PRO BONO IN THE ARTSA LOOK INSIDE TAPROOT'S ARTS GRANTEES

THE PROBLEMISSUES FACING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TODAY

MIDDLE-CLASS ARTS

ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE

BU

DG

ET

CAPITALCAPACITY

MIDDLE-CLASS ARTS

ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE

BU

DG

ET

FLEXIBILITY

UNDERLYING ISSUES

Budget Cuts

• 61% in 2010 1

Grants

• Fewer General Operating opportunities2

Business Contributions

• 43% down to 28%3

Market Loss

• Uniqueness of product 4

For Arts Organizations, we are really challenged with trying to communicate the value of Art…we need to demonstrate the ability of art to develop new ways of problem solving, and creative thinking.

--Nonprofit Respondent

MISSING LINKS

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

NEW BUSINESS MODELS

AUDIENCE

KEYS TO SUCCESS

METHODS

16 Taproot Grantees

Examined Key Issues

Worked with the Positive Deviance Model

POSITIVE DEVIANCEA METHODOLOGY FOR UNDERSTANDING SUCCESS

In every community there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behaviors and strategies enable them to find better solutions to problems than their peers, while having access to the same resources and facing similar or worse challenges.

Positive Deviance Initiative

POSITIVE DEVIANCE

Solutions to seemingly intractable problems already exist

They have been discovered by members of the community

Succeed in spite of the obstacles and constraints shared by their community

BRIGHT SPOTS

AMPLIFICATION

IDENTIFY DEVIANTS

NEW PRACTICES

PRACTICE NEW

BEHAVIOR

RESPONDENTS

HISTORY WITH PRO BONO

COACHING

BOARDPRO BONO

MARKET RESEARCH

STRATEGIC PLANNING

LEADERSHIPCAPITAL

STRATEGY

PRICING

RESPONSES

CRITICAL ISSUES

AUDIENCE

CODIFYSERVICES

BUDGET

RESERVES

BOARD

RESPONSES

CRITICAL ISSUES

AUDIENCE

CODIFYSERVICES

BUDGET

RESERVES

BOARD

MARKETING

MARKET RESEARCH

HUMAN CAPITAL

MARKETINGHUMAN CAPITAL

MARKETING

Mission Focus

Market Research

• Consistently examine audience needs1

Adopting Social Media to Counteract Digital Competition

“We know what we do and we communicate it well…It is important to be clean and focused on what you are doing and work with that”

-Nonprofit Respondent

HUMAN CAPITAL: BOARDS

Board network and net worth are interchangeable

Board of “Friends” transition

Passion vs. Skill

Board Evolution

“The greatest problem has always been the very important members of the [community] should have served on our board were engaged in other things or other theatrical activities.”

-Nonprofit Respondent

The best thing we can know is who is on the board of foundations, [and] who controls corporate sponsorship, because [our Board] is always willing to help us.

--Nonprofit Respondent

Two new people can change an entire board

-Nonprofit Respondent

They are well suited to govern…but I do think what they’re going to need is a solid strategic planning session…I don’t know what would be better

--Nonprofit Respondent

HUMAN CAPITAL: VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer Management

Volunteer Retention

Return on Investment

Conflicts with Unions and Service Enterprise

“Because I manage in a Union environment, I have to be very careful about the perception that volunteers are taking over employee’s positions or roles. However, I do agree that we could have volunteers take on more responsibilities.”

-Nonprofit Respondent

There is not a lot of commitment…the work that makes them useful is almost not as much as the work you get out of them.

Nonprofit Respondent

We are much more comfortable with our professional staff delivering our programs. The best thing a volunteer can do is write a check and reach out to friends so they can pay the professionals.

Nonprofit Respondent

DEVIANCEMANAGEMENT DISSONANCE THAT SPARKS CHANGE

RESOURCES

Technical assistance

Use consultants wisely

Strategic Planning

Over 60% of respondents have received technical assistance outside of Taproot’s Service Grant Program

HUMAN CAPITAL: LEADERSHIP

Developing Partnerships

Coaching

Peer Learning Environments

“I am less interested in going to networking events and participating in awards…put us in a learning environment of our peers to create a network of leaders”

-Nonprofit Respondent

In our case, we don’t have money to pay for consultants so we try hard to reach out to organizations who will speak [with] us. I think people are willing

--Nonprofit Respondent

We have meetings with other boards to see how they can guide or teach us a little more on how to do things strategically

--Nonprofit Respondent

The future is about partnerships. What’s complicated is how do arts organizations and artists carve a role out for themselves in partnerships. There’s always some “ickyness” to blending that individualistic and inspired front of ideas into what can be a more defined outcome-oriented, entrepreneurial model.

Nonprofit Respondent

HUMAN CAPITAL: VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer Corps

• Cohorts of 20 dedicated volunteers in 5 different areas.

Actors Double as Program Support Volunteers

• Supervised by Board and Staff

53% of respondents use volunteers to accomplish their strategic goals

We rely on them quite heavily. The volunteers take ownership of the place.

-Nonprofit Respondent

RECOMMENDATIONS

POST-PRO BONO TOOLS

Recruiting New Board Members

Manage Strategic Plan Post-Project

Pro Bono “Snacks” Training

More mentorship is needed, not peer to peer, but big institutions helping smaller organizations…People desperately yearn for that

--Nonprofit Respondent

PEER NETWORKS

PRO BONO ARTS

COUNCIL

SPREAD ETHIC

SHARE LEARNING

INSPIRELEADERS

RAISEAWARENESS

GROUP GRANTS

Give grants in cohorts

• Supports peer-to-peer Learning

• Creates opportunities for partnerships

While the grant itself was obviously of great value, the technical assistance and the opportunity to share information and experiences with peers contributed to the success of the initiative

Jane Culbert, Marc Goldring, Dr. Thomas Wolf, An Evaluation of the Mid-Sized Presenting Organizations Initiative for the Nonprofit Finance Fund, December 2010

FOUNDATION AND CORPORATE SUPPORT

FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Prepare nonprofits for capacity building Generate awareness around pro bono Reward nonprofits utilizing Service Enterprise

structure Create more opportunities for communal learning.

FOR CORPORATIONS

Corporations can adopt groups of arts organizations to provide a range of pro bono support • Promotes a culture of mutual learning• Connects a corporation to a common cause