Communications Campaign for Nonprofit Theatre, Part Two: Situational Analysis

SWOT Analysis

A useful tool to prepare for a project or campaign, SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths/Weaknesses (internal to the organization) and Opportunities/Threats (external factors affecting the organization. Key questions asked include: What does TUTS education do well? What advantages does TUTS education have over other local theatre companies? What resources is TUTS lacking to accomplish this goal? What are areas within the organization that are not functioning well? What is the public’s perception of TUTS education? Who is a competitor for TUTS education? What is the financial climate like (Berry, 2023)?

Strengths

Cooperative projects and administrative collaborations with Houston First, the University of Texas, the University of Houston, and Sam Houston State University (Trauber, 2008) provide top-notch teaching faculty and current best practices in instructional pedagogy as well as vital opportunities for students to perform. The donor base is loyal and well-funded, with corporate donors committed to long-term sustenance. Corporate partners include the City of Houston, ABC 13, the Houston Arts Alliance, HEB grocery stores, and Shell Oil, among others, who “enjoy exclusive benefits and recognition including opportunities to entertain clients and engage employees while contributing to Houston’s economic and artistic growth” (TUTS, 2023, para.1). Decades of ethical management of the company’s fiscal assets have engendered trust among the various stakeholders: the Board of Directors, corporate donors, major donors, foundation boards, and subscribers. TUTS has never, in its 55-year history, been rocked by scandal or mismanagement of funds.

Weaknesses

The welcome growth of Humphreys and The River has created a shortage of space for rehearsals and workshops. There are over 1,000 students enrolled in the two programs; at least two more large rehearsal studios and two additional small rehearsal rooms are needed. The confines of the current footprint of the theatre complex necessitate a move to get the amount of space that is required for optimal teaching and learning (Bishop, 2016).

As is typical for the nonprofit sector, budgets for marketing and PR are limited, meaning that both staff and their use of time, money, and resources will need to be strategic. A study by Barry Hessenius for WESTAF, the Knight Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation discovered that significant challenges to arts organizations may mean they are not able to deal effectively with communications challenges due to a lack of funding, time, and people as well as a sense of overwhelm with the vast landscape of contemporary communications and information. Communications dollars will need to stretch; opportunities for free, value-added, or in-kind PR will be crucial, and the volunteer base may be deployed to multiply manpower (2016).

There remains a shortage of staffing in the nonprofit sector. Parvathy Sree, Vice President of Amtrust Nonprofit Underwriting, states, “the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nonprofit sector extremely hard, with an estimated 1.6 million workers losing their jobs in the spring of 2020 alone. Jobs lost included 41% in social assistance programs and 57% in private performing arts companies” (2023, para.2).

Opportunities

Additional classes will require increased teaching staff. A partnership/cooperative among the various theatre companies can add variety to teaching methods and course offerings, as well as set all companies up for success when there are short-term staff shortages (Sree, 2023).

The economy is shifting, creativity is becoming a significant factor in the broad economy. In 2020, creative and artistic businesses and entrepreneurs added 877 billion dollars to the U.S. GDP, see below (The Policy Circle, 2023).

Using Humphreys and The River as well as the organization’s other education programs empowers and equips students to collaborate to create and produce original material, adding another skill set for those who desire to pursue creative professions. It also adds a new source of original content that can be mediated for various platforms, free of copyright constraints.

Threats

Though post-pandemic hard data are difficult to come by, there are figures and anecdotal observations indicating Americans continue to trend enjoying entertainment at home and may be reluctant to attend traditional live theatre performances. Rob Weinert-Kendt of the Theatre Communications Group cites Jill Robinson, CEO of TRG Arts, writing, “TRG data shows June 2022 theatres reporting admissions down by 51 percent from 2019 levels, and income down by 50 percent. By December 2022, those numbers had shrunk to 33 and 35, respectively. The issue is the pace of improvement” (2023, paras.5&6). The chart below, taken from Theatre Communications Group, demonstrates the stark shift in budgeting for theatres.

Some arts and theatre organizations have found the remedy in offering theatre beyond traditional proscenium-style shows; immersive, virtual reality, educational theatre, and outreach theatre (to incarcerated or nursing home populations, for example) have created new, innovative ways to recharge interest and challenge artists and technicians (Weinert-Kendt, 2023).

Tax codes are changing for charitable donations to arts organizations; according to Americans for the Arts, the “nonprofit arts sector relies on charitable gifts from donors across the economic spectrum; for example, approximately 40% of financial support for nonprofit performing arts organizations is derived from charitable giving” (2023, para.2). The 2017 federal tax law changes affected whether individuals can deduct donations, with only those who itemize eligible to deduct. Though the Covid-era CARES act temporarily lifted that rule, it is back in effect for 2022 and moving forward; this may deincentivize smaller donors.

Inflation has impacted the cost of construction: “soaring construction demand, inflation, pandemic-related restrictions, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and the war in Ukraine—are spurring rising costs and uncertainty across the construction industry” says the CBRE Group (2022, para.1). They go on to add that the recent pandemic created a 14.5% year-over-year rise in construction costs through the end of 2022, predicting that will not roll back but will slow in 2023 and 2024.

Product/Service Information

TUTS offers top-tier productions as well as a number of satellite programs aimed at fulfilling its mission of “enriching lives through innovative musical theatre, inclusive educational curriculums and dynamic community engagement” (TUTS, 2023, para.1). In addition to the regular six-show season offered on the mainstage in Serofim Hall and the annual summer musical at Miller Outdoor Theatre, the following are specific, targeted ways that TUTS is working to fulfill that mission:

Humphreys School of Musical Theatre: A 50-year-old academy that trains students on its campus adjacent to the Hobby Center, HSMT offers in-person classes for ages 4-18; classes and summer camps are offered for beginner-level through Broadway-bound and include audition prep for high school juniors and seniors. HSMT also offers online masterclasses for adults wanting to hone their musical theatre skills (TUTS, 2023).
The River: Founded in 1996, The River offers art, dance, acting, and voice classes to students with disabilities, as well as their siblings. Classes are also available for young adults, and an inclusive performance troupe has performed at community events across Houston. The River students are eligible to audition for TUTS mainstage shows and have been cast, proving that the organization takes the talent and training of this sector of theatre artists seriously (TUTS, 2023).
Teen Apprentice Program: Students interested in the technical aspects of theatrical production (lighting, sound, costume, directing, stage management, and more) meet monthly to learn and practice the technical skills of theatre. Students are also paired with a TUTS technical professional who serves as a one-on-one teacher and coach (TUTS, 2023).
Tommy Tune Awards: Launched in 2003, named after famed Houston native and Broadway star Tommy Tune, and rooted in the belief that “No matter the role in the creative process, experiences in the arts cultivate confidence, spark creative thinking, and inspire life-long learning” (TUTS, 2023, para.7), the TTA provide a showcase where theatre students and educators across Houston can celebrate their excellence through adjudication and recognition by the team of TTA judges.
Arts in Medicine: in collaboration with Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital, TUTS teaching artists visit patients, using “music, language, dance, art and mime [to] provide pediatric patients a break from their daily medical routines and open the doors to opportunities for creativity and fun” (TUTS, 2023, para.11). Additionally, these professional arts educators offer resiliency workshops for doctors and nurses.

References

Americans for the Arts. (2023). Charitable giving & tax reform. https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/legislative-issue-center/charitable-giving-tax-reform

Berry, T. (2023, March 8). How to do a SWOT analysis for better strategic planning. Bplans. https://www.bplans.com/business-planning/how-to-write/marketing-sales/swot-analysis/

Bishop, A. (2016, October 27). Theatre Under the Stars needs more space, invites public to help with funding. Houston Public Media. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2016/10/27/175282/theatre-under-the-stars-needs-more-space-invites-public-to-help-with-funding/

CRBE. (2022). 2022 US construction cost trends: Rising prices for labor and materials pressuring construction costs. https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/2022-us-construction-cost-trends

Hessenius, B. (2016, January). Communication and information management in the nonprofit arts sector. Knight Foundation. https://s3.amazonaws.com/marketing.westaf.org/Comm/Hessenius+Communications+Report.pdf

Sree, P. (2023, January 23). Overcoming the worker and volunteer shortage at nonprofits. Nonprofit Pro. https://www.nonprofitpro.com/post/overcoming-worker-volunteer-shortage-at-nonprofits/

The Policy Circle. (2023). The creative economy. https://www.thepolicycircle.org/minibrief/the-creative-economy/

Theatre Under the Stars. (2023). Corporate and institutional partners. https://www.tuts.com/support/corporate/corporateinstitutionalpartners

Theatre Under the Stars. (2023). Education. https://www.tuts.com/education

Theatre Under the Stars. (2023). Mission. https://www.tuts.com/about/mission

Theatre Under the Stars. (2023). Programs. https://www.tuts.com/community_engagement/programs

Theatre Under the Stars. (2023). Theatre Under the Stars Inclusive Arts Society. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tuts.com/ias__;!!BeImMA!_jonN8raZigqnITblRQ-54GruTqMTU746PVJsZxFLn3i1z0ldd1eVoZMzWr-b9xUP9yRD40T3gGIpzjc-0mJg95XGVe-sw$

Theatre Under the Stars. (2023). The River. https://www.tuts.com/river/about

Trauber, S.M. (2008, March 16). Theatre Under the Stars: The myths vs. the facts. Houston Chronicle. https://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Theatre-Under-the-Stars-The-myths-vs-the-facts-1756230.php

Weinert-Kendt, R. (2023, March 20). If you rebuild it, will they return? American Theatre. https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/03/20/if-you-rebuild-it-will-they-return/