Our Financial Profile
Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre is an all-volunteer organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, charitable/educational organization.
Revenue
Our primary source of revenue is ticket sales. Our theatre holds just over 200 patrons, and an average of 75%-85% of the seats are filled throughout any given season.
Several arts-supporting organizations provide ASGT with grants; among them are the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and the Maryland State Arts Council. Advertisers in our programs and on the back of tickets help pay our way. The combination of these two revenue sources is generally adequate to stage our shows and provide basic maintenance and overhead.
Contingencies, replacements, upgrades and improvement programs require tapping into other revenue sources. ASGT is very grateful for the additional revenue that is generated through three programs: Supporting Cast, Angels and Sponsors. All three are described below.
Expenses
Our expenses fall into three categories:
Production Expenses.
Actors are not paid, nor are backstage personnel, technical support personnel (lighting and sound), and concierge personnel (box office, concessions, ticket takers and ushers). Directors, choreographers and stage managers receive stipends. Music directors and orchestra members also receive stipends, and the frequency of live music and the size of orchestration have been increasing in recent years. Set designers and builders, and costumers and prop coordinators may or may not receive compensation.
Costs for set construction materials, costumes and costume materials, and props are very real, indeed. We are fortunate to be part of a community of non-professional theatres who willingly share props and costumes from time to time at no or very low rental charges. Nevertheless, whether the people providing these services are paid or not, expenses for most shows in all three of these areas are not trivial.
Sound and lighting equipment must bear up under considerably harsher conditions in our outdoor environment. Not only are up-front costs more expensive, but repair and replacement costs are more frequent.
Generally, the single largest production expense is the royalties that we must pay to stage our productions. Virtually no productions in the musical genre are “public domain.” Thus, owners and agents require compensation on a per-performance basis.
When we contract to do a show, we must arrange and pay for the design of our own images for signage, advertising, program covers and the like.
Facility Maintenance Expenses
Despite the fact that we own our property, the costs for maintaining our facility are extensive. Repairs to simply protect and operate the structure in its present state are ongoing and costly. A recent inspection resulted in the outlay of over $4,000 to upgrade fire protection systems to acceptable standards, for example. Old plumbing requires frequent attention. Locks that freeze, steps that weaken, air conditioners that break down, chairs that fail, stage surfaces that wear out under harsh weather conditions and the like are all taken care of. Not much has been done in the past two decades, however, to increase the quality or potential of the facility. Our “capital investments” have been in the theatrical productions themselves. Utility costs are mostly traditional — electric, telephone, water and sewer, trash collection and cleaning.
Business Expenses
Insurance to cover both our building and our liability is a sizeable cost. So, too are the administrative, financial and legal costs of running the business side, advertising, hospitality, storage and rental of meeting and rehearsal space when the weather prevents use of our unheated facility.
Conclusion
As an organization, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre has been in the black for a number of years and intends to stay that way. Perhaps the term “in the black” is confusing when you consider that we are a non-profit educational organization. But we are not obligated to exactly match expenses within a given period to income – only to have all our income directly benefit the purpose of the organization. Perhaps it is better to say that we will continue to raise and spend money to enrich the lives of our audiences, members, donors and volunteers.
In doing so, we have four ongoing concerns:
Can we maintain our standards?
Will we be able to continue to fund to their fullest productions you want to see — and in a safe environment?
Can we reward all of our “donators?”
The volunteers whose donationss of time and effort make ASGT successful — from the person who picks up after audiences leave, to the performers and technicians who work night after night for you, to the dedicated members of the management team — are as important as every penny of cash revenue. To be able to provide an efficient, productive and pleasant environment for them to “work” in is vital to continuity and quality.
Can we preserve our historical franchise?
We have been entrusted with an historic site that deserves as much attention as any other vestige of the heritage of Annapolis.
Can we ensure the future?
Are we able to provide the benefit of the same foundation for those who follow us as we have received from the founders and contributors who preceded us over the last forty-two years?
The answers to these concerns are quite simple. It’s up to US. And it’s up to YOU.
It’s up to US to take care of ASGT and use our best judgment to see that it thrives and survives.
YOU have to judge whether our efforts are worthwhile and, if they are, fund them.
Stage/2
STAGE/2 is ASGT’s ambitious project to Restore, Renovate and Rejuvenate our historic home in Annapolis. Impelled by the critical condition of the building exterior and the inefficiencies of its interior and theatre spaces, we have declared an end to the era of patchwork home improvement. It’s time for a top-to-bottom makeover — an investment that looks at our home as a blank but historical piece of paper and couples our “have-to’s” to our “want-to’s.”
ASGT has begun an aggressive fund solicitation for this effort. Our funding team is seeking funds from many sources: From local, state and federal agencies; from philanthropic organizations; from individual, business and corporate Angels, large and small, public and private.
The price tag for STAGE/2 is approximately equal to the gross receipts from our box office for the next eleven years! In short, ASGT will require both “big money” and the support of the core to succeed. We’re counting on our most avid fans and volunteers to not only donate but to also urge others to do so, either directly or by participating in financial acquisition planning, grant writing and other ancillary skills.
Please visit our Stage/2 page for a full description of the STAGE/2 program, including drawings and a model of the planned results.
The Answer
We are extremely confident that your continued support will assure the continued presentation of ASGT’s Theatre Under The Stars. We are less confident that the continued health and security of our site can survive on the revenue from productions and grants. Thus, we are primarily seeking considerable revenue to fund the STAGE/2 program to ensure that the Summer Garden will remain viable for many years to come. All donations received will be deposited to that account unless you specifically designate the General Fund or other purpose.
Please review our Supporting Cast, Angels and Sponsors sections below to see how you can assure the future of your Summer Garden Theatre through your financial support.
Supporting Cast
| Friend |
$25-$49 |
| Associate | $50-$99 |
| Collaborator | $100-$249 |
| Patron | $250-$499 |
| Benefactor | $500-$999 |
The Supporting Cast is made up of our loyal friends who, in addition to attending performances and/or volunteering, provide supplemental financial support. As a member of the Supporting Cast, you are helping to assure the continuation of our efforts to provide quality community theatre in the heart of Annapolis. Your donation in any amount makes you a member of the Supporting Cast. Unless otherwise earmarked, Supporting Cast donations become a part of the STAGE/2 fund. If you prefer to direct these funds to support annual expense categories — Production, Facility Maintenance and Business Expenses – you may do so. Supporting Cast members donating at any of the suggested levels shown below will have their name published in that year’s seasonal programs and on our website (unless you specifically ask us not to).
You can join the Supporting Cast in two ways:
- By check through the mail. Complete our Donation Form and mail it along with your check to: Supporting Cast, Annapolis Summer Garden Theater, 143 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.
- New—Donate Online! Our alliance with PayPal permits you to donate using your PayPal account or with any major credit card, with very little expense to us. Visit our Donate Page to get started right away.
ASGT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, please keep this in mind when considering your donation level. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. If you are in the position and of a mind to provide support in excess of $1000, please read the Angels section below. THANK YOU!!
Angels
While all financial support serves a similar purpose — maintaining the health and enabling the future of your Summer Garden Theatre – a special title is reserved for our most generous supporters: Angel of the Summer Garden. Donations from Angels fall into two categories:
- Individual (or family) donations that equal or exceed $1,000
- Donations that come from trusts, businesses, foundations, organizations, agencies or other non-individual sources that exceed $1,000 in value
Angel donations may be in numerous forms: cash or equivalents, services, tangible items and the like. A caterer may provide the food for an event. A lumber yard may provide the makings of a set. A contractor may provide building repairs. A long time patron may leave a sum to ASGT in his or her will. An attorney may provide pro-bono contract services.
Donations from Angels are directed to the support of the STAGE/2 Fund. Angels will have specific designations based on the size of their cumulative contribution, and they will not only receive special recognition in our programs and at the theatre but will also receive special surprise benefits from time to time.
Become an Angel of the Summer Garden:
Sponsors
ASGT Sponsors are individuals, commercial organizations or other group resources that agree to give a monetary donation equivalent to the cost of a specific activity. A very generous Sponsor, for example, might underwrite the complete cost of staging one of our annual productions. Another might fund the acquisition of fifty or more new chairs for the House — or the bricks for the courtyard -- when the STAGE/2 program is ready for them. A company may provide the cost of producing tickets for a season. A generous supporter may be willing to underwrite our annual advertising expenses.
There are innumerable opportunities for sponsorship. We will soon make available a list of suggested sponsorship programs at many levels, along with their estimated costs. Meanwhile, if you are interested in discussing this program with us, please send an e-mail to president Carolyn Kirby at pres@summergarden.com. Include your phone number and the best time to call.
We may benefit from your mind as much as your wallet
For the first time, ASGT is facing a huge fund-raising requirement to carry out STAGE/2. While we have some background and are learning on the job, we need to reach out and find people who have been through this experience before and have knowledge of one or more of its complexities.
Capital Fund Raising: Work is already underway in the effort to secure state and local level funding through legislative efforts. We have received pledges of funds from both the State of Maryland and the City of Annapolis. If you have any experience and/or contacts that can enhance this effort, tell us.
Grant Writing: There are two requirements in this effort. The first is identifying organizations that may be willing to donate funds. The second is meeting the requirements to solicit them.
Corporate Giving: Many companies have funds earmarked for charitable purposes. Finding them and earning them are the gist of this challenge.
General Fund Raising: If you have any experience in soliciting funds from the public, through direct mail, e-mail, appearances, etc., you can help.
Event Organization: Getting potential Angels together to discuss the project and present its goals are valuable sources of donation. We are hoping, for example, that regular theater patrons will hold parties in advance of attending an evening’s performance. If you are a “social butterfly,” you can play a part in encouraging this option.
Special Projects: Special projects are as limitless at the imagination, and they serve two worthwhile purposes: fund raising and exposure. The only caveat is that they must have the potential of raising funds in proportion to the effort (and cost) that goes into them.
If you have qualifications in one or more of the areas below – or in another area not mentioned – please contact our president, Carolyn Kirby at pres@summergarden.com. Thank you.
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