WWOZ Board of Directors Chief Operating Officer’s Report April 6, 2016 We have reformatted this report to more clearly summarize the key information first, and then include more detail in Appendices A and B. As we move forward, we intend to work closely with appropriate board members to hone this communication for maximum usability. 1. Membership. As of February 29, 2016, WWOZ has received $1,170,660 in donations for FY 2016, a year-to-date increase of 20% over the $973,750 received during the same period in FY 2015. a. In the month of February 2016 alone, WWOZ received $386,444 in membership revenue, a 34% increase over revenue of $288,049 in February 2015. b. As of March 30, 2016, WWOZ sold 3,226 Brass Passes to the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. 2. Spring 2016 Membership Drive. WWOZ’s spring 2016 Membership Drive began on March 8, 2016 and ended on March 18, 2016. Thanks to the hard work of WWOZ’s volunteers, show hosts, musicians, and staff, WWOZ received $523,999 in pledges from 1,562 new or renewing members, a result that exceeded WWOZ’s goal of $500,000 by 5%. On March 23, 2016, WWOZ invited all volunteers, show hosts, and staff to a post-drive thank-you party in a VIP area at the Young Leadership Council’s [YLC] “Wednesday at the Square” concert in Lafayette Square. 3. Underwriting & Sponsorship. For the fiscal year through February 29, 2016, the total dollar value of WWOZ’s signed underwriting agreements is $147,103, a 90% increase over the total value ($77,494) of agreements signed during the same period in FY 2015. As of February 29, 2016, WWOZ has collected $133,351 in underwriting and sponsorship revenue for FY 2016, a decrease of 29% from the $187,966 in revenue generated during the same period in FY 2015. In the month of February 2016 alone, WWOZ underwriting and sponsorship revenue totaled $54,120, a 42% increase from the $38,080 in revenue generated during February 2015. 4. Major Giving. As of February 29, 2016, WWOZ generated $110,955 in revenue from major donors for FY 2016, compared to the $96,714 in revenue for the same period in FY 2015, a 15% increase. However, with all of the major shifts in management, it is not likely that we will achieve the full budgeted major giving revenue of $288,000. 5. Swamp Shop. As of February 29, 2016, the WWOZ Swamp Shop generated revenue of $12,194 for FY 2016, a 57% decrease from the revenue of $28,454 earned in February 2015. During the month of February 2016 alone, Swamp Shop sales totaled $1,239, a 54% decrease from sales of $2,414 in February 2015. Page 1 of 12 WWOZ Board of Directors Chief Operating Officer’s Report April 6, 2016 6. Personnel. Since our last meeting, Program Director Dwayne Breashears has agreed to delay his resignation until we get through Jazz Fest. His final day with WWOZ will be May 1, 2016. We have also reorganized in the programming/content areas as follows, building our core team from within the existing station staff. Further details are attached in a memo sent to staff and volunteers last week. a. Scott Borne’s position has been upgraded to include overseeing music across all platforms. We’ve made a semantic change in his title to Director of Music (from Music Director) to better reflect his new status. b. Jorge Fuentes has been promoted to Operations Director from Operations Assistant. c. Damond Jacobs retains the title of Chief Engineer and will be the third leg of our radio leadership team. d. We’ve also hired Carrie Booher as Digital Content Editor. This is a full-time staff position replacing her previous contractual work as Digital Content Assistant. Her primary role is managing WWOZ social media efforts. e. We plan to leave the Program Director and Assistant to the PD position vacant for now as we see how this new leadership structure develops. Our goal is to still fill most of the vacant positions in Development under a reorganization that was already in process when I arrived in January 2016. 7. New Media. The New Media team implemented a responsive and mobile-first email format for development-related mailings sent before and during the spring 2016 WWOZ Membership Drive. The newly-designed emails were opened by 35-50% of recipients; a typical open rate for similar non-profit solicitation emails is 25%. 8. Sound Sleep Initiative. On March 26, 2016, Doerr Furniture, the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation and Clinic, and WWOZ announced a partnership entitled the “Sound Sleep Initiative,” which aims to improve the health of New Orleans’ musicians and culture bearers by helping them get a better night's sleep. Once a week, Doerr Furniture will deliver a brand-new queen-sized mattress to a member of the New Orleans cultural community, as recommended by a committee appointed by the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation and Clinic. Criteria will include—but will not be limited to—recent surgery, chronic illnesses, and chronic pain. Recipients will include Mardi Gras Indians, social aid and pleasure club members, musicians, performers, music venue workers, and service industry workers. Page 2 of 12 WWOZ Board of Directors Chief Operating Officer’s Report April 6, 2016 APPENDIX A Further Details i. WWOZ signed seven new underwriting & sponsorship agreements in March 2016: one amended annual agreement adding digital underwriting presence (The New Orleans Opera) and six promotional agreements (Slidell Jazz & Blues Festival; The Joy Theater for its Jazz Fest concert series; the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans for “Adam Pendleton: Becoming Imperceptible”; Live Nation for “Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s Second Annual Treme Threauxdown” at the Saenger Theatre; The Orpheum Theater Presents “An Evening With Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr.”; Outback Concerts for “The Last Waltz New Orleans” at the Saenger Theatre; Spotlight with John Calhoun. ii. The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation [NOTMC] has agreed to underwrite WWOZ’s syndicated program and podcast New Orleans Calling for one year. NOTMC’s underwriting will provide financial support, a comprehensive marketing campaign, and promotional collaboration with WWOZ’s social media team. As of March 28, 2016, WWOZ Sponsor Services secured $40,000 in sponsorship for the 28th Annual WWOZ Piano Night on April 25, 2016, from People Health ($10,000), NOLA Motorsports Park, The Helis Foundation, Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister, First NBC Bank, Chevron, and the Port of New Orleans ($5,000 each). iii. New Media also posted lightly-edited videos of the in-studio musical performances on the WWOZ Facebook page, generating tens of thousands of page views during the membership drive. New Media has engaged a new WWOZ volunteer, Laura DeFazio, to write content for wwoz.org, particularly captions and information for the videos posted. In conjunction with the board’s renewed efforts to promote the WWOZ cookbook, That Sounds Good!, both the website and the April 2016 ‘Ozone newsletter feature John “Papa” Gros’ contribution, a recipe for Cajun Bruschetta. iv. WWOZ Development began the annual distribution of purchased Brass Passes at the YLC “Wednesday at the Square” concert on March 23, 2016, and continued distribution at the Whole Foods in Uptown New Orleans on March 24, 2016; the Whole Foods in Metairie on March 25, 2016, and at the Rouses supermarket in the CBD on March 26, 2016. WWOZ will next distribute Brass Passes during the French Quarter Festival, from the WWOZ Swamp Shop inside the Louisiana Music Factory, on April 8-10, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day. WWOZ will then implement distribution at the WWOZ offices in the French Quarter on April 19-April 21, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day. Page 3 of 12 WWOZ Board of Directors Chief Operating Officer’s Report April 6, 2016 v. WWOZ Video. During the month of March 2016, WWOZ Video recorded and/or streamed live the following: March 4, 2016: Live performances and interviews with Papa Mali & Alvin Youngblood Hart at WWOZ. March 5, 2016: Membership Drive pitch training video for volunteers with Pamela Wood & Arthur Cohen. March 6, 2016: VIP Ladies and Kids Social Aid & Pleasure Club Parade. March 8-18, 2016: WWOZ Membership Drive in-studio performances streamed live: Jimmy Robinson; Luke Winslow King; Shotgun Jazz Band; Trapper Keeper; Barry Stephenson; Greg Schatz; John “Papa” Gros; Red Wolf Brass Band; Amina Figarova; 504 Experience; the Dr. King Charter School Brass Band; Evan Christopher; The Original Pinettes Brass Band; Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns; Little Freddie King; The Soul Brass Band; Steve Malinowski; The Cole Williams Band; Marc Stone’s New Orleans Kingpins featuring Benny Turner; Swamp Kitchen; F.A.S.T. with Dave Ferrato; Irma Thomas; Jesse McBride; Frank Oxley & The Joint Chiefs of Jazz; Herlin Riley; Johnny Sansone; James Andrews; and Joe Lastie. March 19, 2016: Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival in Armstrong Park live performances and interview recorded: Ivan Neville’s Mardi Gras Indian tribute, “Injuns Here Dey Come,” featuring Big Chief Roderick Sylvas of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux of the Golden Eagles, and Big Chief Juan Pardo of the Golden Comanches; Moyuba; Muevelo; Pirate’s Choice; Zion Trinity; Chakra Dance Theater; Culu & N’Kafu African Dance Troupes; Mardi Gras Indian Battle; One Love Brass Band; Bamboula 2000; Tonya Boyd- Cannon; Tank and the Bangas; Dee-1; Rebirth Brass Band; N’Fungola African Dance Ensemble Kumbuka African Dance Ensemble; Casa Samba; and the “Class Got Brass” contest.