Stephen C. Ulrich jr.
PA 5011 
Memo #4

To: Christine Letts, Chair BMEC management task force
From: XXX
Re: Current challenges for BMEC
Date: 12/14/04

In its first year, the Boston Music Education Collaborative (BMEC) has demonstrated a strong sense of mission, dedication, and innovation; however, it currently faces challenges in terms of fiscal backing.  Students, teachers, and parents feel that the program has made improvements in the educational experience.  But the internal management has been dynamic to the point of disorder, lacking in documentation of the organization and its processes.  This has led to uncertainty from the backers as to what is being done, and consequent unwillingness to support it.

The clients as well as the backers have a strong support for BMEC's mission, at a symbolic level, but at a structural level, there seems to be great uncertainty and little clarity as to what is actually happening.  The founders of the program pushed it to an early start before it was structurally prepared, and in the first year, it operated without a great deal of internal control and communication mechanisms, focusing mainly on accomplishing its mission.  The working head of the organization was noted for her entrepreneurial zeal, and not for her attention to plans, budgets, and reports.  Further, it seems there is no one working for the BMEC making up for this deficiency, leaving the constituent organizations relatively uninformed.

The Collaborative is working on a very limited budget, due to lack of strong financial resources.  It does have commitments from a few sources some contingent on raising enough revenue from other sources.  So far, the BMEC has sought large corporate donations, and largely failed in its efforts.  Further, the public budgets for music and the arts are already rather strained and the failure of the educational system to fund the arts was the original motivation for the organization.  

There are things that can be done to improve the financial situation, but first the internal structure of the organization has to be improved.  For this process, leadership is essential.  As such, I recommend that you hire Ed Miller and direct him towards this problem immediately.  Developing a detailed plan for future activities and efforts as well as a story of prior program successes form powerful tools for attracting donors, large and small.  After sharing the report with the backing organizations, and publicizing it with several press releases, the BMEC can then begin a real fund raising campaign.  In particular, at least one staff member should be dedicated to working on such matters.  Donations should be solicited from individuals as well as organizations.  Additionally, WGBH be consulted for advice on such campaigns, based on their experience with fundraising as a public television and radio station.