After a terrific ten-year run, the Fairfield Theatre Company faced a cash crisis. ATG was brought in to assess the situation and devise options to address the immediate needs, including how to reposition the organization for long-term success. The process was a critical component of the solution because buy-in by the team was essential. Making them part of the process went a long way in getting at practical ideas that would achieve meaningful impact.
In the assessment phase, I met with each board member and key management and staff to go beyond the numbers. The objective was to understand the depth and breadth of the challenges as well as solicit ideas in terms of a pathway forward. I also embedded myself into the organization for a period of time to get a sense of what was working and what wasn’t.
We examined all aspects of the Theatre from operations, programming, and marketing, to board governance and responsibilities. A strategic plan was created with a subcommittee of board members and the Executive Director. A game-plan and pathway forward was agreed upon and the organization was able to implement it successfully. Not only are their days of being in danger of running out of cash on a weekly basis long-gone, they’ve had two successful capital campaigns to expand their facility. Today FTC is more vital than ever.