I’ll be honest: I’m having a hard time writing blogs about arts management and staying focused on these topics with what is happening all around us in the United States right now. I don’t need to tell you things are getting tough. I will start with acknowledging what we are facing, so that we’re all operating with the same information and to help me wrap my mind around things.. 

If you do not get updates from SMU Data Arts, I suggest signing up. While I will be the very first to acknowledge that not all arts organizations operate the same way – we see major variances depending on size, art form, geographic location, audience demographics, and more – the Data Arts reports can be a useful tool in keeping track of national trends in our field.

In recent weeks, Data Arts sent out a few emails noting decreased revenues trending for the arts and cultural sector. While some of this seems to be an “adjustment” back to pre-pandemic (and Trump 1.0) levels, Data Arts does recognize that “When accounting for inflation, revenue fell 36% over the course of the six-year period from 2019 to 2024.” There was also a 25% drop in foundation giving from 2023-2024: something our clients felt for sure. 

We all know this. We all feel this. Along with the general state of our country, genocides and wars abroad, the proliferation of AI, and more tragedies, it can make a person feel more than a little lost and futile day to day. This article by April Walker on Community Centric Fundraising caught my attention as the title described exactly how I feel in this moment: Imagine raising money for a nonprofit organization while power-obsessed white men wreak havoc on liberty and justice for sport.

With all of this on our doorsteps, I know so many of us are focusing on what we can do. So in that spirit, I want to share a few things I’m thinking about in this moment.

“Look for the Helpers”

As a kid from Pittsburgh, I find myself looking to Mister Rogers for guidance in many of life’s toughest moments. His advice during tragedies to “look for the helpers” is one I’m implementing at this moment. I recently had a wonderful call with Pi-Isis S. Ankhra of P.S.314 A Match-Making Agency for Social Change about the importance of building and reinforcing community in this time. I’m lucky that she is part of my community, and sharing that virtual space with her was reinvigorating at a moment I needed it most. Who else am I looking to, for inspiration and partnership and community?

There is IndieSpace, where the entire team there, led by colleague and friend Randi Berry, is continuing to push for the safety, livelihood, and resourcing of the NYC indie theatre community, no matter their immigration status, gender identity, or race. They continue to fight the good fight and center their community in all they do.

There is Community Centric Fundraising, who I link to often in this blog. Writers like April Walker, Kelly Phipps, and others put words to the things I and my team are feeling. They help us know we are not alone, and provide new ways of thinking and approaching the challenges of our time while doing this work we’ve chosen in a value-centric way. 

There is Vu Pham over at NonproftAF who continues to push everyone in the fundraising and philanthropic communities, calling out when we are letting old stories drive the narrative and providing no-nonsense commentary on real, actionable things we can be doing to fight and make change.

There are so many others out there. Who are the helpers you have your eyes on?

Prepare for the Future

While it’s tempting to get stuck in the present moment, we also must consider the future. No matter what happens in the next three (or, very likely, many more) years, if we want our organizations to survive and thrive, we must think ahead. 

One thing we’re thinking about, of course, is AI. As this report by the Bridgeport Group says – AI Can’t Be Ignored. We have to think about how we adapt and what our priorities are in a world where generative AI exists and isn’t going away. We are creating our own policies around AI usage here at BA, and there are some key things we’re thinking about:

1. What kind of damage does AI do, and how can we manage our impact? Can we look to tools that do less harm and are actively working to minimize that? How do we ensure we keep client and personal data as safe as possible in this new frontier?
2. What do we feel is a necessary use of AI, and where do we feel human discernment is key? Where does AI provide space and efficiency that allows for more human creativity, and is not doing the creating for us?
3. How do we still ensure that each of us continues to learn, and we don’t simply rely on AI to think for us?

We aren’t perfect, and we’re going to make mistakes. But in the future we are facing, we believe we are doing harm to our clients and staff if we do not help them use these tools in a responsible manner, as much as we are able. 

Have ideas about AI and improving literacy around these tools? Consider applying for this grant opportunity by OpenAI!

Act in the Moment

While I know most of you are taking actions in the moment around pressing concerns (at the time of this writing, more and more of us are boycotting Disney in the wake of their capitulation to Trump around the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel) and continue to support the longer fight (hooray for the recent win by the ACLU in their fight against the new rules at the NEA!), we also must somehow find the space to do the work of running our organizations. We must maintain these spaces of community and creativity, and that means the shockingly normal work of arts management. 

What do we think you should be working on in this moment?

1. You know what I’m going to say first if you’ve been reading this blog: PLANNING. I know it feels impossible to do at this moment, but the key is to create flexible, adaptable plans so you and your team- however big or small – have thought through how to act when changes come. If you need help with this, you can sign up for our Operations Planning Session, where we help you create a flexible, adaptable 3-year plan. Additionally, our friends over at Elevate NP of Southwestern PA are hosting a FREE webinar with The Bridgespan Group around scenario planning on October 7 – you don’t need to be from PA to sign up!
2. Prepare your end-of-year fundraising campaigns, but include a big dose of cultivation. The need out there for donor dollars is huge and going to get bigger. These relationships are going to be foundational to maintaining your budgets in the coming years. So if folks aren’t giving now, refocus on engagement and relationship-building. As a donor myself, I’m going to throw dollars at those groups that I believe must continue. Make sure you on your donors lists by ensuring they know they belong and are a key part of your mission. If you want to work on that campaign, we have a seminar coming up during which we will be building campaigns with the organizations that attend. Check it out!
3. Get your board on the same page. I’ve been harping on about this since February: you cannot wait until the authorities are at your door to decide where your organization stands in this moment. We have seen groups scramble because they were awarded much-needed NEA funding, but did not know what to do when faced with a document stating they must adhere to executive orders. They did not have the conversations ahead of time, and then had to panic in the moment when given less than a week to accept or decline their awards. With major corporations capitulating to the administration around free speech issues, we cannot pretend this won’t soon be on our doorsteps. You don’t want your board going rogue in that moment, so have those conversations now. 

This is all heavy. When I try to talk around it, I just can’t. But I draw some hope by watching our clients in the trenches and seeing others fight. If you know an organization that should be shouted out for their work right now, I hope you’ll share them with us on Instagram so we can amplify. In the meantime, do what you can and know we’re standing here with you.