{"id":820,"date":"2025-06-17T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=820"},"modified":"2025-05-10T04:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T04:31:18","slug":"the-con-is-on-raising-emergency-money-at-the-expense-of-everyone-else-is-not-a-heroic-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/06\/17\/the-con-is-on-raising-emergency-money-at-the-expense-of-everyone-else-is-not-a-heroic-act\/","title":{"rendered":"SUMMER RERUN: The Con Is On \u2013 Raising Emergency Money at the Expense of Everyone Else Is Not a Heroic Act"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Especially when you leave the premises just before the devastation and claim victory<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
That sucking sound you’re hearing is money being siphoned off to the black hole of nonprofit arts emergency campaigns.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t believe that this is not only still happening, but that you\u2019re allowing it to happen<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, May 8, 2025, Portland Center Stage launched a $9 million emergency fundraising campaign<\/a> \u2014 another company utilizing the corrupt Oral Roberts School of Fundraising concept \u2014 saying that unless it can raise the first part of the funds, $2.5 million, by Aug. 31, \u201cthe theater will cease operations.\u201d<\/em> This is the latest in a series of bad decisions not only by the company and the city, but by nonprofit arts organizations who still believe that they needn’t change the way in which they do business. Instead, like the scene in “Blazing Saddles,” they point the gun at their own heads and say, “Fund us or we’ll kill us.” This article, written in early 2024 about another company in San Francisco, talks about the truth behind bad decisions like this one \u2014 that it robs foundation and other contributed revenue from other, smaller, more effective organizations in the region.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The San Francisco Bay area is geographically and demographically large. Stretching across nine counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma), there are almost 8 million people living there. Unlike what you may be reading in the right-wing press, the population in the last 10 years has grown well above the national rate, 8.6% vs. 7.4%. A relatively high cost of living has not stemmed the tide of people who love the Bay Area. Maybe those folks on that one particular basic cable channel only consider White population when they look at these things. At 39.1%, the White population comprises a plurality of the population, but certainly not the majority. So maybe that particular cable channel is comprised of White supremacists and people should not believe anything they might be saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this isn\u2019t about supremacy or privilege, although, I suppose on some level, everything in the nonprofit arts industry in 2024 is about that. Or should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walmart possesses a lot of privilege, and the question as to whether that privilege is earned or not is still pending. On the one hand, they are a major employer, offer items below the cost of its competitors, and can provide complementary income to adjacent businesses if in a mall. According to a 2024 report by Brandi Colero-Jones in Business News Daily<\/a>, \u201cWhen a Walmart moves into a retail space, it serves as an anchor store that\u2019s attractive to other businesses trying to choose the right business location. The store\u2019s low prices attract consumers from nearby communities, and when consumers are in the area, they\u2019re more likely to spend money at surrounding businesses. Companies flocking to a Walmart mall may draw business from people who might not otherwise be in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, \u201c\u2026each new Walmart store decreases the local community\u2019s economic output over 20 years by an estimated $13 million. The research also discovered that each Walmart store costs the community an additional $14 million in lost wages over the next 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazon, the e-tail giant based in my hometown of Seattle, is similar in negative effect. Worse, if you count the fact that it paid no income tax at all in 2019 and 2020<\/a>. It forces its communities not only to pay lower wages, but to fewer people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cAnother angle of the jobs conversation is how many jobs Amazon is eliminating as big chains like Sears, Toys ‘R Us, and Pier 1 Imports bite the dust. Consider how much the company is hurting other retailers, forcing them to shutter stores and cut back on costs. Job gains at Amazon may not contribute to overall employment.\u201d <\/p>\n– Mrinalini Krishna, Investopedia<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And if those national chains with long histories and devoted shopping bases are going belly-up, imagine how bad the local downtown, the bedrock of American retail business, is doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Small business, which accounts for most of the retail in the United States, is not well. That on the left results in that on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

America\u2019s small business community is in crisis, put there in no small part by its large business enterprises doing what it believes is best for itself and its stakeholders \u2013 and those companies congratulate themselves constantly for being resilient (even though they were the ones who sucked all the money out of the system for themselves).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

America\u2019s nonprofit arts community is in crisis, put there in no small part by nonprofit arts organizations doing what they believe is best for themselves and their stakeholders \u2013 and those companies congratulate themselves constantly for being resilient (even though they were the ones who sucked all the money out of the system for themselves).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book Scene Change: Why Today\u2019s Nonprofit Arts Organizations Have to Stop Producing Art and Start Producing Impact<\/a><\/em>, there is an entire chapter devoted to the \u201cOral Roberts School of Fundraising\u201d (ORSF), its shortcomings, and the caustic audacity and unearned privilege it takes to embark on such a campaign. Read the book for information on the grand con of Oral Roberts and his eponymous medical school. As for the arts, essentially, the scheme can be described as a grift where, with all the feigned innocence of puppy dog eyes, a near-bankrupt nonprofit arts organization discloses that it will close its doors unless it raises an inordinately high amount of cash in an inordinately low amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
This is a photo by Sharon Snider from Pexels. No animals were harmed in the creation of this image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Results from a \u201csuccessful\u201d ORSF campaign ultimately destroy the environment in which the nonprofit arts organization is living. From the book<\/a>, referencing ACT Theatre in Seattle as an early adopter of ORSF:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short-term successes have been far outweighed by the long-term duress on the shoulders of ACT (\u201cI just gave you a bunch of money\u2014now you need more?\u201d), other arts organizations during these campaigns (\u201cI gave to ACT so I have no money left for you\u201d), and a new trust deficit in the whole industry (\u201cIf I give you money, how do I know you won\u2019t just close anyway and pocket it?\u201d). When I asked a prominent stakeholder for ACT whether they were aware of the negative effect that their ORSF campaign had had on the entire arts community in Seattle, the response was unbelievably cynical and cold-blooded: \u201cMy theater was about to go out of business and we needed the money. My job has nothing to do with the rest of the community.\u201d

In other words, \u201cI don\u2019t care if every other nonprofit arts organization closes down, as long as mine doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>— \u00a9 2024, Alan Harrison<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And yet, here we are again. TheatreWorks in the San Francisco Bay Area (specifically Silicon Valley), just \u201csucceeded\u201d in its ORSF shell game, reportedly raising $4 million between August and November 2023<\/a>. The executive director, an incredibly talented arts leader, just copied what ACT Theatre had done. As someone who has been in the business for 30 years, I had been impressed by the body of work this executive director had done in the past and used to believe that she was among the most competent in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not anymore. Jeez. Talk about privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that the initial money has been raised (to the detriment of all the other arts organizations in that community), she\u2019s leaving in June. In essence, she\u2019s walking out the saloon doors and announcing: \u201cAin\u2019t I grand? Gotta go, and, well, let the chips fall where they may.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cutting Ball Theatre, another nonprofit arts organization in San Francisco, seeing that as a path forward for itself, just embarked on a smaller version of ORSF. They announced that they have to raise $200,000 between February and June. With an annual budget of roughly $750,000, this is a big hill to climb for them. And if it \u201csucceeds,\u201d it shows that they have as much regard for the Bay Area theater community as TheatreWorks \u2013 which is to say, \u201cF*** off, we got ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Are TheatreWorks and Cutting Ball acting like Amazon and Walmart? The parallel is not perfect, mostly because Amazon and Walmart have the luxury of being able to lose money and still gain value because of avenues of funding that nonprofits just don\u2019t get to have (venture capital, to name one). Still, putting the onus on everyone else\u2019s shoulders because you don\u2019t really care about what happens to them \u2013 that\u2019s right on brand, isn\u2019t it? And the saddest part is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When TheatreWorks inevitably gets in financial trouble again (as ACT Theatre did), they\u2019ll likely pull an ORSF extortion a second time (as ACT Theatre did). Maybe they\u2019ll just close, as so many others have done, and another company will take their place, as they themselves had done. I mean, has everyone forgotten that there used to be a company called San Jos\u00e9 Rep, which established itself in the vacuum left by the demise of American Musical Theatre of San Jos\u00e9?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a nonprofit arts organization becomes more obsessed with survival than its charitable work\u2014the key to indispensability for its community\u2014this is the kind of thing that happens. To turn an American Express slogan on its head, \u201cPrivilege has its members.\u201d Sorry, San Francisco. You deserve better than these charlatans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
You’re going to want to pick up a bunch of books for your board of directors. Contact alan@501c3.guru<\/a> to get a substantial discount.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From 2024: That sucking sound you’re hearing is money being siphoned off to the black hole of nonprofit arts emergency campaigns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,22,100,40,32,25,23,19,18,17,27,99],"tags":[55,41,108],"class_list":{"0":"post-820","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-board-of-trustees","10":"category-book-recommendation","11":"category-change","12":"category-charity","13":"category-development-and-fundraising","14":"category-executive-director","15":"category-leadership","16":"category-nonprofit","17":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","18":"category-philanthropy-and-donors","19":"category-scene-change","20":"tag-backlash","21":"tag-fundraising","22":"tag-oral-roberts","23":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Black-hole-money.jpg?fit=1603%2C966&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1683,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/12\/30\/scene-change-3-just-named-to-kirkus-reviews-25-best-indies-of-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":820,"position":0},"title":"“SCENE CHANGE 3” Just Named to Kirkus Reviews’ “25 Best Indies of 2025!”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"December 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're serious about succeeding as a nonprofit arts organization, you're going to want to pick up the trilogy at your favorite bookstore.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1517,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/10\/07\/a-punchy-outspoken-argument-for-how-nonprofit-arts-organizations-should-be-run\/","url_meta":{"origin":820,"position":1},"title":"“A PUNCHY, OUTSPOKEN ARGUMENT FOR HOW NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE RUN.”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"An example-driven new map to success in the realm of nonprofit theater.\" \u2014 Kirkus Reviews.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scene Change, Scene Change 2, and Scene Change 3 - 3 books to improve your arts organization","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":124,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2022\/12\/13\/a-nonprofit-arts-leaders-christmas-carol\/","url_meta":{"origin":820,"position":2},"title":"A Nonprofit Arts Leader’s Christmas Carol","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"December 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"To the tune of \u201cHere We Go A-Wassailing,\u201d to kick off your nonprofit holiday\u00a0season (with apologies to all)...","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/GTC-Holiday-letter.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/GTC-Holiday-letter.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/GTC-Holiday-letter.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":543,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2023\/09\/19\/if-your-nonprofit-arts-organizations-audience-is-comprised-solely-of-ticket-buyers-you-missed-the-point-the-boat-and-your-chance\/","url_meta":{"origin":820,"position":3},"title":"If Your Nonprofit Arts Organization\u2019s Audience Is Comprised Solely of Ticket Buyers, You Missed the Point, the Boat, and Your Chance","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"September 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you stuck by your audience? Are you stuck with your audience? Would you like to get unstuck?","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ripped-ticket1.jpg?fit=1100%2C648&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ripped-ticket1.jpg?fit=1100%2C648&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ripped-ticket1.jpg?fit=1100%2C648&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ripped-ticket1.jpg?fit=1100%2C648&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ripped-ticket1.jpg?fit=1100%2C648&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":977,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/07\/23\/last-of-the-summer-whine\/","url_meta":{"origin":820,"position":4},"title":"Last of the Summer Whine","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"July 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"If yours is an elitist organization whereby donors donate so that donors may attend, you have already chosen to take the low road, and the hillside rocks are crumbling, falling right on top of you.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":764,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/02\/20\/nonprofit-arts-organizations-just-land-the-mf-plane\/","url_meta":{"origin":820,"position":5},"title":"Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Just Land the M*****F***** Plane!","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Stop. Land. Let the current passengers deplane. Start the conversations with your community leaders.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/fixing-the-plane-while-flying.jpg?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=820"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1408,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions\/1408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}