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Thank you so much for your interest in the Tucson Fringe Festival board and volunteer staff. We are an all volunteer 501(c)3 organization. We provide artists from Tucson and all over the country a low-cost, low-risk way to produce original work by providing venues, marketing, front-of-house, and housing. Tucson Fringe artists receive 80% of their ticket revenue. Like most Fringe Festivals we are unjuried and uncensored, which means we don’t hand-pick who performs. Artists apply to the festival and we choose by lottery. Audience members vote on their favorites during the festival weekend and we give awards at the end.
The Fringe Festival is our main event each year, but we also produce Brew with the Bard, an annual Shakespeare themed event in April. Before Covid-19 hit, plans were in the works for quarterly events, including a Family Fringe, geared towards entertaining youth ages 5-15 and their families.
As an organization, we believe diversity fuels the spirit, fosters meaningful connections, and cultivates a creative and conscientious community. We value everyone’s unique self and understand each person has different abilities and capacities. We are committed to inclusion across identity including but not limited to ethnicity, culture, gender, age, religion, orientation, and experience.
Sounds pretty cool, right? Want to get in on the fun? We are looking for new Board members and we are always looking for new Volunteers.
FRINGE VOLUNTEER STAFF:
We have multiple jobs to prepare for our big festival in January and some smaller jobs preparing for our smaller events in April and September. As a volunteer staff member you will be an essential part of preparing for the festival, depending on your level of commitment and particular strengths or areas of interest.
A volunteer staff member will probably only do about 2-5 hours of work per month. They are expected to stay with Tucson Fringe for at least one year.
FRINGE FESTIVAL BOARD:
As a 501(c)3 non-profit, the board is the main decision making body of the organization. They meet once a month to implement the action plan of the Executive Director. Specific duties of board members will vary depending on their roll and if they choose to be an elected officer of the board.
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SIT ON THE FRINGE FESTIVAL BOARD?
A board position is a two-year commitment. You have a say in the image, message, and future of the Tucson Fringe Festival. In return…
YOU PITCH IN
Every member of the board will sit on one or more committees. Each committee has a calendar of tasks that need to be completed for the festival to run smoothly. Some tasks are one-person jobs, others are shared by two or more people. The Executive Director is always available to clarify expectations and help you complete committee tasks.
FUNDRAISING
Most of our money comes from tickets sales and grants (ACA, Arts Foundation). Once or twice a year a year, in the summer and/or fall, we do an event to either increase Fringe awareness or raise money (or both). As a board member, you are expected to either contribute to this event with your time and effort, or financially.
PROMOTE THE ORGANIZATION
Fringe is still building its brand, and its visibility. There are many people, even in the arts community, who don’t know that Fringe exists, or what we do. As a board member, it is expected that you’ll help spread the word. We’re working on some video marketing / education materials to help you do that.
HIRE the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The director sets the goals of the festival, and delegates responsibility to see that those goals are met. Think of them as the CEO of the business. If the board feels that the Executive Director is not acting in the best interests of the Festival, or that they are not fulfilling their duties, it is within their capacity to fire and replace the Executive Director.
BOARD MEETINGS
The board has one annual meeting each year that is mandatory. The Executive Committee meets monthly while other committees may meet quarterly. Frequency of meetings may increase as we get closer to the festival as there will be more things to discuss. Meet our current Board & Staff Members.