{"id":2313,"date":"2013-07-22T10:15:41","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/artfulmanager\/?p=2313"},"modified":"2013-07-22T10:45:05","modified_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:45:05","slug":"all-revenue-comes-at-a-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/artfulmanager\/main\/all-revenue-comes-at-a-cost.php","title":{"rendered":"All revenue comes at a cost"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cost<\/a>

SOURCE: Flickr user photosteve101<\/p><\/div>\n

It is a natural state of being in a nonprofit arts organization to be searching for more and different sources of revenue. Nonprofits are nonprofits, after all, because they produce or present or preserve work that costs more than it can generate in direct revenue. So there’s always a gap between direct revenue and expenses. And that gap yawps constantly, like a hungry pup. Yawp.<\/p>\n

But so often when I hear arts groups (boards, staff, artists, whatever) talk about potential revenue sources, they skip a rather essential truth: all revenue comes at a cost. Whether it’s earned or contributed, through direct activity or side venture, as a gift or a grant or a subsidy, every nickel of revenue costs you something to discover and receive. Those costs can come in many forms:<\/p>\n