Supporting arts institutions through business model transformation
A cornerstone of Barr’s Arts + Creativity program is to provide appropriate financial investment to grantees through longer-term portfolios or initiatives, including multi-year general operating and targeted capital support.
Our new Cultural Evolution portfolio builds upon this approach by focusing on a small cluster of eight leading arts organizations across Massachusetts who are facing a major inflection point for their organization impacting their business models. With “managing change” as a central theme, participating organizations will engage in peer conversations about supporting people (staffs and boards) through organizational growth, scaling operations and finances, acquiring or expanding cultural facilities, and increasing community engagement and leadership.
Our goals are three-fold:
- Address “under-capitalization” in the arts sector by supporting overhead and the true costs organizations have in fulfilling their missions. General operating funds (the hardest to get for the nonprofit arts sector) allow organizations to be more strategic and adaptive;
- Convene arts sector leaders to foster greater connection and peer learning; and
- Achieve an economy of scale of impact with grantee supports and professional development.
