This document summarizes BooTown's experience in a pre-incubator program from February 2012 to January 2013. It outlines their goals of improving board development, organization, fundraising and administrative systems. Through the program, BooTown established financial and administrative systems, improved board involvement, and developed a marketing committee. They were awarded $6,000 which supported stipends for artistic directors and a courier for marketing materials. BooTown aims to continue growing their budget, board, and outreach programs in the future.

1. Program Term:
02/2012 – 1/2013
Contact:
Emily Hynds
Co-Artistic Director
emily@bootown.org
832-541-2861
www.bootown.org
Pre-Incubator Program

2. Participant Profile:
“BooTown creates original performance events that combine the traditions of
theatre and performance art with modern interdisciplinary methods.”
• Incorporated in 06/2007
• 2012 operating budget = $20,000
• Number of Board Members = 8
• Main challenges we faced prior to the Program:
• Board Development
• Board Organization
• Fundraising
• Weak administrative systems
Enters the Pre-Incubator Program on Feb 2012

3. Outcomes Summary
What difference did the Pre-Incubator Program make?
• Administrative systems and financial schedules in
place, such as staff duties, time sheets, etc.
• Board more fully understands their duties and
participates where appropriate. Board president
runs each meeting efficiently and appropriate
documents are distributed at each meeting, such
as updated P&L reports, a quarterly company
update, minutes from the last meeting, etc.. The
Board President acts as liason between the
Artistic Directors and the Board. Board Binders
have been built and distributed to each Board
Member
• Instituted a Marketing Committee of the Board,
which has been instrumental in implementation
of existing systems and brainstorming new ideas.
We are also in the process of going through a re-
brand exercise, something we could not have
done prior. We are producing a zine of the best of
“Grown-up Storytime,” a theory that has been
around for years but is just now becoming a
reality.
• Baby steps towards creating an outreach program
built around the Grown-up Storytime series

4. Use of Funds
Awarded $6000 towards administrative & programmatic expenses including stipends for
both Co-Artistic Directors and payment for a courier to deliver print material (marketing).
Description Amount Type
Co-Artistic Director $2,350.00 Admin
Stipend
Co-Artistic Director
$2,350.00 Admin
Stipend
Courier $1,300.00 Program
Because of these funding investments we
were able to hire a courier to distribute all of
our print material, which previously had been
the job of the Artistic Directors.
The Cast of Mijo, February 2012
We were also able to pay the AD’s a larger
stipend, enabling them to focus more time on
fundraising, researching on outreach
program, and duties related to programming.

5. Financial Trend
$30,000
$25,000
Operating Budget
$20,250
$20,000
$10,955
$15,000
$10,490
$10,000
$5,000
Actual Projected
$0
FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015
Revenue Expenses Linear (Revenue) Linear (Expenses)

6. Keys to Success
• Setting up our accounting system
(Quickbooks) prior to entering the program,
or just as we entered, was crucial. Since we
already had that going we were able to focus
on other areas, such as Board Development,
that we were very weak on.
• We attended every workshop and learning
session possible, even the non-mandatory
ones. You never know when someone might
say something useful.
• After each one-on-one, workshop, lecture or
learning session, Co-Artistic Director Emily
Hynds made it a point to immediately discuss
the material covered with Co-Artistic
Director Lindsay Burleson or one of the very
active Board Members so that we could
ascertain what our potential take-aways from
each could be. This helped spread the
knowledge beyond one person and “make it
real,” so it wasn’t just Emily attending
meetings and then potentially forgetting
everything that was presented.

7. Lessons Learned
• What were your course corrections?
We should have made better friends with
our cohorts in the Pre-Incubator
program. It’s hard when we are all so
busy, but I wish that we had made more
of an effort to attend our colleagues
events. Networking!
• Do you have significant findings from
within your organizational structure that
might be applicable to or advice for future
Pre-Incubators developing their capacity?
Diversify! Diversify your board (so that
they can help you across a broad
spectrum), diversify your fundraising
strategies (so you don’t rely on just one Co-Artistic Director Lindsay Burleson directs
thing). Also, get that Quickbooks done. It River Bottom Rules, June 2012.
makes reporting SO MUCH easier and
then you can focus on other things.

8. Summary of Future Plans
• Up next for BooTown this coming season
regarding programming and
infrastructure: pilot outreach program
(March 2013), first edition of GUST Best Insert photo 6
Of Zine (June 2013), addition of online
ticketing service (spring 2013), expanded
Board of Directors, start of a capital
fundraising campaign, completion of
Brand exercise.
• Future targets: Full scale Outreach
Program (create team, goals, and meet
regularly to update), create a
comprehensive Marketing Plan once
Brand Exercise has been completed
(utilize experience of Marketing
Committee), increase operating budget to
$50,000 by diversifying fundraising
(focusing on even revenue, grants, and
individual donors), grow Board of
Directors to 11 members.
Puppet works-in-progress for Love in
the Time of Lasers, running through
February 9, 2013)

9. Haiku
Some days, it’s no fun.
Let’s be honest, okay guys?
Worth it, we promise.
Sarah Haghpeykar reading at GUST in
March, 2009