First Night festival hits funding roadblock

If you’re a fan of great music, supporting local artists and need something for the whole family to do on New Year’s Eve, consider First Night Flathead.

Featuring some of the best musicians in the valley, the “non-alcohol, family-friendly New Year’s Eve gala” has been a hit with all ages for the last 13 years.

However, the future of this event is in jeopardy if funding can’t be found.

“We almost came to the decision this year that we couldn’t do it, because funds weren’t going to be there,” said Patrice Manget, a First Night Flathead organizer “But the overwhelming response talking to people in the downtown was that it would be inconceivable to not have it. Everyone loves this festival.”

First Night typically draws 1,500 to 2,000 revelers and is completely funded through donations, sponsorships and admission button sales.  Buttons cost $12 in advance or $15 at the event, and one button is good for admission to all venues during the festival.

“If you go to a place like Whitefish for New Year’s Eve and you want to hear different bands, you’ve got to go from bar to bar, and you’re probably going to pay just as much with cover charges to see three bands as you would pay for a whole evening of performing arts at First Night,” said Jill Redmond, one of the event organizers.

Part of the mission of First Night is to promote performing arts; the national organization mandates that performers be paid for their services.

“We’d like to be able to pay our artists more,” Redmond said. “But all artists that perform for First Night know that we budget to the bone. And they love First Night because they can bring their families.”

Although venues are volunteered and staffed by yet more volunteers, putting on a First Night celebration takes quite a bit of money, and not just to pay for artists.

“We have to have enough to pay taxes and our national membership dues, there’s BMI royalties for any music played at the event, we have commercial liability insurance, some equipment rental fees, button supplies, printing flyers and postage. The list goes on and it adds up a lot,” Manget said.

According to Manget, last year the organization raised close to $16,000 and had 27 artists perform, down from the high-water mark of 38 artists. 

Most of that money went into paying performers and associated costs, with the remainder donated to the Glacier National Park Centennial Campaign Fund, leaving virtually nothing for this year.

“We partnered with Glacier Park because they’re such a huge part of the community and because it’s about contributing to the community,” Manget said. “It was more of a business move for us. They have a huge marketing reach, much bigger than we do, and they’re so enthusiastic about this partnership.  We haven’t been able to give much to them, but they’ve definitely supported us in a major way.”

According to Manget and Redmond, each year begins in the same way, with virtually no money held over from the previous year.

“We spend the money we have to hire as many artists as we can get venues for and have money for,” Redmond said. “It’s a real jigsaw puzzle trying to fit artists into venues and find the money and time to do it all.”

Although many donations come from businesses sponsoring the event, Manget and Redmond emphasized that every cent helps and individuals are encouraged to donate.

“Whether it’s someone giving $5 or $5,000, all of it goes to First Night,” Redmond said. “Just because you can’t afford a sponsorship doesn’t mean you can’t help. If everyone gave $5, it would be huge.  And we’re a nonprofit, so your donation is completely tax deductible.”

The size of the event is completely dependent on the amount of donations received each year, Redmond said, adding that this year is likely to be smaller than last year based on the amount of donations received so far.  

“What’s a perfect world when it comes to fundraising? A perfect world is an angel benefactor,” Manget said.  “Someone that makes a trust donation every year of up to $25,000, and that would guarantee that we could put on the First Night event that we really want to put on. Because Jill and I have really been hampered every year by budget constraints and time constraints.”

Although those budget constraints have been present every year, Manget said this year has been worse.

“How do you say, ‘Please give us money?’ We know there’s people with no food and no homes, but give us money for First Night because everybody loves it,” Manget said. And it does bring the community together, but it does seem grasping in a way, but we people think it’s a great event.”

To donate to First Night Flathead, stop by Norm’s News in downtown Kalispell to pick up donation forms, call Manget at 253-2471 or go online to www.FirstNightFlathead.org.

For the latest news and information on venues and performers, check the website regularly.