Erie Philharmonic

Situation

Like many orchestras during the pandemic, the Erie Philharmonic faced a challenging landscape that included canceled concerts and fundraising events. Along with these obstacles, more than a year had gone into the planning of alternative performance venues for the season to come, pending the closure of the Warner Theatre for renovations. Facing a dilemma on moving forward with a limited-audience concert season along with transplanting to an indoor stadium, the Board and management made the big decision to cancel in-person performances, moving instead to a partnership with Erie’s public television affiliate to tape and broadcast the season’s concerts, free to the community.

Result

To assist in developing a fundraising strategy and plan for this major pivot in programming, RSC Associates provided the Virtual Fundraising Coach™ service. Working with Erie Phil’s Executive Director and team, RSC developed a tactical fundraising plan, focused on leveraging a heroic leadership gift as a community match to the Phil’s generous patron base. In the initial phase of the partnership, fundraising goals were surpassed for the previous year. Then, an ambitious 12-month plan was launched for the upcoming year –revamping the Direct Mail program, sponsorships, and leadership giving.  

As the televised concert season reached new audiences, RSC Associates assisted in expanding online and social media solicitations, helping Erie Philharmonic increase individual giving by 50% in one year. RSC also assisted in raising special major gifts in support of the Philharmonic’s return to the stage at the newly renovated Warner Theatre – complete with new instruments and equipment. RSC is now actively supporting a capital project to renovate the office building and administrative home of the Phil as a community center for outreach and education. 

What the Client Said

“Erie Philharmonic engaged with RSC at a critical moment – balancing the current challenges with some real growth opportunities for our organization. We have put RSC’s practical recommendations immediately to work, and have seen extraordinary results over the past year of our partnership. RSC has been our partner in achieving ambitious growth, and this has been such a gratifying time despite the challenges of the pandemic. There are exciting days to come as we look to a new season and a return to our venue.”

-Steve Weiser, Executive Director