Strategic plan 2022-2023

STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-2023

Florida Dance Theatre inspires life-changing interactions through unparalleled performance experiences, professional training, and accessible community outreach.

In 2022, Florida Dance Theatre underwent a comprehensive strategic planning process under the guidance of Shane Jewell, a nonprofit consultant with over 20 years of arts administration and management experience. Shane is the former Executive Director for Oklahoma City Ballet, Orlando Ballet and is the current General Manager of Gibney Dance Company in NYC, operating a 7.6 million dollar annual budget.

As part of this process, 2 parent open forums were held, as well as multiple surveys sent out to create a SWOT analysis.

Leadership also met with various community leaders within Polk County to

discuss the future of FDT and it's role within our community.

This strategic plan extends through the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026-2027 and includes the 30th Anniversary Celebration as well as a restructuring of the organization to address a long running history of organizational difficulties.

It is understood that the timelines indicated are for guidance and may need to be adjusted to accommodate unforeseen happenings and board/staff capacity.

This plan has been updated as part of the mid-year process.

2022-2023 Key Goals

Strong Board

Florida Dance Theatre will have a strong and diverse board of directors, made of no more than 13 individuals from varying backgrounds each giving from their time, money, and talent

Development

FDT will create and implement it's first Development plan and increase contributed income from 43%-48% with an ultimate goal of 60% contributed income For Spring of '23, FDT will launch a capitol campaign to offset costs of a new location and move

Location

Florida Dance Theatre will locate a location that will suite the needs of the organization and develop long term plans to facilitate an "Arts District" within Lakeland through partnerships

Operations

An Operational review will be implemented after a SWOT analysis has been done utilizing data from feedback Systems and processes will be updated according to needs within the organization

Programming

Programming will be within the 3 pillars, programs that create accessibility to the arts, inspiring educational opportunities, and creating unparalleled performances with our professional company, increasing attendance.

Marketing

A formal marketing campaign strategy will be created and marketing efforts will be diversified and increased A new website will be developed and identity/branding will be updated and clarified

Partnerships

FDT will deepen it's long standing Partnerships to strengthen the Arts within Polk County. Utilizing a series of Lunch & Learns, FDT will host collaborative meetings with Lakeland Leaders to explore creating an "Arts District".

At a glance

Non-Profit organizations such as Florida Dance Theatre need a strong and diverse board in order to be successful This is particularly true in the case of restructuring the organization To that end, intentionally seeking out board members through Lakeland's leadership, will provide a group of individuals committed to shaping and directing FDT's path forward, guided by it's new mission statement, and giving of their time, talent, and treasure to both revitalize and grow the organization

Develop a strong, diverse Board

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

Florida Dance Theatre is a longstanding organization with a very full history. This is both beneficial and to it's detriment when overcoming some of the confusion around what the organization is or is not. There is also the challenge of onboarding a strong board when undertaking a restructure of an organization, as it needs a strong and involved board which can be seen as a large ask of a potential board partner

SOLUTIONS

First, creating awareness around the need for strong leaders by creating transparent conversations is needed Creating clarity for potential board members on where the organization is and where it is headed is also needed Ensuring diversity is vital for sustainability

Bring awareness to community leaders

MILESTONES

Create transparency and clarity

Generate Support

Ensure diversity and ease of onboarding

Leveraging relationships, FDT will create a strong support system of advocates from which to connect with potential board members to generate a list of candidates

Asks for Board Service

Create materials for discussion and hold meetings with candidates to ask them to serve on the Board until a maximum of 13 seats have been filled

Onboard Board Members

Ensure that all members have either had extensive experience serving on a board, or have/will undergo the Emerge Serves training and partner with another community leader in board service until they are comfortable on their own

At a glance

As of 2021-2022, contributed income represented 43% of the overall operating budget By 2026-2027, FDT will be generously funded through a minimum of 60% contributed income To accomplish this, FDT will design and implement development plans and systems as well as setting incremental increases in targets each year For the current year, the goal is to move from 43% contributed income to 48%

Development

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

Florida Dance Theatre has not (to date) had a formalized development strategy or database for fundraising and development. This has led to a loss of faith by some donors and missed opportunities for further development of giving relationships

SOLUTIONS

By utilizing a development strategy and creating systems of support (such as a donor database), faith can be restored and there is a large potential for growth from contributed funds

MILESTONES

Create

Create Development Plan

Create avenues for ongoing support (Sustainers Club) and one time giving (Champion's Society) and begin recruiting for these groups Create systems for corporate/seasonal sponsorships and get more staff/board members involved

Create Donor Database

Find and implement software that will allow donor tracking and follow up Develop processes and practices that will allow this to be maintained

Grow contributed income from 45%-48% by end of 2023

Utilizing both the database and development plan, grow contributed income.

At a glance

As part of the reorganization of Florida Dance Theatre, one of the points of feedback was regarding location That it is not visible and in need of many updates After being notified of the owner's desire to repurpose the space, FDT will find a new location and be moved from our current location by June 30, 2023. A capital campaign will be needed to cover costs of relocating, buildout (and sprung flooring) as well as lost income during the moving period By 2026-2027, FDT will be centrally located to create an "Arts District" within Lakeland, near other Arts organizations.

Location

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

The market for commercial realty is currently very full and it is difficult to find a location. FDT will need comparable square footage (currently 4k), centrally located, with 20ft ceilings at a reasonable cost. A temporary solution may be needed if a decision to build is made We will also need to partner with Harrison for Summer programming

SOLUTIONS

Along with meeting with community leaders and intentionally seeking out spaces, FDT will also utilize Lunch & Learns to strategize location possibilities to engage creative solutions

Create a Capitol Campaign

MILESTONES

Find a location

Create a capitol campaign

Build out and prepare

Utilizing the capitol campaign toolkit and timeline map out and initialize capitol campaign to help offset costs and prepare FDT for a successful 30th year anniversary launch

Find a location

Locate and secure a new location

Build out and prepare for opening in the fall

Utilizing funds from the capitol campaign, begin buildout beginning June 2023 and completed by August 2023 for grand opening.

At a glance

Organization must offer a quality product and have the systems to support it Internally facing systems allow front-facing product to shine, and within Arts organizations, many times tools are created as problems arise. Part of a restructure, means analyzing current systems for their efficacy and creating new, more efficient pathways for operating procedures These operating procedures will improve many other areas, including marketing, development, student retention, and company satisfaction

Operations

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

Analyzing feedback from stakeholders, it is clear that although our instruction is professional and well done, there are key elements and processes that haven't been formalized within the organization. Assessing current practices and formalizing systems is time consuming and will require additional resources

SOLUTIONS

Bringing in an operations consultant part time as well as FSC interns will allow staff to focus on the restructure and system creation while maintaining expectations for current families and company members

Begin formalizing processes

MILESTONES

Operations Consultant

Prepare for 30th Anniversary year

Begin formalizing processes and systems

Using feedback from local leaders, partners, parents, and consultants, design and formalize processes for back end systems from cash flow, enrollment, contracts, and data management

Bring in an operations consultant

Bring in an operations consultant to conduct a formal audit, as well as interns to help manage operations during the reconstruction process

Prepare for the 30th Anniversary Grand Opening/year

Prepare all systems to begin beta testing in the spring to then be re-worked and finalized in anticipation of the Grand ReOpening for the 30th Anniversary.

At a glance

From feedback it became clear that although many have heard of Florida Dance Theatre, many are unclear as to what the organization does, or offers Clarifying and simplifying the mission statement, website, and marketing will allow a clear message of what FDT is to be promoted within Polk County and this relies heavily on having good promotional materials and marketing strategies

Marketing

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

Despite being a nearly 30 year organization, there has been much confusion around Florida Dance Theatre with regard to it's structure and purpose. Is it a Ballet Company? Is it an Academy? Many do not realize or understand what it is, though many have heard of the organization Clarifying and rebranding means overcoming any stigmas that the organization may have

SOLUTIONS

The 30th Anniversary present a perfect opportunity for the restructure and for the rebranding of the organization

Create a new website

MILESTONES

Rebranding Systemize Marketing strategies

Create a new website

Create an all new website, simplified mapping which minimizes clicks and creates retention Ease of use, and ease of updating should be priority

Rebranding

Rebranding to include new logo, colors and overall design as well as video/photo 30th anniversary promotional materials

Systemize Marketing Strategies

Utilizing a marketing timeline for both social media and general media releases, systemize these processes and map out 30th anniversary year.

At a glance

A community that values the arts, is a healthy community Creating programming for a variety of formats can help create sustainability and simultaneously accessibility Proper planning and execution of programs will increase attendance and allow more of our community to experience the arts.

Florida Dance Theatre believes in creating unparalleled performances both in central ways and through modalities of outreach to create accessibility

Programming

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

For several years, Florida Dance Theatre has used recorded music for it's live performances, this has not always been the case. Reviving this tradition of live music is imperative, as is increasing the caliber and variety of our programming and performances

SOLUTIONS

Florida Dance Theatre has many types of programming, so clarifying and simplifying in order to carve out time to get ahead of the schedule and plan for 2023-2024 will allow for a more refined schedule

Clarify Programming vision

MILESTONES

Simplify 20222023 Programming

Clarify Programming Vision

Map out 20232024 programming

Clarify the types of programming available and how they align with the core pillars within the new mission statement

Simplify 2022-2023 Programming

Simplify the schedule to allow more flexibility to work on preparing for the 30th anniversary programming ahead of the new year

Map out 2023-2024 Programming

Programming for the following year should be done in the spring of the year prior. Although other opportunities often arise and may be added, proper program planning allows for development, budgeting and proper marketing to play out.

At a glance

Arts cross collaboration has many benefits for the organizations involved as well as for the communities in which they reside Orlando and Tampa both have partnering programs within the main arts organizations as to other cities throughout the United States. Finding ways to forge deepening partnerships that can thrive while allowing for the individuality and autonomy of each organization is important in creating an overall healthy community

Partnerships

Accessible, Inspiring, Unparalleled

CHALLENGES

There are many nuances to be clarified when carving out formal partnerships between autonomous organizations. This can be a tedious process with many different outcomes. Those collaborations however, greatly benefit the community

SOLUTIONS

Utilizing Lunch & Learn models, strategizing potential avenues of partnerships, collaboration and programming between organizations will open discussion and begin to map a way forward for partnerships

Reach out to partners

MILESTONES

Research Comparable Frameworks

Reach out to partners

Deepen Partnerships

Reach out to existing partners about creating an exchange within the format of a lunch and learn series with community leaders

Research Comparable Frameworks

Looking at comparable cities (both at our current population and projected growth) find cities with strong partnership affiliations and learn more about their models

Deepen Partnerships

Begin planning for more ways to both collaborate and partner community wide from outreach to performances.

Florida Dance Theatre

2023-2024

Celebrating Florida Dance Theatre s 30th Anniversary through dance and the Arts

DEVELOPMENT

Increase contributed income from 48%-55%

Implement donor systems and resources

Increase attendance profits by 5%

Create donor materials for 30th anniversary

Create Swan Calendar for 2024 and sell at events

Hold inaugural ball

ACADEMY

Implement academy systems and new materials

Increase performance opportunities for students through Mayfaire, Art Crawl etc

Increase enrollment to over 100

Become a part of Dance USA

COMPANY

Increase season to include at least one touring show

Increase visual presence of Company through local opportunities

Increase to include one additional school for outreach (to mirror Crystal Lake Program)

LSO playing live for Nutcracker

Swan Lake?

OUTREACH

Implement official Golden Age Passport program to participating

Assisted Living Facilities

Begin official Arts in Aging programming

Coordinate with LSO to offer a sister program to their cookie cutter concert or to create something jointly

PARTNERSHIPS

Deepen partnership performance opportunities and create a more formal system for joint programming

Continue Lunch and Learn Series to educate the public on crosssector collaboration and Community health

Florida Dance Theatre

2024-2025

DEVELOPMENT

Increase contributed income from 55%-60% Hire a development manager

Increase attendance profits by 5%

Create Swan Calendar for 2025

Have annual Ball with goal of creating an endowment

ACADEMY

Refine systems and processes and conduct review of them

Increase performance opportunities for students through Mayfaire, Art Crawl, etc

Increase enrollment to over 150 Offer additional academy classes

COMPANY

Season should include 2 main stage productions one touring program and 2 outreach programs

Increase visual presence of Company through local opportunities

Conduct a review of company school partners to improve them Perform mainstage events with live musicians

OUTREACH

Expand Golden Age Passport Program

Expand Arts in Aging programing

Coordinate with LSO & Polk Museum to offer a similar program to Tampa and Orlando combined outreaches

PARTNERSHIPS

Begin formalizing Arts Partnership models from other organizations

Expand community partnerships

STRATEGIC PLAN

ASPIRATIONALVISION

Florida Dance Theatre inspires life-changing interactions through unparalleled performance experiences, professional training, and accessible community outreach.

IBy the beginning of Fiscal Year 20262027, Florida Dance Theatre will be considered an integral part of Lakeland’s revitalization. The organization will have a highly visible downtown location and be identified as a hallmark of the community’s quality of life. With an annual operating budget of $1-1.25 million, its nine professional dancers, including its leadership, will be viewed as community celebrities. FDT will be perceived as inherently different in quality and approach from all other dance studios in the area and will be valued as the caliber of professional dance company Lakeland deserves. Its three-pronged mission of unparalleled performance experiences,

professional training, and accessible community outreach will be generously funded through a minimum of 60% contributed income, and its earned revenue will be continuously increasing due to innovative marketing and ticket pricing, synergetic collaborations with other art organizations, and a steady stream of grant monies. FDT will be recognized for its commitment to providing an atmosphere of inclusion and accessibility for students and audiences alike. A result of FDT’s acknowledged economic and cultural impacts is that a diverse group of community leaders aspire to serve on its board and committees and look for opportunities to support and partner with the organization.