Organizational response, recovery, and readiness in the face of current and emerging conditions

Facilitator: Craig Dreeszen, Dreeszen & Associates

Panelists:

David Beauchesne, Executive Director, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School

Michael Gennaro, Executive Director, Trinity Repertory Company

 

About This Studio

Re-sil-ient [ri-zil-yuh-nt, -zil-ee-uh-nt] –adjective 1. springing back; rebounding.   2. returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.  3. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.

The city’s nonprofit arts and cultural organizations anchor the local and regional creative sector, employ and present Providence artists, provide cultural and educational opportunities for citizens, and attract tourists. The thirty-eight nonprofit arts and culture organizations that responded to a 2005 economic impact study survey reported their aggregate attendance to their events was 2.7 million. These attendees spent a total of $71.18 million, excluding the cost of event admission. (Arts & Economic Prosperity III, 2007)

Ironically, cultural organizations are both successful and precarious. Nonprofit cultural organizations accomplish much, yet need help with board and staff development, management assistance, and funding. Staffs are not well paid and are working beyond a sustainable pace. Some nonprofit executives worry that they cannot find skilled and connected board members, yet there are potential board members who have not been asked. Most are under capitalized, under-funded, and lack overall capacity. Most nonprofits entered 2009 and the growing financial emergency with no reserve capacity.

The international financial crisis is affecting virtually all nonprofits and mid-sized cultural organizations are especially vulnerable to funding cuts. Contemporary dance and experimental theatre are in jeopardy. Some are laying off staff. Funders are increasingly receiving appeals for emergency funding without the discretionary funding to respond. Some organizations are likely to fail. Nonprofits are “challenged as never before.” Another observed, “Nonprofits will die.” The plan should address short-term strategies to mitigate the impact of the crisis and long-term strategies to help make this element of the creative sector more resilient.