The Non-Profit Problem
My wife and I have been on the boards of dozens of non-profits over they years, mostly in the arts, and I’ve chaired two of them. She has raised millions for them without ever personally asking for a dime.
Many non-profits, particularly arts groups, just shut their doors during the pandemic. I made sure our ballet here kept dancing: in drive-in theaters, parking lots, indoor venues with 50 yards between patrons, private events—anywhere we could. We applied for every grant in sight. We invested in a new Nutcracker—sets, costumes, choreography—and had record attendance.
For those of you on such boards or who consult with such groups, here are my observations about funding and differences between surviving and thriving:
• People do not like to contribute to organizations trying to erase debt. They feel that once the debt is erased, the cycle will begin again.
• Donors like to see an active involvement in the community and not an elitist institution.
• Granting authorities, as well as donors, want to see policies demanding that board members are themselves contributing at least a minimum amount to the organization and not just “playing with other people’s money.”
• Diversity and inclusion have to be apparent, not just lip service, in board composition, staff, performers, and audience.
• The organization has to adapt to the times and not just perpetuate the past. There has to be innovation and diverse appeal.
• The leadership of the organization and its messaging should be apolitical. Once you have an agenda or a political cause you’ve excluded everyone who disagrees with it.
Debt kills the arts. It prohibits the freedom to fail, stifles innovation, and creates far too many qualitative compromises. Ironically, a non-profit has to be run with a for-profit mentality. You can’t be reliant on the kindness of strangers.
