I’d like to take a different approach to consideration of mission in this post from the previous two. This one is less directly about the relationship between mission and community engagement (although two of the examples deal, very explicitly, with that). What I’m interested in here is the power that can come from factoring market realities into adopting a mission. Identifying a valuable market niche and staking your mission there can yield … [Read more...]
Engaged Mission: II
April 20, 2013 by 1 Comment
In Engaged Mission: I, I suggested that service to people is/ought to be a fundamental element of the understanding of our mission, whether or not it is formally articulated in a mission statement. I think that is probably not too controversial. It’s the extent of the service and the way we carry it out that could be a little more challenging for us. In the simplistic graphic I presented last time, I tried to show that art as only service … [Read more...]
Engaged Mission: I
April 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
When I first outlined my series of posts on mainstreaming community engagement I had not intended to address mission. I did not want to (nor did I think it necessary) to “take on” the definition of our core principles in addressing modes of mainstreaming engagement. However, as the posts and associated workshops have developed, I have come to the realization that, while I don’t necessarily advocate for rewriting “mission statements,” … [Read more...]
Engaged Fundraising: II
April 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
When last we met, I talked about community engaged fundraising providing the option of gaining us access to more diverse funding sources. [Engaged Fundraising: I (More Pies)] Here, I am revisiting the "math" of a former post (Arts 2.0: 40k x $25=$1M) in which I waxed rhapsodic about the potential of crowdsourced fundraising. (NB: As yet another reminder, in these mainstreaming engagement posts I am addressing only those individuals or … [Read more...]
Engaged Fundraising: I (More Pies)
April 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There is probably no element of the nonprofit arts management structure that better understands the importance of relationships than the development department. Fundraisers spend their life initiating, fostering, and maintaining relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations. Especially with respect to individual donors, they have great clarity about the fact that effective relationship building takes time, often … [Read more...]
Engaged Marketing: Sales
March 30, 2013 by 1 Comment
I am in the process of considering marketing as part of my ongoing series on mainstreaming community engagement–figuring out how to be engaged without adding a lot of new "stuff" to do. Here, I want to discuss how the sales process can be "engaging." (NB: In posts on mainstreaming engagement, I am addressing only those individuals or organizations that want broader and deeper relationships with their communities but are uncertain how to … [Read more...]
Engaged Marketing: Research
March 27, 2013 by 2 Comments
In my ongoing effort to imagine arts management structures/practices/programs in a community engagement context (what I call mainstreaming engagement), I'm in the midst of several posts attempting to do that with marketing. In the beginning (Engaged Marketing: Introduction), I discussed (with myself) what marketing is–a task not without its own difficulties. (My conclusions, grossly oversimplified, were that 1) Marketing included but was not … [Read more...]
Engaged Marketing: Introduction
March 23, 2013 by 2 Comments
Talk about "where angels fear to tread." OK, I'm going to start a series of posts dealing with marketing from a community engagement perspective. I simply ask for a little forbearance. I believe my difficulty is that people have in their heads so many different ideas about what marketing is. I began some of my early comments in this blog with what I now acknowledge to be a somewhat narrow (though largely unconscious) understanding that … [Read more...]
A Board of Engagers
March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Previously (The Board as Engagers), I discussed considering one role of the board to be that of relationship engine. That would lead recruitment processes to include relationship capital as one criteria for membership. I also acknowledged, at the end, that that might not be immediately possible, practical, or even advisable in all situations and promised an alternative. That's what we're about here. (NB: In posts on mainstreaming engagement, I … [Read more...]
The Board as Engagers
March 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Today we consider nonprofit governance from a community engagement perspective, specifically the make-up and function of the nonprofit board of directors. Most arts administrators understand boards as resource engines. We have a history (understandably) of populating our boards with moneyed people or people who know moneyed people. They clearly represent financial resources. In Governance as Leadership authors Richard P. Chait, William P. Ryan … [Read more...]
Recent Comments
richard Kooyman on The Arts Benefit from Engagement
Real engagement with art. http://channel.louisiana.dk/video/siri-hustved-art-memoryrichard kooyman on The Arts Benefit from Engagement
Doug, I think you might have it exactly backwards. A good case could be made that the respect...Stephen Pritchard on More on Artists and Engagement
Good debate. Quick response. Are Lion King sequels, popularist propaganda and American Idol REALLY what 'people' WANT? Is art in any...Larry Murray on More on Artists and Engagement
One size does not fit all. There is no one art that fits both Joe and Jody Sixpack and Mr....richard Kooyman on More on Artists and Engagement
Doug, Thank you for allowing me to have a conversation with you regarding artists, their role in society, and the...Sally Whitwell on I Blame Beethoven
I like your "hyperbolic" heading! But yes, the word 'blame' carries with it the potential for much controversy, so...Craig Fleming on Shifting the Center
A Venn diagram is crucial.Doug Borwick on I Blame Beethoven
These are terribly complex issues, admittedly not well suited to this form of discourse. I've got two more posts coming...richard kooyman on I Blame Beethoven
In the 1950's governmental officials and policy makers were concerned about the United State's standing in the world and our...John "Moe" Moore on Equity/Diversity/Change
Haven't heard back from you in a few weeks Carl. Are you around? JM