Testimonials
What clients say about our collaborations
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I don't even know where to start when it comes to Benvenuti Arts. They have been our steadfast partner from the very beginning. As one of their earliest clients, we've grown our organizations together. We went from a $50,000 org to now consistently operating with a $1M plus budget, providing services to hundreds of indie companies and venues and thousands of individual artists. They helped me go from volunteering to run our org to a team of four full time staff members who have benefits! None of the work we do would be possible without the support of Benvenuti Arts. I will be forever grateful to Sarah and Julie and Ariel and Suda and all of the incredible team members that have come and gone and have made our growth possible. The impact of their work is felt deeply, not just within IndieSpace, but throughout the entire indie theater ecosystem.
- Randi Berry
Executive Director, IndieSpace
Sarah on Working with IndieSpace
As noted in this month’s blog, Indie Theater Fund – now IndieSpace – was one of our very first clients. I feel so lucky to have been a part of their journey over the years, and to learn so much from Randi Berry. Randi has taken on a bit of a mythical status on our team as someone with incredible vision and dedication who is also a joy to work with. Seeing the incredible good IndieSpace has done, especially since COVID as they facilitated the Cultural Solidarity Fund amongst their other programs, I can say without a doubt that they are one of the most exciting, responsive, and innovative cultural organizations in the USA today. Check them out at www.indiespace.org!
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With your help, we’ve seen a steady increase in foundation support, growing from $447,113 in FY22 to $552,000 in FY24. Our overall revenue has followed suit, rising from $2.5 million in FY19 to over $3 million by FY24. This expanded capacity has enabled us to increase scholarships, invest in faculty development, and improve our facilities to meet the needs of our growing community. Looking ahead, we’re preparing to build more internal capacity around grant writing in the next 1-2 years, with the goal of dedicating 20-30 hours a week to this work. Thanks to the solid foundation you’ve laid, we’re in a great position to make this transition smoothly.
I’ve truly appreciated how adaptable and proactive you’ve been throughout our partnership. And now, as we dive fully into our 60th-anniversary campaign, I’m excited to see what we’ll accomplish together in this next phase.
– Erika Atkins
Executive Director, Bloomingdale School of Music
Sarah on Working with Bloomingdale School of Music
Bloomingdale has been led by two incredible Erika’s in the 10 years we’ve worked together. Working with Erika Floreska – now the President of Long Island Children’s Museum – we helped build out their annual fundraising events and support their expanding development department. Erika Atkins took over in 2020 during an impossible time and navigated the organization through expanding to remote teaching, renovations of their longtime home on the Upper West Side, and a continued expansion of programming both in their townhome and across other neighborhoods and schools around the city. We’ve gotten to play many roles over the years – event coordinator, interim development manager, and now, grant writers and strategists – and I couldn’t be more grateful to have gotten to work with such an incredible, historic organization in partnership with these two, brilliant women.
Check them out at their website here!
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What can I say about Sarah and Benvenuti Arts – other than that they saved David Dorfman Dance!!! Just about every dance company or not for profit, for that matter, has its low moment(s). Ours came a few years after we had, thankfully, started working with Sarah – and at that time, just Sarah. We had overspent and under saved, etc. etc. Sarah put us on a spending diet, and enriched us with incredibly innovative development work – and changed our course, and for these last number of years, we have had the benefit of the lovely organization that she has built. We are now healthier than ever and having a renaissance, both artistically and financially – what a difference a decade with BA makes! Thanks and congrats Sarah et al.
– David Dorfman Dance
Executive Director, David Dorfman Dance
Sarah on Working with David Dorfman Dance
David Dorfman has been a leader in dance since the late 80’s. When I first moved to NYC, I had interviewed with him for a job but ended up taking another position. But meeting him and his dancers was such a beautiful experience that, when I started BA, he was one of the first people I reached out to. It turned out that I reached out just when his organization was most in need of some help. In a tough financial situation, they were a few years out from their 30th anniversary season and not sure how to financially make it there. I partnered with them to make some tough financial decisions, while also reinvesting in the incredible wealth of relationships that David held. I’m so proud of the work we did together during those challenging years. When their 30th anniversary finally came around, not only were we out of debt, but we were able to raise $30,000 from individuals to celebrate that season- far more than they had raised from donors in years! One of the most thrilling days of my consulting career was when I got to hand off the company to their phenomenal Managing Director, who has worked with David to ensure that the impact of his work continues to be felt for years to come. I’m so grateful and honored that David trusted me with his company, and still allows us to work with them to this day.
Check them out at their website here!
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Sarah and Benvenuti Arts team definitely helped us build relationships with funders, continuity in grants management, building the backend of our development activities, applications out to foundations. […] We were able to build a stronger relationship with the city council and with Sarah, we got so much work done for our organizational growth. […] Developing the language we needed was so helpful. This is something every organization needs, and doesn’t always have the capacity to. As a person who is a founder of own business, like many people in this industry, I know how much grit it takes, […] and I was so happy to work with Sarah.
– Amanda Selwyn
Executive Director, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater, Notes in Motion
Sarah on Working with Amanda Selwyn
Before I even started Benvenuti Arts, I began working with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre and Notes in Motion as a grant writer. I learned so much about how I wanted to work with groups from Amanda. Since we stopped our work together in 2018, they have continued to grow and inspire with their dance performance and education work. After 25 years of being an itinerant company, they have recently secured a permanent space for themselves – Congratulations to Amanda and everyone at Notes in Motion/Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre. Check them out at their website here!
