It's time to re-invent and re-envision. Here’s how.
For years, we have seen overall American private charitable giving increase, while giving to the arts has decreased.
Public funding for the arts had decreased well before the current president took office and threatened to abolish the NEA. So, in this current context, the recent stimulus allocation to the arts was a gut punch.
And now the cultural sector is experiencing a massive loss of earned revenue. With opening dates unknown, some organizations will not make it through 2020.
Recent reports from UNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) indicate that the closures could cause 1 in 8 museums in the world to close permanently. ICOM reports that for those surviving, over 80% predict they will need to cut programming, and believe that both public and private funding sources are in jeopardy:
There has been an assumption that smaller organizations will absolutely fold. I recently contributed to an article by Mike Scutari at Inside Philanthropy about whether large or small institutions are at greater risk and why — Billionaire Donors May Prevent a Museum Meltdown, but Which Institutions Will Be Saved? While there is the belief that big institutions have a better chance for survival, from what I am seeing the assumption that large organizations will fare better may not totally be the case.
Yes, larger organizations typically have endowments, regional or national name recognition, and more major donors with deep capacity. But in my work with smaller nonprofits, those that are in good financial shape are confident in their ability to survive this crisis.
Why?
For both large and small institutions, those that have done the hard, innovative, and honest fundraising and community engagement work pre-COVID — and not relied mainly on earned revenue — feel optimistic and are taking the time to re-tool their programs to best align with this moment. Being nimble is key, and small organizations can frequently be more nimble; it's easier to turn a smaller boat.
A great example of this is the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. Director Simone Wicha conducted an incredible pivot to keep staff employed while playing to their interests and strengths. She matched over 30 employees with new, necessary projects specific to lockdown. Wicha told Artnet News: “From the beginning, I realized my team would likely be idle for at least four to six months and we needed to reinvent…What also was clear was that social distancing would be needed for a much longer time frame, so budgeting would be different for a very long time.” Team silos evaporated, as employees collaborated to steward donors, design collateral, research artists, update the website for greater use, and more. Who cares if it’s not in their job title! If staff have an allegiance to the organization, they will embrace new challenges and opportunities as they expand their skill set. This is professional development at its most effective. (Read more in Wicha’s article in The Wall Street Journal.)
In the cultural sector, we are past the point of talking amongst ourselves about the vital need for the arts in society. Now is the time to prove it. It’s time to re-invent, re-envision, and let go of the old assumptions and business models. To start, here is what I advise organizations to do:
1. Talk to peer organizations
It’s quite surprising how infrequently peer organizations speak to each other. One interviewee in the 2019 Arts Funders Forum (AFF) research study put it like this: “Art organizations have real opportunity to collaborate in a number of obvious ways, so it’s almost like they CHOOSE not to.” Especially for smaller organizations, it’s time to discuss options for collaboration and even merging — merging to create one large, well-funded organization could certainly help carry out the mission more effectively.
2. Retool the narrative to show how you’re relevant
Organizations should think of themselves as conduits to the cause. How is the work you’re doing helping your community, ESPECIALLY right now? Pivot to make that impact even more significant and obvious, aligned with your current vision, using your staff and resources. For example, artist collectives and support & advocacy organizations have never been more vital — people want to help artists directly during this time. People also want to make an impact in their community, providing stability and assistance. By the nature of an art organization’s mission, you are particularly primed for this moment. Show that.
3. Don’t recycle old shows, tell your story by developing innovative narratives
Streaming the spring season from 2016? Instead, consider showing backstage footage or rehearsals, explaining how the work is made, what it costs to produce, documenting the creative process, following a member of the staff around for the day to shed light on their work, interviewing long-term audience members about their commitment, profiling local businesses who benefit from the existence of the art organization’s presence in the community. Show what goes into this industry and prove its relevance.
4. Engage in grassroots fundraising
Keep your donors aware of these pivots, and tell them how you are responding to the needs of the community. Call donors and talk about impact and solutions. Ask them how they would like to help, partner, contribute. In addition to your own outreach, utilize tools such as Kickstarter, which is now welcoming organizations to submit projects under its new Lights On initiative, and notes that even in this crisis moment, backers are still showing up to support creative work.