Let’s be honest…

No matter how gifted… how frugal… how knowledgeable… how deep… how amazing you might be, performance arts is expensive. That’s the bottom line.

To do what you need to do well, you need money.

Some of the figures music and media members work with today look like this…

Sound Console – $10,000

HD Camera – $4,000 (times 3 for a decent shoot)

Editing Suite (computer and software) – $5,000 minimum

These are huge expenditures… and you’re not going to get any money from your pastor, board or congregation (which ever you have to go through in your church) by submitting a proposal written on a napkin.

As a rule of thumb the more money you ask for the better the request must be presented. This should also apply to the level of importance it plays to you personally.

I’m going to share my basic proposal template I use. This allows me to look good efficiently. It’s dress to impress express.

The basic layout is:

PROPSAL – big at the top of the page… let them know you’re making the big ask.

SUB TITLE – the specific request’s identification

ITEMS, COST and QUANTITY – here are the figures we’re looking at.

THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO… – I’ve asked for it, now let me explain it a little better.

SIGNATURES – Make sure you get you proposals approved.

Here’s the file, ready to use (in Apple’s Numbers).