206 stories by "Michael Kaiser"
One of the frustrations of being a consultant is that one doesn't have control over the implementation of the plans you develop.
Just putting on stage a full complement of performances is enough to tax us. And mid-season is when we (should) acknowledge where we are falling short in terms of financial performance.
The mystery surrounding fundraising has led many people, usually board members, to ask: What makes a good fundraising executive?
A fascinating article recently published in the L.A. Times evaluated reasons why arts organizations and other not-for-profit institutions have problems meeting their fundraising goals.
I hope the Search Committee finds a remarkable person to run the Kennedy Center, someone who can take the institution to new places and can educate and entertain our audience in ways I could…
Eight months ago, the Miami City Ballet was a mess. The remarkable Edward Villella was beginning his last season as artistic director, the organization had run out of cash, its executive dir…
While reading the financial reports of numerous arts organizations recently, I have been alarmed at how many of them are taking large percentages of their endowment as income each year.
As government funding for the arts has fallen (as it has in most European countries), museums are trying to fill their budget gaps by asking the public to contribute.
I have been anxious about the precarious nature of this country's arts organizations of color; it is ironic that...
So much great art is dependent on the need for ensemble. The great orchestras and dance companies are great not simply because of the agglomeration of talented artists but also because of t…
I have tremendous sympathy for arts organizations that are facing fiscal challenges. But it is difficult to feel much sympathy for an organization that causes its own demise by failing to fi…
I do hope we can bring together managers, musicians and board members from orchestras large and small and begin a coherent, comprehensive, solution-focused discussion on how we are going to …
It is not uncommon to read about huge deficits and cancelled seasons. Not surprisingly, orchestras are suffering the most. This has left many suggesting that we need new models for running a…
Owing to a series of coincidences, I have spent a great deal of time in Miami over the past year. I have completed a...
What is a LYBNT? It is someone who gave Last Year But Not This (year). This is a crucial list in our fundraising strategy. The easiest people to raise money from, in general, are those who h…
While there is much that gives us concern in the current environment, we who work in the arts truly have a great deal to be thankful for this and every year.
If Pregones Theater can emerge from the current recession far larger and stronger than they entered it, then why can't every arts organization in America?
In a field where few of us have the resources to engage a 'number two' executive, there is no large pool of trained leaders ready to move up to the top spot without some risk.
Over a period of years, I found that the earned income ratio has lost its place in the pantheon of useful arts management concepts and was rarely discussed by board members or arts managers.…
It was, by far, the most challenging assignment of my life and I am proud of the remarkable work of the Board, staff and artists during that difficult period. They all worked hard under grea…
While I still believe the best arts managers are those who come to solutions that are based on their organizations' unique situations, there are many arts managers who do not bring that leve…
Unhappy employees almost always lead to an unhappy family.
I write frequently about the dearth of arts education in our public schools and the impact this will have on the arts...
There are two days of the calendar that are very close together for most arts organizations but that elicit completely different emotions from me and from many other arts executives I know: …
Over the years I have come to a very simple conclusion: artists and their arts managers get the boards they deserve.
I do not...
