Resilient Arts Organizations: Adapting to New Realities

About this Series

The Arts & Culture sector is facing an unprecedented crisis with the economic fallout caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. According to a national survey conducted by Americans for the Arts, financial losses to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are an estimated $14.0 billion, as of October 19, 2020. But we know that Local Arts Agencies, Arts & Cultures Organizations, and Artists are resilient in the face of adversity.

This series will address essential topics for arts and culture organizations to consider as they respond to current needs and reimagine for the future. 

Please visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource and Response Center for more information.

Americans for the Arts is providing the arts and culture field with this and other COVID-19 webinars and resources at no charge to you. Please consider supporting our ability to deliver this important work with a donation by clicking HERE 

We also encourage you to become a member with us for access to even more webinars and other resources, please visit www.americansforthearts.org/membership for more information.

  • Navigating Uncertain Futures with Scenario Planning
    Contains 2 Component(s) Recorded On: 10/07/2020

    Emerging technologies, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic are just a few of the uncertainties faced by cities and nonprofit organizations as they prepare for the future. Scenario planning is a proven methodology for analyzing and preparing for uncertain futures, that has been used by companies, cities, and organizations. Drawing on my recent book, Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions: Managing and Envisioning Uncertain Futures, this webinar will feature an overview of scenario planning concepts and tools, discuss a framework for implementing scenario planning for nonprofit organization strategic planning, and provide examples of how urban planners use scenarios.

    imageAbout this Webinar

    Emerging technologies, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic are just a few of the uncertainties faced by cities and nonprofit organizations as they prepare for the future. Scenario planning is a proven methodology for analyzing and preparing for uncertain futures, that has been used by companies, cities, and organizations. Drawing on my recent book, Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions: Managing and Envisioning Uncertain Futures, this webinar will feature an overview of scenario planning concepts and tools, discuss a framework for implementing scenario planning for nonprofit organization strategic planning, and provide examples of how urban planners use scenarios.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Arts organization leaders will be able to define scenario planning, and explain how it differs from other frameworks such as visioning and strategic planning, in order to decide with others whether it is appropriate for their organization.
    • Arts organization leaders will gain familiarity with practical scenario planning frameworks and resources, and understand their potential value.

    Americans for the Arts is providing the arts and culture field with this and other COVID-19 webinars and resources at no charge to you. Please consider supporting our ability to deliver this important work with a donation by clicking HERE 

    We also encourage you to become a member with us for access to even more webinars and other resources, please visit www.americansforthearts.org/membership for more information.

    Robert Goodspeed, PhD, AICP

    Robert Goodspeed, PhD, AICP is an assistant professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He teaches and conducts research in the areas of collaborative planning, urban informatics, and scenario planning theory and methods. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and serves as a board member of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's Consortium for Scenario Planning.

    Twitter: @RGoodspeed

  • Because That's Where the Money is: Fully Secured Borrowing for the Arts
    Contains 2 Component(s) Recorded On: 08/26/2020

    Fully secured borrowing is our approach to borrowing for nonprofits that has been used for over four decades. It really works. It places control in your hands, not the lender. It is available to all nonprofits. And this includes every art-related nonprofit. In this webinar, you will learn about an approach that is particularly well suited for these COVID-19 times. You will see how you can use this resource as a solid base for all your fundraising and earned revenue strategies. You will discover how to do this for your organization and how to quickly and easily place a firm fiscal foundation under your institution as you move ahead. Through the resources listed on this event page, you will have all the documents that you need to successfully use this approach. While we cannot know the future, we can prepare ourselves to adapt in a way that works

    imageAbout this Webinar

    When asked why he robbed banks, famous bank robber Slick Willie Sutton said, “Because that's where the money is.” This program will show you where the money is and how to get it, without robbing anyone.

    Fully secured borrowing is our approach to borrowing for nonprofits that has been used for over four decades. It really works. It places control in your hands, not the lender. It is available to all nonprofits. And this includes every art-related nonprofit.

    In this webinar, you will learn about an approach that is particularly well suited for these COVID-19 times. You will see how you can use this resource as a solid base for all your fundraising and earned revenue strategies. You will discover how to do this for your organization and how to quickly and easily place a firm fiscal foundation under your institution as you move ahead. Through the resources listed on this event page, you will have all the documents that you need to successfully use this approach. While we cannot know the future, we can prepare ourselves to adapt in a way that works

    Learning Objectives:

    1. This program addresses the need for arts institutions to survive in these troubling times All nonprofits have access to three sources of money: (1) gifts and grants, (2) earned revenue, and (3) borrowing. This program provides all information and documents needed to use the third resource —namely, fully secured borrowing.
    2. Unlike other forms of borrowing, this approach places all the control in the institution's hands, not the bank's.
    3. Using credit—fully secured borrowing—to get through this rough patch, borrowing provides the base that will enable organizations to safely continue with their fundraising and earned revenue strategies. 

    Americans for the Arts is providing the arts and culture field with this and other COVID-19 webinars and resources at no charge to you. Please consider supporting our ability to deliver this important work with a donation by clicking HERE 

    We also encourage you to become a member with us for access to even more webinars and other resources, please visit www.americansforthearts.org/membership for more information.

    Richard and Anna Linzer

    Linzer Consulting

    Richard Linzer provides consultation for nonprofit organizations and government agencies in the areas of financial management, board development, institutional analysis, and strategic planning. He specializes in cash flow analysis and the use of fully secured borrowing by nonprofits.

    Richard has consulted with over 600 business, agencies, and nonprofit institutions in the arts, education, health care, social services, the humanities, and environmental fields.

    Anna Linzer is a poet and a writer. Her book GHOST DANCING, published by Picador of St. Martin’s Press, received an American Book Award. Her poetry and stories have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies, including Kenyon Review, Carolina Quarterly, Raven Chronicles, PARIS, LA, and Blue Dawn, Red Earth. A trilogy of her novels, entitled HOME WATERS was published by Marquand Books. Her novel A RIVER STORY has been adapted into a play.

    http://linzerconsulting.com/

    Irene Namkung

    Irene Namkung has been involved with the Arts since her early childhood. Born into the turbulent world of Japanese occupied Shanghai in 1943, she lived in Japan and Korea, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1949. Her parents, both visual artists and musicians, were soon part of Seattle’s burgeoning cultural scene. Local luminaries like Mark Tobey and Tom Robbins, and important Japanese artists like Kiyoshi Saito and Shoji Hamada, were regular visitors to their home. At Reed College, Irene joined a student/faculty board to present a diverse offering of performers including Julian Bream, Ravi Shankar, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and the Nomura Kyogen Theater. In 1966, Irene co-founded the Seattle Folklore Society to present iconic American roots musicians. In 1971 she began a 14-year career as a professional studio potter, gaining board experience with the Portland Saturday Market and the Oregon Potters Association. In 1974, along with her life partner, John Ullman, Irene started Traditional Arts Services, a management company for traditional musicians. Over the years they worked with six Grammy awardees, twelve Grammy nominees, and two dozen National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellows. Their roster included Bill Monroe, Brownie McGhee, Queen Ida, Mike Seeger, Lydia Mendoza, Obo Addy, The Boys of the Lough, and Elizabeth Cotten. Among the first managements to bring traditional artists to booking conferences, Irene pioneered in independent showcasing. She eventually became president of the Western Arts Alliance board. In 1991, Irene joined the board of Northwest Folklife, presenter of a four-day festival with 200,000 attendees. In 1998, the Folklife board realized the organization was in financial trouble and asked Irene to become president.  By the end of the 1998 festival, it was clear that Folklife was beyond the brink of insolvency. With Richard Linzer’s help, Irene instituted a Fully Secured Borrowing program which saved Folklife from a half million-dollar debt.

  • Preserving the Legacy of Your Arts Organization During Challenging Times
    Contains 2 Component(s) Recorded On: 11/12/2020

    Your arts organization is cultural heritage, learn to preserve it for future generations.

    imageAbout this Webinar

    Your arts organization is cultural heritage, learn to preserve it for future generations.  

    We are facing challenging times in our society—a global pandemic, recession, rise of natural disasters and civic unrest—and we are feeling the impact deeply in our arts sector. The future  seems uncertain as many things are out of our control. But there are things we can control during this time of uncertainty.

    We are critical stewards of our cultural heritage. Our art institutions have a legacy to preserve and share. With the challenges ahead, it is more important now than ever to document and share the impact of our institutions. You may need to secure funding, garner support from your community and stakeholders, or think about cementing your cultural footprint while your doors are closed temporarily, or permanently.

    For over a decade, the Artwork Archive team has worked with nonprofits to document their art collections and programming, and recently, has seen how institutions around the world are pivoting during these complicated times. Long-time cultural worker, Elysian McNiff Koglmeier, will share best practices for preserving your institution's legacy. You'll learn how to digitize your collection and programs, what information is worth saving for today and tomorrow, ways to maintain and conserve your artworks for future generations, and the ever-popular topic of bringing your exhibitions and programming online to maintain relevancy.

    Learning objectives:

    • Learn ways to manage your art inventory. Know what information is worth saving so that you can easily report on the impact of your organization. You'll also have key records available if art will be deaccessioned, gifted or sold.
    • Get best practices for maintaining your artworks. We'll cover how you can track and stay on top of conservation so that your art will be preserved for future generations.
    • Discover how other organizations are bringing their exhibitions and fundraisers online. Make your mission accessible and relevant for today and tomorrow's audiences. 

    Americans for the Arts is providing the arts and culture field with this and other COVID-19 webinars and resources at no charge to you. Please consider supporting our ability to deliver this important work with a donation by clicking HERE 

    We also encourage you to become a member with us for access to even more webinars and other resources, please visit www.americansforthearts.org/membership for more information.

    Elysian McNiff Koglmeier

    Head of Growth

    Artwork Archive

    Elysian McNiff Koglmeier is Head of Growth for Artwork Archive, an online art inventory management system for artists, collectors and organizations. She leads partnerships, communications and writes content for the company's blog—http://www.artworkarchive.com/blog.  

    Growing up with a father as an art therapist and a mother who dedicated her career to art education, Elysian has always been passionate about the creative process and the importance of empowering artists and cultural institutions. She has pursued this passion both in the public and private sector. She started her career in museums (Middlebury College Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), ran New England Foundation for the Arts' public art program, served as curator for Brown University and RISD, and contributed to publications such as Art Business News and Public Art Review. A move out west brought her to Craftsy (now Bluprint) in Denver where she produced online art classes and managed partnerships for a startup that created online educational opportunities for enthusiastic makers. 

    She received her BA in History from Middlebury College and her MA in Public Humanities from Brown University. 

  • Before You Close: Strategies for Alternative Pathways Forward
    Contains 2 Component(s) Recorded On: 11/10/2020

    The estimated total impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts sector stands at $13.1 billion and growing, with layoffs, furloughs, and cancelled performances setting the stage for long-term financial impacts. At the same time, the value of the arts has never been greater as we watch creative organizations respond to very real social challenges, raising community conversations and spirits. This webinar speaks to organizations who are facing financial and operational hardships right now, and offers specific solutions to consider, instead of closing their doors completely.

    imageAbout this Webinar

    The estimated total impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts sector stands at $13.1 billion and growing, with layoffs, furloughs, and canceled performances setting the stage for long-term financial impacts. At the same time, the value of the arts has never been greater as we watch creative organizations respond to very real social challenges, raising community conversations and spirits. This webinar speaks to organizations who are facing financial and operational hardships right now and offers specific solutions to consider, instead of closing their doors completely. 

    As part of this webinar, participants will:

    • Review the current landscape of the industry and projections for the future, based on research from Americans for the Arts.
    • Project income and expenses for the next year based on best- and worst-case scenarios.
    • Explore pros and cons of alternative pathways, including mergers and shared-service agreements. 

    Americans for the Arts is providing the arts and culture field with this and other COVID-19 webinars and resources at no charge to you. Please consider supporting our ability to deliver this important work with a donation by clicking HERE 

    We also encourage you to become a member with us for access to even more webinars and other resources, please visit www.americansforthearts.org/membership for more information.

    Elaine Grogan Luttrull, CPA-PFS, AFC®

    Founder, Minerva Financial Arts

    Elaine Grogan Luttrull, CPA-PFS, AFC® is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals and organizations. 

    She leads workshops around the country for groups as varied as the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, Americans for the Arts, the Arts & Business Councils of New York and Greater Boston, the College Art Association, Playwrights of New York, the Lark Play Development Center, Theatre Communications Group, and Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and the Whitney Museum for American Art. She also works with colleges and universities to offer guest lectures on financial topics. Hosts of Elaine’s collegiate programs include the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music, Rhode Island School of Design, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Millikin University. Elaine also works with state arts councils including the Ohio Arts Council, the Indiana Arts Commission, the Kentucky Arts Council, Delaware Division of the Arts, and the Broward County Cultural Division to offer programming for individual artists in those states. Lastly, Elaine partners with funders including Creative Capital, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and the Tamarack Foundation, and the Joan Mitchell Foundation to provide ongoing support for recipients of these awards.

    Elaine teaches at the Columbus College of Art & Design, where she served as the Department Head for Business & Entrepreneurship from 2014-2018. Previously, Elaine served as the Director of Financial Analysis for The Juilliard School and in the Transaction Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young in New York.

    Elaine is the author of Arts & Numbers (Agate, B2 2013), and she contributed regularly to Professional Artist magazine. She is based in Columbus, Ohio where she serves on the boards of the Short North Alliance and Healing Broken Circles. She serves on the Advisory Board of Besa, and she volunteers weekly with the AFCPE to teach a financial literacy course in the Marion Correctional Institute. Previous board service includes Social Ventures and the Financial Therapy Association. 

    Website: http://minervafinancialarts.com/