Part 1 in this set of articles examined the concept of board atrophy, a general deterioration of board stewardship, and how it is impacting an orchestra’s fundraising performance amidst the economic downturn. For the most part, this is every bit as serious a threat to the future of orchestras as the actual economic downturn. Today’s installment is going to examine a recent concessionary agreement at the Utah Symphony & Opera (US&O) that contains provisions designed to combat board atrophy…
Governance
A Worthwhile Concessionary Agreement Part 1
Amid the dizzying array of contract reopeners, work stoppages, and other fraught-filled collective bargaining negotiations since last fall, the ensuing agreements are more alike than not in that they contain some degree of compensation/benefit concessions. For the most part, these agreements have nothing special worth looking at but there are a few exceptions. One of those exceptions is from the Utah Symphony & Opera, which announced their concessionary agreement at the beginning of October. What makes this settlement worth examining is how it is designed to marginalize a syndrome rarely discussed in public forums: board atrophy…
And This Is Why Government Affairs Committees Are Important
In both of my most recent strategic planning and board development projects, I spent time working with each respective group developing support for the formation of a government affairs committee. It never ceases to amaze me just how few arts organizations have a standing government affairs committee and of those that do, how peripheral they are in the overall board committee hierarchy. Unfortunately, the economic downturn is beginning to demonstrate the …
The Dynamic Consequences Of Leadership Vacuum
It isn’t unusual for a music director search to last more than a year but eyebrows ascend when it takes that long to find a new CEO. No, there’s no double standard going on here and the reality is that it is much easier for a professional orchestra to appoint interim artistic leadership that can maintain or even improve an ensemble’s artistic standard (think Chicago and Haitink) as compared to installing interim executive leadership capable of the same feats for the administrative side of the coin. Recently, Peter Dobrin examined this very issue at his Arts Watch blog…
The Trouble With Balanced Budget Requirements
It is easy to see the benefits of adopting a balanced budget requirement; it helps ensure fiscal stability, promotes responsible spending, and under certain conditions it can even serve to motivate contributed revenue development. But when balanced budget requirements are crafted with too much rigidity, they can harm nonprofit performing arts organizations during periods when they are most vulnerable. Unfortunately, we’re beginning to see more and more examples as the 2009/10 season begins…