I have been having a number of conversations about the importance of preserving low prices for Community Programs at Mansons Hall. My goal here is to clear up any confusion, and address concerns about lack of transparency, and in some cases, the appearance that some groups get special deals over others. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to email me at bryan [at] mansonshall [dot] org
Short Term Rental Rates
Each space at the Hall has a standard rate, and a discounted Community Program rate.
For this discussion I will focus on the Main Hall ($20 / hr – $10 /hr Community Program Rate), The Pioneer Room ($15 / hr – $7.5 / hr Community Program Rate), and The Om Studio ($15 / 2 hrs – $7.5 / 2 hrs Community Program Rate). Click Here for the full list of short term rental opportunities at Mansons Hall
Why Charge Anything?
Every event at the Hall requires administrative staff time to book the space, meet with members, review the rules, inspect the space before and after the event, coordinate cleaners, create the contract and invoice, and other necessities. As administrative costs are not covered by grants or tax funds, we must raise revenue through donations, and short and long term rentals. We aim to break even and in some cases lose money on Hall rentals.
The Community Program Rate
A Community Program is a pre-booked, recurring activity*, hosted by one or more members, community organizations or government bodies. Hosts of Community Programs enjoy a 50% discount off the standard rate for renting Hall space. (*Ongoing weekly rentals that run 3 months or longer, between September 15 – June 15 are discounted 50%.)
Most of what we think of as Hall activities are recurring Community Programs, created by and for members.
What’s NOT a Community Program? Typically one-off events such as private parties, weddings, or even the recent Trivia Night.
Community Programs – some open to the public, others closed groups – are pre-booked, reccuring activities, that provide facilitators, organizers, co-creators, participants and members, access to Mansons Hall at a discounted rate, to socialize, learn, practice, experiment, dialogue, meet, plan, and in some cases, earn a little money.
Entreprenneur
Some Community Programs are created by one or more people, who enjoy the entrepreneurial spirit of putting together a weekly class, renting the space, promoting their event, selecting the music, printing out materials, and having the opportunity to deepen their practice and their teaching and instruction skills.
In exchange, participants drop-in, pay the facilitator’s fee, and enjoy the benefits of their hard work. For example: if a yoga instructor wants to offer a weekly class and earn some money, they can rent the Main Hall for the discounted rate of $10 for one hour, charge participants a fee (let’s say $10 each), and if 4 participants show up, there is enough to pay the $10 rental fee and $30 left over for the facilitator.
Closed Groups
Some Community Programs are created by a closed group, who put together a weekly program by and for themselves. In this case each member of the group chips in a small amount to cover the rental cost of the space. An example might be a group of actors rehearsing their scenes, a study group, or a dance troupe developing new choreography. In this case a group of 5 people renting the Main Hall for one hour would chip in $2 each in exchange for the experience.
Community Activities
A Community Activity is a special kind of Community Program for those who want to volunteer their time to host a class (weekly or one off), or for those who want to facilitate a class but also avoid taking on the risk of renting the space. For example, a martial arts instructor who wants to volunteer their time teaching a 1 hour movement class in the Main Hall can apply to facilitate a Community Activity. Participants pay a $5 drop-in fee, with the first $10 collected going to pay the rent, the next $30 going to the facilitator as a stipend. Any money collected above that is put towards our Community Activity Scholarship Fund, for those members who can’t afford the $5 drop-in fee.
The new Community Activity Punch Card makes it easy for people to pay in advance – no need to worry about carrying cash to class anymore.
For more information contact: admin [at] mansonshall [dot] org
Community Hosted Programs
Finally, there are several community organizations who pay the discounted Community Program rate to host closed group sessions, or community activities open to all that are sliding scale, low cost or no cost to members. These organizations are paying an annual or monthly rent in exchange for the discounted Community Program rate to host different activities. For example, the Cortes Isand Seniors Society host free weekly carpet bowling open to all. Most recently they hosted a drop-in pay what you want T’ai Chi class in the Om Studio, collecting donations for their other programs. Other examples include CCHA hosting Teen Scene events, the SRD hosting community town halls, and long term tenants hosting monthly board meetings.
* Community Program Rental Rates: Main Hall = $10 / hr Pioneer Room = $7.5 / hr Om Studio = $7.5 for 2 hrs