My Nonprofit Reviews
Bardlover
Review for American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA, USA
What they do on stage is mostly great. Actors are top-notch and their enthusiasm for the work shows in every production. Directing is usually inspired, though some of the repetitive schtick can get old if you've seen a few productions.
But the company's administration is managed very poorly. Staff turnover is exceptionally high for the industry, which causes overall inefficiencies in operation as the company is constantly losing skills and institutional memory while having to re-train new hires. Vendor payments are often delayed for months or even more than a year due to cash-flow issues. Precious cash is wasted on late fees. Apparently, the ability to make payroll seems to be in question on a regular basis. The recent hire of a young, inexperienced managing director seems to have done little to get the company out of a constant state of financial crisis.
Anyone thinking of donating to this company should ask some serious questions about financial management and human resource strategy before opening their checkbook.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Seen their performances.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Remove the co-founders from any role in administration and have the board hire an experienced professional to manage the finances with maximum transparency.
