A Halloween poem for the nonprofit arts leaders among you. Laugh at your own peril. With apologies to the Poes. Once upon a desk so dusty, while I called a sixteenth trustee, All about a new donation that would keep open our door— While I wept and gave a holler, “Oh, why can’t we raise a dollar?” And the tightness of my collar made me sweat profusely … [Read more...] about The Craven
Leadership
“But That’s Not What We Do.” – Indeed. And That’s Why You’re Closing, Nonprofit Arts Organizations.
No one else cares what you do or how well you do it. They care about why your community is made better by you having done it. It’s college football season in the United States. Not the “beautiful game,” but a completely different game in which the foot is used on the ball sparingly. Still warmish in many places, possibly some wildfires and hurricanes still going on, but … [Read more...] about “But That’s Not What We Do.” – Indeed. And That’s Why You’re Closing, Nonprofit Arts Organizations.
$500,000,000 a Year for Five Years for Nonprofit Theaters? Wow, Is That Ever a Bad Idea.
Desperation can cause bad and even damaging ideas. Sometimes, those ideas get funded. And then there’s this. I read recently that an informal group that calls itself the Professional Non-Profit Theater Coalition has put forth an effort to get $500,000,000 (five hundred million dollars) per year allocated to nonprofit theater organizations in America. The group has … [Read more...] about $500,000,000 a Year for Five Years for Nonprofit Theaters? Wow, Is That Ever a Bad Idea.
The Present “Presenting Problem” Problem Presents Problems for Nonprofit Arts Organizations
How do you determine the difference between your company’s suspected real issues and the actual real issues? What happens when you’re wrong? Presenting problem: Our nonprofit arts organization is broke. Real problem: Our nonprofit arts organization chooses to continue to provide art and nothing more, believing that the production of our version of art is a universal … [Read more...] about The Present “Presenting Problem” Problem Presents Problems for Nonprofit Arts Organizations
Ren Faires vs Basements: How Risky Is Nonprofit Art When No One Dies If You Fail?
I’ve had this completely wacky, unfounded theory of the production of art on a stage. It’s called, for lack of a better name, “Ren Faire vs Basement.” The theory goes that “Ren Faire” art (art presented at a Renaissance Faire, Fringe Festival, or by buskers, improv groups, and standups) uses approximately the same process during respective creations. The key is: they don’t … [Read more...] about Ren Faires vs Basements: How Risky Is Nonprofit Art When No One Dies If You Fail?