Events

May
1
Tue
Breakfast Club: Making Money @ The Arts & Business Council of Chicago
May 1 @ 8:30 am – 9:30 am

The Arts & Business Council of Chicago convenes a monthly morning gathering for arts administrators to discuss topics and share ideas relevant to the business of art. Breakfast Club supports leaders and staff of nonprofit arts organizations through informal peer-to-peer sharing, casual facilitated conversation, and information dissemination.

Join us Tuesday, May 1st from 8:30-9:30am.

Topic: Making Money

Say it again for the people in the back. Nonprofits can make money! The nonprofit sector often carries a stigma of unprofitable, but business planning is just as important for nonprofit organizations as it is for any business or corporation. Sustainable nonprofits don’t wait around for the next big grant or angel donor. They create several diverse revenue streams to support the organization’s financial well-being. Join Breakfast Club: Making Money to connect with peers over successes and strategies in creating mission-driven generated revenues.

A cereal bar, tea, and coffee will be provided.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Price: $5.00

Cancellation Policy:

The Arts & Business Council of Chicago reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any Breakfast Club for which registrants will receive a full refund.

No refunds are issued for cancellations. No refunds are issued for “no shows.”

Fill out my online form.

May
21
Mon
Lab: Arts Administration 101 @ The Arts & Business Council of Chicago
May 21 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Tony Award-winning Steppenwolf Theatre Company was born from an idea a couple of former high school classmates had to produce a play in a suburban church. Four-time Grammy award-winning ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, have called Chicago home since 1996. With the right foundation in place, the growth potential for Chicago arts organizations just like yours is immense.

In Arts Administration 101, smARTscope Consultant Lisa Tylke will guide emerging arts organizations through two key pillars of stability: understanding the roles and responsibilities of a board of directors and concept development for the artistic and administrative visions of organizations. These pillars are vital for mastering the basics; understanding who you are, what you do, and how you do it.

This Learning Lab is most appropriate for emerging organizations that have:

  • Unpaid or stipend-payed staff and artists
  • A few sources of contributed income
  • Hands-on Boards of Directors that fulfill administrative roles and do minimal fundraising
  • Average budgets of $0 – $100,000
  • A strong desire to grow and develop!

Price: $65

Fill out my online form.

Jul
25
Wed
It’s Not All About the Give/Get: A New Model for Assessing Board Contribution
Jul 25 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

A superb board member brings a wealth of time, treasure, and talent to an organization. So why do we continue to evaluate and prospect board members strictly on financial capacity? If a board of directors is to reflect the community it serves, the sector must consider more equitable models of assessment.

Arts & Business Council of Chicago Executive Director Kristin Larsen will present her innovative, point-based, assessment model for boards of directors. Larsen – with A&BC Board Governance Chair and COO of HBR Consulting, Evan Trent – will guide you through using game theory and a points-based evaluation system to reduce anxiety around giving capacities and create an equitable board of directors that is welcoming to marginalized groups.

In practice, Larsen has seen this fresh accountability system increase committee participation, mobilize current board members to prospect new members and donors, and ignite a sense of self-governance that reduces stress and time for the Executive Director. You’ll leave this lab with an action plan to define the entire scope of what your board of directors can bring to the organization and design your own point-based assessment model that’s not all about the give/get.

 

Fill out my online form.

Oct
15
Mon
Lab: Making the Ask @ WeWork Kinzie
Oct 15 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Leaders in non-profit organizations – board members, executive directors and everyone else – should be comfortable asking for money.  But, too few of them are actively doing it.

In this fast-paced, interactive session, fundraising veterans Christopher Jabin and Charles Katzenmeyer will offer a practical framework for identifying and cultivating prospective donors, engaging them in the work of your organization, getting the meeting, and finally, making the ask.

Participants in this Learning Lab will understand how to:

  • Identify prospective donors for a non-profit organization
  • Build cultivation efforts that help move distant prospects toward being top prospects
  • Request and structure a solicitation meeting
  • Make the ask and answer potential objections
  • Close a gift and begin donor stewardship

 

Fill out my online form.

 

Feb
20
Wed
Lab: Building the Nonprofit Business Plan @ WeWork Grant Park
Feb 20 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Nonprofit organizations are born from creative ideas and passions for social good. To execute your mission and create real impact, you need to have a business plan. A business plan is your guide to defining your organization’s identity, developing solutions to your problems, and setting and measuring goals. You don’t need an MBA to run a successful organization, but you do need a plan to manage finances, be accountable to your vision, organize your team, and generate revenue and control expenditures to keep your ideas and passions alive. “Building the Nonprofit Business Plan” will help you do just that!

Instructor: Irv Michaels, Founder – Michaels Consulting, Ltd.
Click here to read Irv’s bio.

Learning objectives include:

  • Define your identity in the marketplace and your “problem worth solving”
  • Gain a clear understanding of your product / service and its relevance in the market
  • Explore financial aspects of the plan: developing generated revenues and necessary expenses
  • Learn the importance of setting goals, measuring results and responding to inevitable changes
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Presenter Bio:

Irv Michaels majored in accounting at college where his interest in the arts grew. His first job post-college was at Chess Records, where he worked as an administrator and nascent record producer. This led him to the intersection of traditional and creative businesses. He practiced at a local CPA firm, attaining senior partner status, serving entrepreneurial businesses. He 1986, Irv founded Michaels Consulting, Ltd., providing financial, business development, technology and human resources advice to graphic design firms, architecture firms and other creative organizations. The firm’s focus is to help creative businesses thrive.

Certifications: C.P.A.; Strategic LivePlan (business planning application) Expert Advisor; QuickBooks ProAdvisor; TSheets Pro Certified

Memberships: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Illinois CPA Society; Chicago Creative Coalition; Art Institute of Chicago; Business Solutions Network

 

 

Apr
2
Tue
Lab: QuickBooks Online @ WeWork State Street
Apr 2 @ 9:00 am – Apr 3 @ 12:00 pm

Tuesday, April 2 from 9:00am – 12:00pm
Wednesday, April 3 from 9:00am – 12:00pm

QuickBooks Online gives you many ways to improve your accounting efficiency and choose the processes and reports that are most important to your nonprofit organization. This hands-on Learning Lab will show you tips and shortcuts that’ll help you cut down on time spent working, while maximizing the accuracy of your accounting.

You’ll learn:

  • Overall settings and structure
  • User access
  • Memorized and automated transactions
  • Banking downloads and account reconciliations
  • Clients vs. vendors
  • Detail vs. summary transactions
  • Payroll setup, timesheets, and processing
  • Importing options to reduce data entry (i.e. from third-party payroll, PayPal, etc.)
  • Exporting data
  • Financial reports and notes
  • Audit preparation and attachments

And more! This Learning Lab is limited to 10 people. Registration will close once capacity is reached. Attendees must be available for both sessions.

Instructor: Yvonne Afable
Managing Partner, Accounting
Afable Consulting

Click here to read Yvonne’s bio.

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Presenter Bio:

Yvonne P. Afable is the Managing Partner of Accounting Services for Afable Consulting LLC, a firm providing accounting and technology support to not-for-profit organizations and small businesses. She earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting & Finance from DePaul University and is a Certified Management Accountant. After starting her career in public accounting, she decided to focus on the nonprofit industry and joined the management staff of American College of Surgeons and Rotary International.

For the past 18 years, she’s been consulting with nonprofit organizations and small businesses, helping them understand and tell their financial story. Using Intuit/QuickBooks and Sage products, she and her team offer services to meet each client’s needs: accounting system set-up and training, bookkeeping services including payroll processing, audit preparation, financial reporting and analysis, and documentation of fiscal policies and procedures.

Yvonne serves as Treasurer on the board of Kartemquin Educational Films and teaches the Financial Management course at the School of Art Institute and Zumba at LA Fitness, South Loop. She resides in Chicago, with her partner, Jose-Albin D. Afable. They have three children (Nicole, Gabrielle, and Justin) and two dogs (Kona and Kai).

May
15
Wed
Lab: Budgets and Boards @ WeWork State Street
May 15 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

What function does the annual budget play in your organization? What decisions should a board make in setting or approving an annual budget? Although budgeting is a central duty for many boards, the answers to these questions can vary between organizations and different perspectives can lead to confusion and conflict. This Learning Lab will explore several frameworks for organizational budgeting and practices that can make the budget a more useful tool for planning and accountability throughout the year. This will include the processes of creating, approving, monitoring, and amending a budget.

Who should attend:

  • Executive Directors & Finance Staff
  • Board Members & Finance Committee Members

What you’ll learn:

  • How board and staff can create, approve, monitor, and amend a budget;
  • How your budget can be used as a tool for planning, reporting, control, and accountability; and
  • Who among board and staff hold responsibility for these functions.

Instructor: Corrigan Nadon-Nichols / Corrigan Consulting

Click here to read Corrigan’s bio.

For more information, and accessibility accommodations, email Braden Cleary at bcleary@artsbiz-chicago.org or call 312.372.1876 x 105.

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Presenter Bio:

Corrigan helps people create healthy organizations where they can achieve their shared goals. He has assisted dozens of groups through initial formation, start-up, growth, and recovery phases. He provides training and consulting for boards to improve financial, management, and governance systems that suit the unique context and goals of each organization.

Jul
24
Wed
Learning Lab: It’s Not All About the Give/Get @ WeWork Monroe Street
Jul 24 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 A superb board member brings a combination of time, treasure, and talent to an organization. So why do we continue to evaluate and prospect board members strictly on financial capacity? If a board of directors is to reflect the community it serves, the sector must consider more equitable models of assessment.

By considering the entire scope of what an organization’s board of directors contributes in a year, organizations can ignite a sense of self-governance that increases committee participation and reduces stress on the Executive Director – all while meeting or exceeding board contribution goals.

In this workshop, you will learn:

  • To streamline your board of directors’ roles and responsibilities in the organization’s annual work plan;
  • To reduce board anxiety around giving capacities and prospecting new donors in their networks;
  • To create a framework for an equitable board of directors that is welcoming to marginalized groups (socioeconomic, gender identity, race, accessibility, etc.); and
  • To design a points-based assessment model that’s not all about the give / get

Presenters: Kristin Larsen / Arts & Business Council of Chicago
Joel Farran / Arts & Business Council of Chicago

Click here to meet the presenters.

For more information, and accessibility accommodations, email Braden Cleary at bcleary@artsbiz-chicago.org or call 312.372.1876 x 105.

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Meet the Presenters:

Kristin Larsen rejoined the Arts & Business Council of Chicago in 2017 after serving as Director of Programs in the early aughts. Prior to returning to A&BC, Kristin was Executive Director of Stage 773 (2013-2017), a performance venue in Lakeview and  Executive Director of Remy Bumppo Theater Company from 2002 to 2012. From 1995 to 2000 Kristin was a business representative with Actors’ Equity Association after many years of being an Equity Stage Manager. Kristin has her BFA in production management from The Theatre School, DePaul University and her MA in facilitating organizational effectiveness in the arts from DePaul University’s School for New Learning. Kristin serves on Americans for the Arts Private Sector Council, The Actors Fund Central Region Advisory Council, Pivot Arts Advisory Council and volunteers with DePaul’s Alumni Sharing Knowledge program and the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee. Kristin is an active member of the Unitarian Church of Evanston.

Joel Farran is the Chair of the Board of the Arts and Business Council of Chicago. Farran is the former Chief Brand Officer of Health Care Service Corporation.

Aug
21
Wed
Lab: What Is Public Relations and Why is It Important? @ WeWork State Street
Aug 21 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Photo: Dawn R. Stephens

What is public relations? There are many different responses to this question, but arts and culture leaders should be most concerned with managing their organizations’ public image and reputation.

Whether you are connecting with media outlets, community members, or target audiences, a strong public relations plan can help increase your name recognition. By strategically communicating your mission your organization can build audiences and generate revenue like never before.

In this workshop, you will learn to:

  • Define public relations and understand how it affects your business;
  • Increase your brand recognition by using low cost (and no cost!) public relations tools;
  • Implement strategies to develop target audiences for your organization; and
  • Create credibility by managing your image and reputation.

Presenter: Vanessa Abron / Agency Abron Public Relations

Click here to read Vanessa’s bio. 

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Meet the Presenter:

Vanessa Abron is a public relations professional with expertise in securing positive media coverage for brands in national and local media outlets such as Good Morning America, Extra, The Insider, The Huffington Post, The Breakfast Club, the Associated Press, and ABC News to name a few.  Some of her past client work includes, but aren’t limited to, Aflac, Illinois Lottery, Chicago 2016, Pringles, Adidas, Salesforce.com, ComEd, American Optometric Association, Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Interscope Records, Def Jam Recording, Virgin Records and Reebok.  Vanessa’s experience represents a broad range of public relations initiatives in a variety of industries, making her a valuable asset to any campaign. She accredits her success on her passion for continuously building positive relationships with a broad spectrum of individuals combined with her steadfast commitment to ensuring that the media, community and the client all receive mutually beneficial rewards from any project.

Sep
14
Sat
Board Lab: Arts Organization Structures & Board Responsibilities @ Arts & Business Council of Chicago
Sep 14 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

BOARD MEMBER TRAINING

Presenter: Kristin Larsen, Executive Director, Arts & Business Council of Chicago

Topics include:

  • Structures of arts and cultural organizations and their boards
  • Life cycle of nonprofit organizations, from the founding board to the working board and the governing board—board governance, staffing and structure, income generation, and programming models
  • Expectations of board contributions of time, talent, and treasure
  • Relationship between the board and staff, and challenges posed by staffing and board transitions

This training also features a panel of an arts administrator leaders and On BOARD alumni.

Price: $150

Advance registration is required as space is limited. We will not accept walk-up registrations. For questions about this training, please contact Noemi Garcia at ngarcia@artsbiz-chicago.org.

 

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Oct
16
Wed
Learning Lab: Making the Ask @ WeWork State Street
Oct 16 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Leaders in non-profit organizations – board members, executive directors and everyone else – should be comfortable asking for money.  But, too few of them are actively doing it.

In this fast-paced, interactive session, fundraising veterans Christopher Jabin (Dragonfly Advisors) and Charles Katzenmeyer (The Field Museum) will offer a practical framework for identifying and cultivating prospective donors, engaging them in the work of your organization, getting the meeting and finally, … making the ask.

Participants in this session will understand how to:

  • Identify prospective donors for a non-profit organization
  • Build cultivation efforts that help move distant prospects toward being top prospects
  • Request and structure a solicitation meeting
  • Make the ask and answer potential objections
  • Close a gift and begin donor stewardship

Presenters: Christopher Jabin / Dragonfly Advisors
Charles Katzenmeyer / The Field Museum
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Oct
19
Sat
Board Leadership Lab: Nonprofit Finances, Budgeting, & Tax Issues @ Arts & Business Council of Chicago
Oct 19 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Presenter: Megan Angle, CPA & Manager, Porte Brown LLC

Learning objectives include:

  • Financial oversight; policy creation and compliance; and safeguarding of assets
    • Policies: conflict of interest, whistleblower, document retention & destruction, executive compensation, etc.
  • Achieving financial accountability
  • What occurs during an audit and when you need one
  • Managing cash flow
  • Taxes including payroll, UBIT, and changes to GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles)
  • Maintaining nonprofit status through tax compliance – filing with the IRS and other government entities

Price: $150

Advance registration is required as space is limited. We will not accept walk-up registrations.

For questions, please contact Noemi Garcia at ngarcia@artsbiz-chicago.org.

 

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Nov
13
Wed
Learning Lab: Great Board Engagement and How to Get It @ WeWork State Street
Nov 13 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Merriam Webster defines “Engagement” as “something that engages;” “the state of being engaged;” an “emotional involvement or commitment;” or “the state of being in gear.”  Each facet of this definition speaks to a critical component of board engagement and knowing how to create the right mix of engagement opportunities for your board can be challenging.  This session will help you understand where your board’s engagement-sweet spot is in relation to its evolutionary status and the work you need it to accomplish going forward. 

Participants in this session will learn:

  • Phases of development of nonprofit arts, cultural, and creative organizations
  • How a board of directors typically functions at each phase of development
  • Tailored engagement strategies for boards at each phase of development
  • To motivate board growth

Presenter: Lisa Tylke / Illuminant

Founder and principal consultant with Illuminant, a consulting practice specializing in evaluation, organizational development, planning, governance and fundraising, Lisa has worked in the non-profit sector since 1987. Her background in arts, education and association management informs her consulting work which focuses on the areas of organizational development, assessment, strategic planning, board development and fundraising. As a consultant, Lisa has served over 40 nonprofit organizations. She has conducted independent evaluations of grant giving programs at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust as well as grant review for The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and Prince Charitable Trusts. In addition to her consulting work, Lisa has served as Executive Director for the Chicago Dance Coalition, Director of Arts DuPage for the DuPage Foundation and Chief of Staff for the UFHI Foundation. In 2018, Lisa joined Giving Tree Associates as an adjunct consultant working with their team on fundraising, planning and assessment projects. In 2011 and 2014, Ms. Tylke served as a member of the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies, Civic Knowledge Project team of instructors supporting its Board Leadership Certificate. In her volunteer life, Lisa serves on the board for the Glen Ellyn Children’s Resource Center a literacy organization providing out-of-school educational enrichment services for low-income, immigrant and refugee families living within Illinois School Districts 41 and 89

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Feb
8
Sat
On BOARD® Lab: Arts Organization Structures & Board Responsibilities @ Chicago Public Library - Little Village Branch
Feb 8 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Topics include:

  • Structures of arts and cultural organizations and their boards
  • Life cycle of nonprofit organizations, from the founding board to the working board and the governing board—board governance, staffing and structure, income generation, and programming models
  • Expectations of board contributions of time, talent, and treasure
  • Relationship between the board and staff, and challenges posed by staffing and board transitions

This training also features a panel of arts administrators and artists from Little Village who will address emerging issues like governance practices, recruitment efforts, the importance of board diversity, fundraising, and more.

Presenter: Braden Cleary / Director of Arts Services / Arts & Business Council of Chicago

Panel: William Estrada / Artist / Werdmvmnt Studios
J. Omar Magana / Founder & Executive Director / OPEN Center for the Arts

Price: $150

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Feb
12
Wed
Learning Lab: Working at the Intersection of “Arts &” @ Humboldt Park Cultural Center
Feb 12 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Art for art’s sake is a thing of the past. The arts, cultural, and creative sector (including institutional funders) is shifting to uplift civic causes in the communities it serves. Organizations working at intersections like arts and youth development, arts and health, and arts and veterans’ affairs are leading the way in using creativity and culture to improve the social and economic lives of their constituents.  

In this session we will discuss:

  • why artmakers are partnering with existing social service agencies
  • how artmakers are operating in divested communities where resources are scarce
  • the importance of arts, culture, and creativity in “non-arts” organizations
  • how you can thread social practice into your artmaking

Panelists: Calvin King / Founder and Executive Director / Free Lunch Academy

Cate Fox / Senior Program Officer / The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Lauren Krieg / Senior Program Officer / Albert Pick, Jr. Fund

Read the panelists bios.

Registration: $65

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Panelist bio: Calvin King III is a local Chicago business consultant and accomplished playwright with over 30 completed works for the stage. Calvin was very active in theater and writing for the stage during college. After becoming a father, educator, and youth pastor his creative work began to naturally center itself around children and youth. He set out to find ways he could use entertainment in an educational way to help coach and mentor young people to become the absolute greatest version of themselves, one choice at a time. Serving as the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Free Lunch Academy, Calvin has developed innovative teaching arts programs where children participate in their own learning and develop better social skills while having fun. Through mentoring his teaching artist staff and partnering with other organizations in the community, Calvin has made it a goal of the organization to eradicate bullying worldwide by October 1, 2025.

 

Panelist bio: Cate A. Fox is a Senior Program Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. At the Foundation, Cate oversees: Culture, Equity, and the Arts and Community Capital awards as part of her work with the Chicago Commitment team.

Previously, Cate served as a senior consultant at The Alford Group, a consulting firm to the nonprofit community. Over seven years with Alford she helped nonprofit organizations, including those in the arts, evaluate programs, assess organizational strength, conduct strategic planning, and increase fundraising. Cate also worked with the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. to revise its international programs and structure.

Cate received a Master of Arts degree in Peace and Development Studies with first class honors from the University of Limerick (Limerick, Ireland), and a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Hollins University (Roanoke, VA).

Panelist bio: Lauren Krieg is the Senior Program Officer for the Albert Pick Jr. Fund, a private foundation that supports Civic Engagement, Education, the Arts, and Violence Prevention Programming and Healthcare Access for Children and Youth. Lauren is also the Vice President of Iris Krieg and Associates, a philanthropic advisory firm that provides grant management and consultation services to foundations and individual donors. Through this role, for more than eleven years, she has worked for several other Chicago foundations supporting the arts and a variety of other issues. Lauren has served on the Steering Committee of the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development since 2008 and has been a strong advocate for the use of arts as a tool for improving communities and people’s lives in both traditional and unique ways.

Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts degrees from Bryn Mawr College in Spanish and Cultural Anthropology and a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Framingham State College.

 

Mar
16
Mon
Learning Lab: Sexual Harassment Training @ Webinar
Mar 16 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

This Learning Lab has reached capacity. To be placed on a waitlist, please contact Braden Cleary, Director of Arts Services at bcleary@artsbiz-chicago.org or (312) 372 – 1876 ext. 105.

As of January 1, 2020, Illinois employers must provide sexual harassment training to all full-time and part-time equivalent employees on an annual basis in order to be compliant with Illinois employment law. This includes nonprofit organizations! The Arts & Business Council of Chicago has engaged the Illinois Department of Human Rights to deliver compliance training to our clients.   

Participants will engage in a series of thoughtful discussions and exercises about the different perceptions of appropriate and inappropriate conduct. Participants will learn about the two types of sexual harassment, i.e.quid pro quo and hostile work environment, as well as issues including third-party and bystander sexual harassment. The training will encourage employees to report sexual harassment and help build a culture of respect.  

Due to limited capacity, this training is only open to current clients of the Arts & Business Council of Chicago. If you have questions about your client status, please contact Braden Cleary, Director of Arts Services at bcleary@artsbiz-chicago.org or (312) 372 – 1876 ext. 105.  

Registration: Free 

Presenter: Marcio Mendoza / Human Rights Trainer / Illinois Department of Human Rights

Apr
22
Wed
Learning Lab: Capital Campaigns (Webinar) @ Webinar
Apr 22 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Acquiring land, renovating buildings, and purchasing large supplies are huge projects that take careful planning. A capital campaign is a fundraising process that aims to raise enough money to make any of these facility-related purchases. Running a successful capital campaign is a surefire way for nonprofit organizations to own space in the community they serve and create community wealth as an anchor institution.

In this session we will discuss:

  • Understanding the feasibility of reaching a high-impact fundraising goal in your capital campaign;
  • Business planning and lending processes;
  • Marketing and communications strategies to advocate for donations to your campaign;
  • And getting to the finish line! How will you know if you were successful?

Presenter: Tracy Lewis / CEO / Lewis & Associates LLC

Meet the presenter!

Registration: $65

Fill out my online form.

Lewis & Associates LLC. intentionally & purposefully supports small businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, with strategic planning community engagement and project management consultation services. Lewis & Associates is lead by Tracy Lewis, who is a Detroit native with a passion for urban spaces, sensory experiences and politics. Tracy has a Masters in Public Administration from Wayne State University and has worked in communities of color for the past 12 years on a variety of community and economic development projects.

May
11
Mon
Learning Lab: Rebooting Your Strategic Plan (Webinar) @ Webinar
May 11 @ 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

The COVID-19 crisis has taken a huge toll on nonprofit arts, cultural, and creative organizations. Many have faced canceled programs, staff reductions, and financial loss; and have been forced to put their strategic plans to the side. Although we don’t know when or if our organizations will operate in the way they used to, this webinar will outline tools to help organizations reboot their strategic plans in a way that is responsive to our new environment and find pathways to move forward. 

In this webinar we will discuss: 

  • Clarifying your commitments to yourorganization, audiences, donors, and community constituents. 
  • Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on your organization. 
  • Generating ideas to address the most important gaps you now face.   
  • Identifying new opportunities in your business and artistic production with the changed world we now live in. 
  • Embracing an iterative mindset to reboot your strategic plan while the world continues to evolve. 

Presenter: Cris Beilstein / Elevation Collaborative

Meet the Presenter!

Registration: Pay-What-You-Can

Even $5 makes a difference! If you have a stable income, please consider making a contribution towards this webinar. All dollars earned from this Learning Lab will go directly toward our efforts to creatively and accessibly provide support and lend expertise to nonprofit organizations during the COVID-19 crisis.

Fill out my online form.

With over two decades of business leadership experience in innovation, product development, training, and coaching, Cris is known for her ability to see new possibilities in challenging situations and for her coaching skills that bring out the best in people.  She has an open and inclusive style, and her fusion of creative curiosity and technical practicality benefits clients as she guides them from thinking big to strategic planning and action.

 

Jul
22
Wed
Learning Lab: Marketing Your Mission in a Post-Pandemic World @ Webinar
Jul 22 @ 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Arts and cultural programming has drastically changed due to COVID-19 – maybe for good. As organizations rethink and reinvent their services and programs to respond to emerging challenges, they will need to move from project-based marketing to holistic, brand-driven “institutional marketing.” Strong missions and brands will help organizations engage audiences, maintain loyal donors, and recruit effective board members. By transforming the challenges of the pandemic into creative opportunities, organizations can find new strategies to meet their audiences where they are and emerge as arts leaders in an increasingly competitive landscape.

In this session we will discuss:

  • Definitions of project-based marketing and institutional marketing – and their challenges and benefits;
  • The mechanics of a clear and compelling mission;
  • Communicating a cohesive brand that represents your new and adapted program models;
  • And strategies for staying relevant and present.

Presenter: Ben van Loon / Communications Director / AFIRE

Registration: $25

Fill out my online form.

Sep
16
Wed
Learning Lab: Crafting a Thoughtful Fundraising Approach During COVID-19 @ Webinar
Sep 16 @ 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Everyone can fundraise – even you! Although our environments have been reshaped by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the important calls for social justice by the Black Lives Matter movement, arts and cultural organizations can still find success by developing thoughtful strategies with donor cultivation at top of mind. Whether it’s a full annual plan or a shorter-term initiative, the current moment has taught the nonprofit sector that we must be ready to meet future challenges. Building clear fundraising plans with well-timed tactics can help us do just that.

In this session we will discuss:

  • An analysis of the current fundraising landscape for arts, cultural, and creative nonprofit organizations;
  • What you need to know to develop a successful fundraising strategy;
  • A deeper dive into important fund development tactics like matching gifts and targeted email campaigns;
  • And the fundraising steps your organization can take to thrive during COVID-19

Presenters: Christine Grodecki / Consultant / CCS Fundraising
                        Laura Aikens / Senior Vice President / CCS Fundraising

Registration: $25

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