1. Participant:
Insert photo 1
Program Term:
02/2012 – 1/2013
Contact:
Jennifer Decker
Executive Artistic Director
mildredsumbrella@hotmail.com
832-418-0973
www.mildredsumbrella.com
Pre-Incubator Program

2. Participant Profile:
“Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company seeks to challenge both audiences and theatre artists
by creating and performing bold, innovative and new theatrical works grounded in the best
traditions of the dramatic arts.
• Incorporated in 02/2004
• 2012 operating budget = $50,000
• Number of Board Members = 10
• Main challenges we faced prior to the Program:
• Board did not know how to be effective
• Budget was growing far too slowly
• No funds to pay executive director
• Executive director did not know how to effectively delegate
Enters the Pre-Incubator Program on Feb 2012

3. Outcomes Summary
What difference did the Pre-Incubator program make?
• Three new board members added, A new Dead Man’s Cell Phone, 2012
president, vice president, treasurer and
secretary appointed.
• Board committees created: Strategic
planning, marketing and events , financial
and development.
• Board books refined and polished and given
to all members
• The financial books transferred from the
Executive Artistic Director to the treasurer
• New financial policies put into place- internal
controls developed
• Marketing exchanges/project collaborations
with three other companies.

4. Use of Funds
Awarded $6000 towards administrative and/or programmatic expenses including contract
staff (part-time Executive Director & Technical Director), artist honorarium, & facility rental.
Large Animal Games, 2012
Description Amount Type
Executive director
2000.00 Admin.
pay
Artist pay 2599.00 Program
Venue rent 1401.00 Admin
• Our 30-50 hour per week Executive director
was able to be paid, allowing her to focus
more on the company
• We were able to use two professional actors
in our production, as well as paying all of
the artists a stipend.
• We offset our venue rental for one month,
allowing us to elevate our production values
in our programming.

5. Financial Trend
$80,000
$70,000
Operating Budget
$60,000
$50,000
$50,000
$42,000
$40,000
$31,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
Actual Projected
$0
FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015
Revenue Expenses Linear (Revenue) Linear (Expenses)

6. Keys to Success
Museum of Dysfunction 2012
• The board has become more enthusiastic
and effective. The members started
taking on responsibilities and ownership,
so the executive/artistic director was no
longer leading the board.
• Fundraising and marketing plans are
beginning to form. Our fundraising gala is
taking shape months in advance, and a
marketing plan has been sketched, and
the board and staff are beginning to
implement the new plan in time to
announce our 2013 season (which begins
in July).
• As primary contact, I have learned that
the new version of my board is useful and
capable, and I have felt comfortable
delegating responsibility to them, making
our company more productive, as well as
stronger administratively.

7. Lessons Learned
– One thing to learn from this is that when
you are taking on a project that focuses
on administration, you must have a team
of people helping with the project from Kimberly Akimbo, 2012
the beginning, particularly if the primary
person involved is also dealing with all of
the programming. At first, our team was
not as involved as it could be, but as we
progressed, we started working together
to make all of the improvements happen
on schedule.
– If everyone is willing to be open to new
ways of running the organization, there
will be improvement in the structure. We
learned a lot about what type of person
needs to lead, and how to decide within
the structure of the organization what the
strengths of each board and staff member
are, and how they can do their part to
keep things progressing forward. Also, we
learned what strengths to look for in new
people that we want to bring into the
organization to continue our progress.

8. Summary of Future Plans
• Increased revenue - We plan to increase revenue
generated through fundraising, our annual gala, and
ticket sales. Future fundraisers will be strategically
developed jointly by the board committees. Ticket sales
will also contribute to additional revenue through
increased attendance from marketing efforts and a
marginal increase in ticket prices. Budget increase of 15%.
• Effective board involvement - Board members will have a
more effective involvement through the use of setting
achievable goals for the board as a whole, for each
individual, and for each of the newly created committees.
• Staff - Ensure that no one is overworked by discussing
any workload issues with the board and developing a
solid volunteer base by maintaining and updating a
dedicated email and phone list of volunteers. Increase in
artist pay.
• Fundraising –
Monster Mash Gala: Continue to maximize the
effectiveness of our Annual Gala. Establish co-chairs for
the event early on and invite a host committee to commit
to the event both monetarily and in name. Build a
fundraising pyramid for the event and assign each board
member to a role in that pyramid (ie: silent auction
solicitation, single ticket sales, corporate underwriting,
etc.) Monster Mash Gala , 2012
• Keep the Umbrella Open Campaign: Launch a monthly
online giving campaign and create special activities and
viewing parties to cultivate this group of loyal monthly
supporters. This gives Mildred’s a opportunity for a
guaranteed monthly revenue stream and the beginnings
of a base of a donor group.

9. Haiku
Large Animal Games, 2012
Our search for guidance
led to the incubator
with Jerome and Phil.
The work has begun
Time has been spent to improve.
The future is ours.
The Haiku was hard.
I would have done better with
A Limerick, though.