After a near-death experience, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society has survived. For the past decade, the nonprofit ran deficits of about $30,000 per year on its $1-million budget. Last year, thanks to rain and ambitious new projects, the deficit was a scary $110,000. In fall 2004, the society simply ran out of cash.

"It looked a little dicey," the chair of the society's board of directors, John Kidder, told the Straight.

Software engineer and small-business owner Kidder (the brother of actor Margot Kidder) took over as chair three months ago but served on the board at the time of the crisis. It wasn't so much a fiery event, he said, as "an encounter with our financial statements."

The society was so in debt, it missed paying some of its suppliers on time. Immediately, the board hired a new accountant and bookkeeper and set a new course.

The first goal: to make the festival pay for itself every year with no deficit. Kidder pointed out that a $30,000 deficit on a $1-million budget is not very much, and small tweaks will make it go away. Those tweaks include axing the shade tents, adding eight percent onto the price of walk-in admissions, and charging those 65 and over $20 for the weekend. In the past, the festival was always free for seniors.

The second goal: to eliminate the organization's $450,000 debt within five years. (It is already down to $390,000.) New individual and corporate sponsorship opportunities, coupled with sound financial management and help from the Canada Revenue Agency, will make that possible. A monthly festival sponsorship program, in amounts of $10 and more, will be made available. Kidder pointed out that the debt represents about $30 per festival guest.

The third goal: to strengthen the board. In the past, the festival was run by festival lovers above all else. Now the board is hoping for new members with backgrounds in business, law, and finance as well.

"We'll have champagne at the park when the debt is gone," Kidder said. "It will just be an enormous celebration. We'll have a small party this year when we make it sustainable. "