January 15, 2009 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Arts experts say that communicating to the public the value of arts and culture is more important than ever for the survival of these institutions. They offer the following suggestions for steps groups can take now to get through these tough financial times and be ready to go full speed when the economy improves:
Look at your board. Find ways to make it stronger, and lose those board members who aren’t so helpful to your organization, says Michael M. Kaiser, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington. “There are still people out there who want to be generous and who want to be involved, and we have to get them. We can’t lose time,” he says.
Ask for matching grants. Mr. Kaiser recommends asking foundations or major donors to offer to match gifts from other contributors made during a set time. “If you can, get one or several donors to put together a large challenge grant,” he says. “You become more competitive for funding because that gift goes much further.”
Cut wisely. Trimming expenses is crucial, but so is maintaining the integrity of programs, Mr. Kaiser says. “That doesn’t mean you don’t cut at the margins of your programming, but cutting programming comes last, not first.”
When it comes to cutting jobs, make sure you consider longand short-term needs. “When we come out of this, you want to make sure you haven’t lost your institutional memory,” says Ford W. Bell of the American Association of Museums. “You don’t want to delay being up and running when the economy improves.”
Market your organization. Mr. Kaiser says groups should focus on “institutional marketing,” meaning marketing to create excitement about a group’s mission. “Many organizations are pulling in, feeling now is the time to be quiet and to be shy,” he says. “This is not true. Now is the time to be out there and talking about your merits because we are competing very hard now, more intensively with other not-for-profits for the funding that exists.” He adds: “Those that do great work and market it well are the ones that are going to get the resources.”
