Non-profit management

Repeatedly whipsawed by state budget emergencies, and by swings in the public's perception of what art is and how government ought to support it, state arts agencies are developing innovative ways to refocus their efforts from supporting arts providers through grant-giving to the larger public benefits of their work. Tiny agencies often overlooked among the welter of much larger line items in state budgets, they nonetheless have considerable impact in determining the destinies of arts providers, and the different constituencies they serve.

"While arts organizations are skilled at devising creative ways to pursue audience engagement, choosing the right strategy for the right circumstances can be guesswork," writes Michael Moore, director of the The Wallace Foundation's arts program.

This landmark RAND study offers arts providers a methodical way to avoid hit-and-miss audience-building efforts that waste scarce resources and arrive instead at more clear-headed, effective strategies.

2004, 58 pages, Performing Arts Research Coalition, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 810, Washington, D.C., 20005

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2010, 16 pages, The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20037, (202) 833-7200 http://www.urban.org

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   Arts and Non-arts Partnerships (2.1Mb)

We may go to the opera, live theater, or the symphony, but we don't stop to really think about how much these performances can mean to our daily lives and to our communities. Those performing arts organizations have been concentrating on this issue for years.

This brief is the first of two that summarize results from detailed case studies of the financial management of nine nonprofit organizations. It focuses on the relationship between spending on administration and fundraising and the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations in carrying out their missions. Smaller organizations tended to invest less in organizational infrastructure, resulting in conditions that compromised their effectiveness.

This article takes a look at strategic or effective philanthropy—funding which actively seeks to efficiently achieve a donor's goals—and assesses some ways in which strategic philanthropy is structured.

Free online from the Stanford Social Innovation Review

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   Smart Money (3.35Mb)

At a time when public support of the arts faces a range of challenges, state arts agencies could use a framework to help them better serve the arts community and engage more people in the arts -- thereby elevating these agencies' public value.

Like well-meaning rich aunts, foundations are full of advice for nonprofit organizations and their leaders. From positions of relative financial security and isolated from the risks and challenges confronting most nonprofit executive directors, foundation leaders and program officers issue a constant stream of admonitions: Focus on finding dependable sources of income. Produce measurable results. Evaluate whether you are making a difference. Be strategic, not opportunistic. Build diverse boards. Spend more time on advocacy. Collaborate with other organizations.