lawyer … but don't hold that against him, was chosen as our executive director. His diplomacy and organizational skills are crucial in operating the theatre on a day-to-day basis. Joe also writes plays and received a Theatre Arts Guild award for Outstanding New Script for his full-length play Ping Pong Diplomacy, which we staged May 2003.

Vice President/Secretary
D. Laureen Pickle has a lot of theatre and music experience and, in the past, has served on other theatre boards. She gives private voice lessons and teaches voice and music history at Creighton University.

Treasurer
Jan Reardon is a finance guru who loves to do the books. She is organized and has a keen sense of numbers. In the past, Jan served as president of the Theatre Arts Guild’s board. She also acts and directs in local productions.

Director of Marketing and Publicity
One of the necessary elements to having a successful theatre company is getting free publicity. This is one of the many reasons why we invited Tim Kaldahl to the board to serve as our marketing and PR director. Tim works as a professional in public relations and has strong contacts in all areas of the media. He also writes plays and has won several Theatre Arts Guild awards for his writing.

Associate Artistic Director
Daena Schweiger was appointed as the Shelterbelt’s associate artistic director, because of her experience in theatre, and more importantly, because she laughs at all of my jokes. Daena and I went through the same university theatre program, so I believe that our similar backgrounds in theatre training help us in our quest to make the Shelterbelt artistically innovative. Daena also acts, directs and writes plays. She received a Theatre Arts Guild award for Outstanding New Script for her full-length Love is Strange.

Technical Director
John Carlson is experienced in technical theatre and has a degree in stage makeup! Can you believe it? When John was working at the Hole In the Wall Theatre in New Britain, Conn., he tore a hole in the roof of the theatre for a production of Angels In America. When I found this out, I knew he had to serve as our technical director. John also does some acting and directing.

Board member/Resident Sound Designer
Dave Podendorf has many years of experience in theatre and, in the past, served on other theatre boards. Dave's knowledge of sound design is crucial for helping us present a quality production. Sound is definitely underrated, but for a small theatre, very important.

Bar Manager/Lord of Fire
Jay Hannah is our bar manager and light board operator. Jay puts in many hours during the course of any given tech week, helping us to build and paint a set, running errands, and letting us use his truck.

Box Office Manager/House Manager
Debbie Zadina is our box office and house manager. Debbie is great with numbers and very personable, which is why she was a great candidate to manage the "front of house" operations. Debbie does an outstanding job of managing this area of our organization. Debbie is in the graduate program at Creighton University where her focus is on accounting for nonprofit organizations. In her spare time, Debbie also does some acting at local theatres.

• Do the paperwork
  After you've identified and established your board members, there are some essential items that need to be completed.
• Draft bylaws. Bylaws are the operating rules of the organization and should be drafted and approved by the board early in the organization's development.
• Develop a strategic plan. The strategic planning process helps you to express a vision of the organization's potential. Outline the steps that are necessary to work toward that potential and determine the staffing that is needed to help you implement the plan. Establish program and operational priorities for at least one year.
  
• Develop a budget. Developing a budget is a critical responsibility of the board. You should have a budget for each production in your current and upcoming season, as well as a budget for administrative expenses. If you own a building, then you will have to budget for building and facility items.
  
• Establish a record-keeping system for the organization's official records. Corporate documents, board meeting minutes, financial reports, and other official records must be preserved for the life of the organization. The Shelterbelt stores and publishes our important documents online. This provides our board members with easy access and by having them online, these records are kept secure and fireproof.
  
• Establish a box office system. For any theatre this will be your bread and butter, because this is where money comes into your organization. An inefficient box office system can become a very expensive mistake, not only from a financial standpoint but also from a customer standpoint. Your box office is a reflection of what state your organization is in. It also is the only time your customers truly see the operational side of your theatre organization before they take their seats. You want to make a good impression here.
  
  Develop your board for the next phase
  Once you've established a working board with a proven track record, your next step is to move this into a governing board. At this point, the governing board will focus on making long-term decisions and carrying out organizational tasks that ensure the longevity of the theatre.

Because there was so little time - is there ever really enough time in theater - the Shelterbelt board had to adopt a split personality and, thus, perform the functions of a working board and a governing board in tandem. Not only did we work to get each production off the ground, but we also re-wrote outdated bylaws, established an overall company policy, updated our strategic plan, acquired our liquor license, created relationships with our distributors, and implemented a firm business infrastructure that included the formation of committees and the Internet, so we could run our organization more efficiently.

Conclusion
Building a board takes a lot of work and careful planning. Choosing the right people will go a long way in guaranteeing that your organization lasts a long time. Theatres come and go and the downfall of most can be attributed to a variety of factors, but the success of a few theatres can be attributed to one common element - a strong, healthy organization. And it is this element that your board of directors will contribute the most to.