206 stories by "Michael Kaiser"
Yes, social media can amplify the impact of any of these activities but a single tweet or Facebook post is not enough to bring wide acclaim.
We are living in a very competitive world -- there are so many forms of entertainment available. If we are not interesting to our group of friends and supporters, they have many other places…
It is an honor to be a part of this remarkable fraternity (sorority?) of dance people -- directors, managers, dancers, choreographers -- bound together by a love of dance and shared experien…
If half as much effort that is devoted to trying to fix things was devoted to fundraising, most of the problems facing the organization would disappear. In fact, rarely have I observed a bo…
For the vast majority of arts organizations, most of their audience members and donors are still employed and are enjoying strong returns on their investments. They have rising levels of di…
Turning around arts organizations is mostly about changing the psychology of an organization. If we can get people who are closest to us to believe in our work and proceed with confidence, …
At this difficult time when so many orchestras are facing economic turmoil, the Kansas City Symphony is balancing its budget and just signed a three year contract with its musicians.
They all agreed that the most important thing they learned at the Kennedy Center was courage, the courage to ask for money, the courage to embrace a new funding paradigm, the courage to do s…
Arts institutions -- and all not for profit organizations for that matter -- must make it engaging, fun, enlightening and inspiring to participate. They must earn their donors.
As the pressures facing arts organizations increase, it has become more important than ever that the selection of a Chair of the Board be made with care.
I have become increasingly convinced that special, targeted fundraising campaigns can be effective ways to galvanize board and staff and to ratchet up the level of fundraising.
Every child should have the opportunity to make a habit of arts participation. Every city and state should be able to boast about its cultural patrimony and use it to attract businesses and …
Does the Arts Council "reduce from the bottom," zeroing out grants to the smallest grantees (effectively putting them out of business), or does it make drastic cuts to the largest …
One of my DeVos Fellows at the Kennedy Center asked an important question in class recently. She wanted to know, "What do...
The Emergency Mayor of Detroit is considering selling off a large portion of the collection of the Detroit Institute of Art to pay off the city's $15 billion debt. Kevyn Orr has said he is …
The current media agreement in force in the United States has severely limited the amount of orchestral music (and opera performances) on public television, radio and the Internet. Most orch…
The situation facing the Nashville Symphony is sad and frustrating. Unfortunately, it is also not atypical. Symphony officials recently announced that it would default on the bonds for its p…
Every once in a while I attend a performance that is so remarkable that I forget about ticket sales, fundraising, budget cutting or any other aspect of my job. A recent performance of Le Cor…
This multiplier effect has been discussed for decades. We know that arts organizations are critical for local restaurants, parking, taxis, hotels, etc. Yet it is equally clear that the eco…
The New York City Ballet was in residence at the Kennedy Center recently. I stopped by rehearsal on the afternoon...
I write frequently about the benefits of joint ventures between arts institutions. They can lower cost, improve the quality...
The leadership of the Metropolitan Opera recently announced that they were lowering most of their ticket prices for next season. At the same time, they announced that it is now clear that th…
Without a clear vision for the future, executive directors are doomed to making marginal changes that do not truly move their organizations forward. And without a bit of dreaming, it is diff…
Arts professionals are an inspiring group; they truly believe in what they do and almost always think that doing more of it is...
While you have access, no doubt, to a wealth of advice and knowledge, I humbly suggest that you fully exploit the expertise of your arts community and the power of cultural diplomacy.
