{"id":486,"date":"2012-02-04T16:09:24","date_gmt":"2012-02-04T23:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/?p=486"},"modified":"2012-02-04T16:28:03","modified_gmt":"2012-02-04T23:28:03","slug":"my-life-as-a-starship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/2012\/02\/my-life-as-a-starship\/","title":{"rendered":"My Life as a Starship"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a>I am a Trekker. \u00a0I am not ashamed to admit that I own an (original series) Captain’s uniform (don’t call it a costume, please), my own set of “Vulcan ears” and an eclectic array of items both purchased and received as gifts including, yes, my very own tribble<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a kid, countless idyllic Saturday nights began with a Star Trek rerun (at 6pm on Channel 11 in New York) on a black & white TV while the babysitter heated up my frozen pizza as my parents departed for a night of theatre or opera in the City.<\/p>\n

Of course, I have seen every episode of every show and every movie. \u00a0I’m a true Star Trek omnivore – eager and appreciative of every incarnation past, present & future.<\/p>\n

I share this because I want you to know how SURPRISED I was to recently discover a question about the Star Trek universe that I had never before thought to ask – and it bears direct relevance to the work of those of us who work in the non-profit arts & cultural sector.<\/p>\n

Why does the Starship Enterprise have two “nacelles?”<\/strong> \u00a0(I am referring, of course, to the torpedo-shaped appendages that extend from the Starship’s stern and which are responsible for enabling the ship to attain “warp speed.”)<\/p>\n

A non-profit organization is a lot like a Starship. \u00a0They are both “mission-based” institutions navigated by an experienced crew whose skills, experiences, talents and interactions with each other enable the ship to visit “strange new worlds” – or if you will allow, “to seek out new art forms and civilizations.”<\/p>\n

The “saucer section” of our ship (our stages, galleries, festival spaces and the like) is dedicated to our mission of exploration \u00a0The cause is never-ending. \u00a0It is where the crew conducts research, interacts with other species and considers its place in the universe.<\/p>\n

Below deck is the area dedicated to engineering. \u00a0Our administrative offices are the “engine room” where we work to harness the power of the “warp core” to sustain the crew and advance our mighty Starship through space. \u00a0From those mechanics extend the\u00a0two “nacelles” that specifically drive the Starship forward.<\/p>\n

We understand that “money” is the fuel of any company’s or organization’s engine room. \u00a0But what are the “nacelles” that they power?<\/p>\n

For the non-profit organization, they are: \u00a0“Philanthropy”<\/strong> and “Entrepreneurship.”<\/strong><\/p>\n