Discover how Sarasota Opera is transforming its mission-driven work into sustainable revenue in this episode of the Nonprofit Thrivability Podcast.

General Director Richard Russell shares the opera company’s journey with Margin & Mission Ignition, an initiative designed to help nonprofits develop earned income strategies that align with their mission. Learn how Sarasota Opera turned its world-class costume collection into a thriving rental business, the steps they took to build operational capacity, and the lessons any nonprofit can apply to generate diverse revenue streams without losing sight of their purpose. If you want practical insights on strengthening your nonprofit’s financial future, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Timestamps
(00:00) Introducing Richard Russell, General Director of Sarasota Opera and Margin & Mission Ignition
(02:10) What is Margin & Mission Ignition?
(03:15) More details on Margin & Mission Ignition
(06:15) Why was costume rental a good business for you?
(09:40) Building internal capacity for the new line of business
(12:30) Aligning stakeholders around this new line of business
(16:00) How did joining MMI change the way you think about strategy moving forward?
(18:00) Cookies from Richard’s jar
(20:20) Earned revenue needs to align with your mission
(22:05) Ripple Effects Recap

Links to Learn More
Sarasota Opera Website: https://www.sarasotaopera.org/
MMI Page on TPF Website: https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/margin-mission-ignition.htm
Blog: https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/blog/margin-mission-ignition/how-sarasota-opera-turned-costumes-into-revenue-with-margin-mission-ignition.html

Connect Beyond The Blog
Richard Russell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raruss/

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Join The Journey