Feeling Appreciated

Last month, a surprising email landed in my inbox. It read, in part:

As the year comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on the incredible community that sustains our work—and as a Subscriber, you have been an essential part of that story.

We’d like to personally invite you to our State of DTC Luncheon taking place on Wednesday, January 14th at 12pm where supporters, artists, and theater leadership will come together for an inside look at what’s ahead in the new year. It’s a pivotal time for DTC and your presence would mean a great deal to us. 

Though I’m a long-time season ticket holder of the Dallas Theater Center, I’m not a donor. But I was very curious, both as a fan of DTC and as a consultant. I checked my calendar and RSVP’d.

The event was structured incredibly well. Some details that might be worth noting for your own cultivation events:

• Reminder email about a week before the event with parking instructions and a note to let them know about any dietary restrictions.
• Casual check-in—one staff member checked me off the list, another took care of the parking validation.
• Assigned seating. I knew there was a chance I’d know someone, but there was an equal chance I wouldn’t. Assigned seats made the awkwardness of “where do I sit? I don’t know anyone and maybe they all know each other” so much easier to navigate. It seemed that very few folks knew many people there, so it was also easier to get conversations going with fellow patrons.
• Small event—just 6 tables of 8. It felt intimate and personal.
• Staff, board members, and actors assigned a spot at a table. At my table was Bob Hess, a member of the resident acting company. We ended up having a delightful conversation.
• Leisurely pace that still ended on time! The board chair welcomed us around 12:15. We had plenty of time to eat, and then the executive director spoke. There was an optional tour of the behind-the-scenes spaces that started around 1:15. Guests had options to stay and visit, join the tour, or exit. Everyone was told that there was no hard stop time, but I was walking to my car right around 1:30 after visiting with a few people.
• The ED, Kevin Moriarty, gave the usual remarks—what’s ahead this season, successes from last year, some words from the resident playwright, and information on the new artistic director arriving later this year. But he did two things that really stood out. He started by asking us to name a favorite play from the last few years. This action lightened the room and brought joy in. We didn’t all share, but enough people shared and there was that collective head nodding when a favorite was mentioned. It also highlighted the length of time some folks had been involved—some favorites went back decades! (And if that’s not a testament to the quality of the shows that DTC does, I don’t know what is.) He also left plenty of time for questions. Because he started his remarks by asking us something, there weren’t any awkward pauses when it came time for guests to speak up. In addition, I think this level of interaction during his remarks led to more people visiting afterwards, and not just with people at their own tables. That shared connection of a play was enough to spark a conversation.
• No fundraising ask. Though it was very clear that there are financial challenges (the budget is essentially half of what it was in 2019.), this was an appreciation event. And it seemed that I wasn’t the only one that was surprised to get such an invitation. During the Q&A, someone asked: “How did I get invited? And how do I make sure I’m on the list next year?” Kevin didn’t exactly answer the question. I later asked fundraising staff a similar question and didn’t get a straight answer. My guess is that the list was made up of people that are loyal patrons but not donors. I hadn’t ever really thought about how long I’ve been a subscriber until yesterday—it’s just something I do because I enjoy it so much. But I subscribed just after becoming an executive director, so it’s been over a decade.
• Follow-up. There was a “Year in Review” email in my inbox this morning. I’m sure there will be some kind of ask in the next few weeks, and it will be one that I consider differently.

For those of you that are clients, how much of this sounds familiar? We’ve talked about some of these tactics before, haven’t we? Some things to think about as you consider implementing some of these ideas:

• Loyalty matters! This is why I encourage combining lists from programming, membership, and donations. Don’t silo your supporters—if they’re faithful in one category, they’ll likely become faithful in another. But only if you ask!
• At every program or event, create opportunities for people to make connections with each other. Start with your organization—everyone has that in common! Ensuring it’s welcoming at multiple levels increases the likelihood of people attending future events.
• Don’t do all the talking. Encourage participation and conversation. It can be as simple as “what was the favorite experience you had with us?” (Bonus: this is a great way to know what sticks in people’s minds!)

As I walked to my car yesterday, I knew a few things: I was excited about the upcoming season. I was glad to be a part of DTC’s recent history. And I’m probably going to become a donor in the near future. Don’t you want that from your supporters too?