The 2010 Nashville Pride Festival was popular with vendors and attendees, and also generated enough income to almost retire debt that the organization had been

A $5 entry fee at the 2010 Nashville Pride Festival, along with other new measures, has helped the event trim its outstanding debts significantly. Photo by Justin Philalack.

The festival itself and surrounding events costs around $100,000 to stage, according to organizers, and a few years ago had begun to slip into the red. To combat that, this year the planners instituted a $5 cover charge, revamped sponsorship and vendor arrangements and also created a Core 100 membership campaign that allows individuals to buy into the event at levels ranging from $75 to $250.

“Pride has been operating in a deficit for the past four years,” said Randall Roop, president. “The festival was near extinction as mounting debts continued paralyze the organization, and so the Nashville Pride Board of Directors and committee members have implemented changes to pay off old debt and still provide the city with a world-class festival.”

After 2009, Pride’s organizers carried $30,000 of old debt into the 2010 fiscal year, but this year Nashville Pride was able to fund the festival in full and pay $22,000 of past debt, leaving an overall deficit of only $8,000 heading into 2011, Roop said.

“Nashville Pride attributes its financial comeback to the overwhelming support from the festival admission, fresh approach to corporate sponsorship and the Core 100 Membership Program,” Roop said. “Without the dedicated support of the Core 100 members the deficit would be a larger number.”

The Core 100 packages will be improved upon for 2011 and beyond, Roop added, noting that those interested in those, or in getting involved in Nashville Pride as a volunteer or other contributor, can visit www.nashvillepride.org for updated information throughout the year.