Economic Turmoil and Change

“The question I am now hearing more than any other from people associated with orchestras goes something like this: “What effect is the current economic crisis going to have on orchestras?” If I could answer that accurately, I would be … Continue reading →

“An obvious, crucial, and (on this blog) overdue question – how will the economic mess affect classical music? In the short run, it won’t be pretty. Yesterday I recorded a short broadcast for the BBC, about the state of the … Continue reading →

“How can a half trillion dollars of tax-exempt assets sitting in foundation coffers help the U.S. overcome the deepening national economic recession? As the Rockefeller Foundation observed in July based on a public opinion survey co-sponsored by Time Magazine, Americans … Continue reading →

The Foundation Center’s new online feature, Focus on the Economic Crisis, provides a wide array of resources to help nonprofits and foundations alike as they face the challenges of an unstable economy. Updated regularly, it includes interactive maps showing the … Continue reading →

“In Ireland, artists pay no income tax on earnings below 250,000 euros. In Scandinavian countries, artists deemed to have made significant contributions over the course of a lifetime receive special recognition—and income support—from the government. In Australia, legislation allows artists … Continue reading →

“Theater, the most popular performing art form in the country, is big business. The Broadway League estimates its producers’ shows grossed nearly $2 billion in New York and on the road last season. Nonprofit regional theaters, meanwhile, generated almost as … Continue reading →

“While it could take them more than a year to completely consolidate, the charitable-services groups at Wachovia and Wells Fargo have begun sharing information about their respective strategies and the scope of their operations. And in the wake of the … Continue reading →

“During these troubled times, what lies in store for the nonprofit sector, and what do we need to do about it? Along with every family in America, the nonprofit sector is wondering about its future. Will we miraculously survive as … Continue reading →

“It was clear during the campaign which aspiring leader of the free world was the arts candidate. Barack Obama—his earnest mug the inspiration for a thousand loving portraits—had a brief but strong voting record on arts issues and a platform … Continue reading →

“The Obama transition has stayed pretty disciplined in keeping appointments under wraps until they become official. But it increasingly looks like Michael Dorf, a Chicago attorney who has played key roles in shaping arts policy in both his city and … Continue reading →