Removing Overhead Ratio As A Measure Is Not Enough
On Non-Profit Quarterly Claire Knowlton wrote a piece advocating for moving past a focus on overhead costs and direct program expenses in favor of full funding of non-profits by foundations.…
On Non-Profit Quarterly Claire Knowlton wrote a piece advocating for moving past a focus on overhead costs and direct program expenses in favor of full funding of non-profits by foundations.…
Since I was on the subject of how people value the arts yesterday, I thought I would call attention to a post that appeared on HowlRound last summer. Edward Einhorn wrote about Money Lab, a …
Last week I briefly noted that people and businesses often value being in a community in which arts organizations are present, even if they don’t participate in their activities. I men…
Dan Pink called attention to publisher Penguin Random House’s recent decision to no longer require job applicants to have a university degree. From what I see in corroborating stories,…
In Non Profit Quarterly, Ruth McCambridge wrote a pretty involved comparison between the stakeholder revolts which reversed board decisions to close San Diego Opera and Sweet Briar College. …
I almost threw money away, literally. I received piece a mail last week bearing the logo of a state university indicating a survey was enclosed. I was just about to throw it away when I beca…
Having a clear decision making process in an arts organization is important. With everyone wearing different hats and assuming different responsibilities as the situation warrants, sometimes…
Last summer Vox had a post, Everyone can be an opera buff. Here are 7 steps to get started. It got me thinking that creating page like this on an arts organization’s website could be a…
Last Wednesday I made a post about non-profit arts organizations deserving to expect a little more of their customer relationship management (CRM) software. I briefly referenced the fact tha…
Last month, I wrote about attending a session at creative industry conference where Marc Folk, Executive Director of The Arts Commission in Toledo, spoke about learning that one needs to go …
Publishing a Wish List of needed items is a longstanding practice among non-profits. Historically, it has been difficult to keep the list brief but also provide a useful description of t…
At my day job, we have been looking into the possibility of getting a new ticketing system. We have passed the RFP (request for proposal) deadline and are evaluating the submissions. One of …
Dan Pink tweeted a story by Art Markman on the Inc magazine site, “4 Things You Learned in School That Make You Less Creative.” I often talk about how artists and arts organizati…
Back in September, Seth Godin wrote a short post on the idea of doing one’s best. It’s a pretty easy way to let ourselves (or someone else) off the hook. “Hey, you did your…
So here we are on the crux of a new year. People start toying with the idea of changing their lives and perhaps their careers. What would you tell someone who wanted to enter your career abo…
The non-profit sector is getting more organized and sophisticated about fundraising and general solicitation of support through vehicles like Kickstarter and Giving Tuesday. At the same time…
Some years ago I wrote a “road less taken” entry encouraging people not to measure their worth against the progress others have made by quoting a passage from Joseph Campbell rec…
As I was looking back in my archives for some content to post about, I came across Dan Gioia’s 2007 commencement address at Stanford. He acknowledges there had been a little controvers…
I am traveling to see family for the holidays so I have a couple retrospective posts scheduled to cover my absence. If you are traveling or just have a little time off over the holidays, may…
Erm, I mean, I am featured on Goldstar’s Selling Out blog. A post with an interview they did with me went up online yesterday. I had a lot to say and I give them credit for includi…
About a week ago I was at a conference that was addressing creative placemaking and revitalizing communities. Mary Cusick from TourismOhio made a presentation on the new tourism campaign tha…
About a week ago, I think it was Dan Pink that tweeted a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article titled “Why Creative People Are More Likely to Be Dishonest.” I bookmarked it, but …
I was attending a creative industry conference today which gave me a lot to think about. One of the topics that came up was creative placemaking. Right now that is a big push for improving c…
I recently got around to reading the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) special report on internships in arts fields. There is a lot of interesting findings in the 23 page report…
You sit on the board of an arts organization and a situation arises where the executive director will be departing. Should the board leave the position vacant, appoint a board member or empl…