By JOHN R. KILLACKY
Published: Issue 1 [Online Edition], Summer 2009
Part of SPECIAL REPORT: The Arts & The Economy

The arts, like every other nonprofit sector, are being challenged by significant contribution losses from government, corporations, foundation, and private donors.  Box office and gallery admissions are also eroding as discretionary dollars evaporate. Almost everyone agrees funding problems will become more acute in the upcoming three to five years. Adaptability is replacing growth as the pertinent barometer of success.  Here are some strategies to consider:

Do More With Less. Capitalize to mission delivery, not sustainability. Rethink. Groups are mounting four plays instead of six; sharing co-production costs, presenting biannual seasons instead of annual, shortening performance runs, mining permanent collections, and altering gallery hours – all to allow for higher production values, deeper engagement, and higher audience satisfaction.

Place Matters. Make sure the neighborhood feels your building is their community center or assembly hall.  Think porous and relevant. Eric Chinski of Farrar, Straus, & Giroux offers a potent reminder of relevance: “The word necessary comes to mind for me.  Beyond a good story, beyond good writing, does the novel feel necessary?”  Audiences want to know why an arts organization is doing a particular show here and now.

Invite the Audience In. Expand gallery labels.  Dramaturgical notes are needed in every discipline. Pre-concert talks frame and empower audiences. Cultural contextualization translates, bridges, and illuminates artistic expression for both the cognoscenti and the general public. Be frank about challenges.  Ask for help.  When The New York Times ran an item on the financial plight of San Francisco’s Magic Theatre, an anonymous benefactor stepped up with a major gift.

Dive Headlong Into Social Media. Link young professionals into your company’s social networks. Trendies can then see who is attending opening night, at intermission tweet friends on how fabulous and sexy the new dance is, and do a post-mortem chat on Skype with the artistic director. It is vital for arts organizations to offer interactivity and co-authoring of meaning. Find genuine ways for audiences to contribute – before, during, and after events.  Arts consultant Holly Sidford reminds us, “Participation is the most important renewable resource.”

Operationalize the Church Ask. Giving USA tracks philanthropic trends.  Consistently, 75% comes from individuals and another 7% from bequests. Religion annually garners one-third of this largess; arts, culture, and the humanities only receive 4%.  No one minds tithing to our mosque, temple, synagogue, or church.  The arts offer transformational experiences, too.  Start with your volunteers and audiences – the middle class can save the arts. The Obama campaign proved the power of this kind of fundraising.

Batting Practice. Sports teams understand that the first sport we play is the one we follow – therefore little leagues are integral to sports marketing. Arts researcher Alan Brown found 74% of orchestra subscribers sing or play an instrument.  Similar correlations exist in dance, visual art, and theater. His conclusion: “supporting personal practice is audience development.” Open rehearsals including informal meet and greets with artists are as good as pre-game warm-ups, autographs, photos, et al.

Emerging Markets. Pollster John Zogby finds Americans adjusting to the economic realities by “living with less, embracing diversity, looking inward, and demanding authenticity.”  These meta-movements are shared equally by Baby Boomers and what he calls the First Global Generation of 18 to 29 year olds. The arts community is perfectly situated to appeal to these roving bands of secular spiritualists, but needs to speak directly without hyperbole.

Have the Conversation. Small businesses seldom survive decade after decade offering the same product. Is your organization’s mission still relevant?  Do you still have a unique role in the cultural ecosystem?  Imagine strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and back office collaborations to improve economy of scale, as well as efficacy of program and service delivery.  Merger, consolidation, and sunsetting should also be examined.  A rigorous analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats is called for.

Risk Failure. Non-profit arts organizations are not supposed to be commercial presenters. Mission drift is a concern as the sector looks to increase earned income. Commercial entertainment does not do very well chasing after blockbusters.  Under-capitalized nonprofits will never be able to compete, so let’s not try. Arts organizations need to be counter-intuitive in their offerings, truly providing an alternative in our community.

Claim Your Cultural Agency. Become a cultural citizen.  Playwright Tony Kushner tells us, “When you don’t act, you act; when you don’t vote, you vote.”  Demand all politicians have an arts platform.  Support only those that do.  Hold house parties for arts friendly politicos.  Invite them to openings and receptions and let them be noticed.  When over 200 artists showed up in Oakland’s City Hall to protest the proposed elimination the arts budget, City Council had no choice other than to reinstate. And better yet, run for school board to ensure arts are in every school, every day for every child.

Things Audiences Can Do. Go to Open Studios and buy art. Attend theater. Donate. Take salsa or tango lessons. Enjoy dance performances. Bring a friend. Donate. Sing with a chorus. Listen to live music. Donate. Write a poem, short story, or memoir.  Buy a local author’s book. Make art with your kids at home and at a museum’s family day. Participate. Donate. Debate the merits of an independent film and then upload yours onto YouTube.  Have a bake sale to support an artist residency in a nearby school.  Host a season announcement, Tupperware style, for friends. Commission an artist to commemorate a birthday or anniversary. When you love something, tell your friends.  Word of mouth remains the best box office motivator.

John R. Killacky is the Program Officer for Arts and Culture at The San Francisco Foundation.