The major advantage when it comes to social media is not only are you building a level of trust with your clients, you are also creating a solid list of contacts that can be utilized constantly. People might not be so easy to persuade into giving you their email or phone number right away, but they will be willing to friend you on Facebook, or follow you on Twitter. It’s a level of communication that allows you to gain more information over time, and constantly advertise to a group of people. Something as simple as putting up a link that says “Friend us on Facebook” or “Follow us on Twitter” can provide a brand new source of contacts that weren’t possible before social media.

Let us know if you want to learn more. Contact me at mike@janmckayandassociates.com or jan@janmckayandassociates.com.

There seems to be never ending dire news about politicians and their heavy handed axes toward the arts, historic preservation and cultural funding – from the National Endowment for the Arts   (a proposal is to eliminate all funding immediately!) the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute for Museums and Library Services (again!)  to state funds and local allocations.  I have asked many of you to write to our elected officials, locally and nationally, to ask them to reconsider their conclusions and attitudes.  Our state, local and national associations and organizations have done a tremendously fine job of keeping us updated and making it easier to write to our elected officials. We have all mobilized. We need to continue.

As professionals and advocates in the arts and cultural sector, I think we have responded in a strategic, measured, intelligent and polite fashion. I for one, though, am angry and I wonder where all this is going to end.

The new Governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback, signed an Executive Order to abolish the Kansas Arts Commission.  Boo!  Hiss!  Brownback!  All he’ll save is $600,000 and on top of that, he wants to set up competitive fundraising with the organizations he is harming, forming a nonprofit to raise the money he will be saving, so IT can make up the lost funding!  This sounds convoluted to me.  I lived in Kansas. The Arts community has many challenges there, and it is doing everything it can within a very tough political environment. (I once hear Sam Brownback give a speech in Wichita where he decried the use of government money for NASA!)

Here’s another one that has me scratching my head.  Texas Governor Rick Perry asked the Legislature to indefinitely suspend funding to both The Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas Historical Commission.  The Commission’s total budget is $14.8 million and only 9% comes from the state’s general fund. The state gives $20 million to the Historical Commission which operates twenty state historic sites.  Expecting low funded organizations to take huge hits and still fulfill their duties is folly. Texas already ranks 37th in funding for historic resources. My heart goes out to those who are fighting THAT fight.

I’m tired of people saying things like “well, people are going hungry…” as if our organizations are stealing food out of the mouths of our citizenry.  No one is saying that we don’t want to do our part, but these arguments which attempt to position the arts, museums, informal learning environments as luxuries are ignorant ones and just plain insulting.

My response is to ask elected officials to do their research.  Look at the national research results and studies and look at your state and local research.  See and learn what the arts and historic resources contribute not only to the well being of individuals and community life, but to the schools and, yes, the economy.  Cutting the arts may seem like a savvy idea, but it is short sighted and long term, will hurt all of us.  It will hurt business, too.  So when your Chamber of Commerce and elected officials are saying things like “everyone just needs to toughen up” to justify keeping allocations to business over cultural arts, make sure you have some answers. (This is happening in more states than we think.)

American for the Arts has a wonderful Arts Funding Response & Readiness Kit complete with talking points that explain why the arts needs support and how the arts affects economies and workforce development. Check it out at: www.artsusa.org/information_services/toolkit. Thank you Bob Lynch, President and CEO, for providing this for us!  You can also get a sample of an Economic Impact Statement at the Association for Midwest Museums site (www.midwest museums.org)  Thank you Brian Bray for sharing this!

And, go to the AASLH (www.aaslh.org) website for the latest information on how funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute for Museums and Library Services is threatened! Hurry!

We need to continue to fight.  But are you mad yet?  I am!

What do you think?  E-mail me at  janmckay@live.com.

And here are a few other worthwhile stats to make them sit up and think again:

A few years ago a study published by the Conference Board, (serving the Fortune 1000 U.S. companies) Americans for the Arts and the American Association of School Administrators provided the first research-based evidence that connects the arts to creativity and innovation. U.S. employers rate creativity/innovation among the top five skills that will increase in importance over the next five years, and rank it among the top challenges facing CEOs. Ninety-seven percent of employers and 99 percent of school superintendents say creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces. Seventy-two percent of employers say creativity is of primary concern when they’re hiring—and 85 percent of these employers can’t find the creative applicants they seek. “Arts-related study in college” is a key creativity indicator to potential employers. (go to artsusa.org).

Americans view museums as one of the most important resources for educating our children and as one of the most trustworthy sources of objective information.  Thirty-eight percent of Americans cited museums as among the most trustworthy sources of information while 87% stated they are trustworthy overall. According to a study by Indiana University, museums are considered a more reliable source of historical information than books, teachers, or even personal accounts by grandparents or other relatives.  Museums preserve and protect more than a billion objects (Heritage Health Index). Get more information at www.aam-us.org.

According the Travel Industry Association, cultural tourists spend more ($631 vs. $457), are more likely to use a hotel (62 percent vs. 56 percent), travel longer (5.2 nights vs. 4.1 nights), and are more likely to spend $1,000+ (18 percent vs. 12 percent) than the average traveler.  Cultural tourists = those who attend museums, historic sites, performing arts and the like.

Research by Dr. Shirley Brice Heath of Stanford University shows that “young people who are actively engaged in arts learning and arts productions improve their self esteem and confidence, assume leadership roles, and improve their overall school performance.” What’s interesting: Dr. Heath wasn’t studying the arts—rather, studying after-school programs. Her data revealed a remarkable outlier of effectiveness—which turned out to be the arts.   Read more at the Arts in America web site, (www.artsusa.org)  which is fantastic.

In the outdoor education and informal science world we design programs, build exhibits and seek to create and evaluate hands-on and minds-on experiences. Over the past twenty five years or so, we have learned many new techniques to connect our audiences with science and nature through the mind, but how well are we connecting them through the heart, soul and spirit?

Today, as I rushed about from task to task, appointment to appointment, I paused as one of the last autumn leaves fell at my feet. For the entire season the leaf’s only rush had been that fluttering drop from branch to ground.

What had this leaf seen from its summer-long perch? There it dangled for over six months, never moving more than the distance it could twist back and forth in the wind.

I couldn’t match that leaf, but I once sat on a ledge, in the forest, at leaf level, for an entire day.  As my mind slowed, I began to notice.  I noticed that the sound of wind in the leaves is the sound of rustling leaves, but the sound of wind in the pines is just the sound of wind.  I noticed many things.

Notice is a simple word. It is not an aggressive or active word. However, it is a powerful word and a very powerful thing to do. Simply notice.

Perhaps the participatory, hands-on and minds-on experiences we seek can be enhanced by finding ways to just slow down, listen and notice, be it indoors or out.

Yes we have done a good job over the years of connecting people with nature through the head.  The next great challenge for museum educators, naturalists, teachers and non-profit consultants is to finds a way to back that up by consistently connecting people with nature and what it means to them through the heart and soul. And the beginning of that may just be simple, heartfelt noticings about the world around you.  The bonds of the heart are far stronger than those of the head.  Creating those bonds is one of the major goals in this important, emerging direction in outdoor and informal science education.

We at Jan McKay and Associates are committed to exploring this new path.  We are also looking for like minded organizations who would like to explore it with us.  If you are interested give a call or send an e-mail. Enjoy the Autumn.

Dr. Falk is the Sea Grant Professor of Free Choice Learning at Oregon State University.  At this symposium he shared the seven identity-related motivations for seeking museum or arts and culture-related activities.  For those who have always loved the intersection of marketing and museums, understanding behavior and motivations and how they affect attendance, participating and learning, Dr. Falk’s presentation gave us more of what we need to put effective planning in place to attract and service visitors and audiences.  Let’s use it!  The research arms us for greater engagement. Don’t move slowly, move faster!  Consider using your marketing people in your planning activities, if you are not doing that now.  These professionals can help you stay externally focused. By the way, the Institute promises to put information from the symposium online soon, so watch for it. (http://www.ilinet.org)

The keynote speech at the Association of Midwest Museum’s conference held in Cleveland in early October was delivered by Marsha L. Semmel, Acting Director of the Institute for Museums and Library Services.  She challenged us to be 21st Century Organization and to evaluate whether our organization has the critical attributes to serve our audiences.  Marsha reminded us that the model of an expert presenting to an audience is shifting and that we are now in the position of empowering audiences, so she encourages us to nurture the outpouring of curiosity that we see in society today.  She also encouraged us not to feel threatened or to feel as if our expertise is no longer needed, but to try to find new ways to engage audiences through participation and by allowing them to get more deeply involved.

The conference brought attendees many quality speakers with something to say.  Margo James Copeland of Key Bank reminded us that 62% of Boards have no one under the age of 50 serving on them!  She encouraged us to tie recruitment of young people to our strategic plans. We were also reminded that “young” board members want to be a part of the organization. They want clear communication and they want a job to do.  They want to participate and they expect greater control over the outcomes.  And, once again we were reminded that young donors want to feel passionate about the organization before they will financially contribute.

Jamie Ireland, philanthropist and Chairman of University Circle, Inc and Board member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame spoke about fund raising and Boards. He said that the traditional process for finding chairs for fund raising campaigns is not as prevalent as it once was.  He noted that the process of first engaging a person and then asking them to be a fund raising chair is no longer the rule of thumb.  Some individuals, he said, will take on fund raising projects without a long relationship with the organization if they feel the organization is worthy and that they would have an impact.

I could go on.  The conference had a more laid back feel than some of the larger conferences, and speakers were very accessible for questions.  Good job all!

One final note.  Thank you Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Great Lakes Science Center, the William G. Mather (fantastic docent tour!)  Cleveland Museum of Natural History (had all collections open and curators available!)  Cleveland Museum of Art and the Western Reserve Historical Society.  These institutions welcomed us with open arms with fantastic evening parties for their colleagues.  And special thanks to the Rock Hall for presenting Patti Smith, in concert that night! As they say in my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio – Rock ON!

Links:
www.cmnh.org The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
www.rockhall.com The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
www.greatscience.com Steamship William G. Mather and the Great Lakes Science Center
www.wrhs.org The Western Reserve Historical Society
www.clevelandart.org The Cleveland Museum of Art.
www.midwestmuseums.org Association of Midwest Museums

A recent national survey conducted by The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund found that 55% of American donors plan to maintain their level of giving in the fourth quarter and 8% said they would give more than in past years because the need for help is “more acute.”  The study reports than while a third indicated they would give less than in past year, half of those donors said they will prioritize their gifts and reduce their giving by reducing or eliminating some causes. This means your case statement needs to be stronger than ever and your letter/mailing needs to contain the elements that will help you to succeed. Here’s a refresher on how to write to your donors and friends:

• Explain how a gift will have impact and help your organization to succeed. Be specific. Give examples.  It is not enough to say you need money for the annual fund.
• Appeal to your donor’s feelings and care for your organization. Logical explanations should not be the driving force in your letter.
• Explain how their donation will make a difference and give examples.
• Tell stories, make it interesting. No long paragraphs.
• It’s OK to repeat main concepts in different parts of the letter.
• Make sure the letter is addressed a person. No “Dear Friend” letters!
• Be conversational. Shorter paragraphs.
• Make sure your readers understand that there is an immediate need, not something to be done in the far future.
• Make sure they can trust you. Reassure them.
• Illustrate how you are good stewards of their dollars and how you make the dollars stretch and matter.
• Give them some heroes to look up to – other donors who have stepped forward. Include a testimonial or two.
• Write a first line/paragraph that will hook them.  Write a few and then “test” them on friends. Ask them which ones would keep them reading. If possible, “test” them on close-in donors that resemble the profiles of who will receive the letter.
• Restate your main points a number of times. People rarely read from start to finish – they jump around so it is OK to make the letter longer than you think. (See, I repeated this twice.)
• Give them a reason to, first, open the envelope!  Be creative. Remember, they care about your organization but they still need to be convinced that opening YOUR envelope is a priority in their stack of mail.
• Today, we speak with icons and pictures as well as words.  Make sure you include graphics and pictures, but only if they help reinforce what you are saying.
• Reinforce the messaging online and in your other communications methods.

Go for it.  There are plenty of ways to learn even more about fund raising letters. Take the time to plan, write and rewrite, but do it from your heart. This will make more compelling copy that will, hopefully, translate to additional fund

A thorough picture of how the recession is affecting nonprofit jobs was recently released by John Hopkins University’s Center for Civil Society Studies. You can find the article at:
http://www.ccss.jhu.edu/index.php?section=content&view=16⊂=104&tri=94

The study’s survey included 1,100 nonprofit organizations in four key fields; one of them termed “the arts.” The survey’s two key finding are that” 1.) Increased demands for services and financial hardships are seriously affecting nonprofits’ ability to deliver vital programs and services 2.) Nonprofits have worked hard to meet the needs.

Those two conclusions have been discussed in Chronicle of Philanthropy over these many months. However, the study gives us more to chew on.

Overall, 31% of nonprofits reported job losses over the past six months. In orchestras the number rises to 35%, for museums, 30% and for theatre, 28%. Children and family service organizations, museums, orchestras and theatres showed reduction in employment that range from 0.7% or children and family agencies to a full 6% for theatres.

For many nonprofits, new ways of fund raising and reenergizing constituencies, redoubling efforts to meet with donors, new “friend raising” events and creative methods to stay in the development game are in play. More effort to survive and thrive is being harnessed out of dire necessity. The alternative is not acceptable. Yet, I find that sometimes it is not easy to face reality, and efforts to productively meet challenges are slow to be embraced, by SOME organizations

I have seen various Boards at nonprofit destinations act in denial when it comes to losing staff or meeting income shortfalls head on. One indicator of denial is when the Finance Committee, Executive Committee or Board take extraordinary time in asking staff to crunch and recrunch the numbers, be it on the income or expense side. Yes, it is good to see the picture from all sides and derive an honest appraisal, but an excessive amount of energy in this area is often folly.

Driving the Executive and Business Manager crazy with requests for reports that recrunch the numbers in seemingly endless ways often indicates that the Board does not want to accept that the same bottom line numbers will result, no matter what format they are in. They don’t want to face the hard truth – get their work hats on and roll up the sleeves and find more dollars.

Instead of reenergizing themselves to find new ways to generate income, they put their heads in the numbers as if the numbers were going to change if they continue to tweak them. If you are in this situation, stop immediately. Trust that your Executive Director has done due diligence in communicating the full picture. If you are an Executive Director, try to make them see that the endless process of tweaking numbers is diluting your energy and rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. (say it more tactfully, of course.)

Getting back to the study. The report shows what we all know – that nonprofits show much creativity in how they respond to budget shortfalls, interest income shortages and the like. In addition to reducing their workforce, other steps have been taken. For example, 49% of respondents redefined job descriptions. I take that to mean that they piled on work and created two jobs for one person to handle… maybe even three jobs. Often revamping job descriptions means that employees are forced to take over the work of laid off workers.

Nearly 40% or organizations implemented a salary freeze and 36% postponed filling new positions. Many other organizations increased staff hours (not sure if they did this while redefining job descriptions.. hope not!), and 23% cut or reduced benefits. Forty-one percent postponed filling new positions, reduced or eliminated programs.

For arts and cultural organizations, over 50% of theatres and museums reported lacking staff to maintain their existing activities!

There is a small shining star in the report. While 28 – 35% of theaters, museums and orchestras lost workers over the past six months, just 17 – 20% expect to do the same in the next six months. (I did say it was a SMALL shining star!)

And finally, as you would expect, 34% of organizations say they increased reliance on volunteers. That number rises to half of all respondents from arts and cultural organizations.

You may want to read the full study and get connecting to this fantastic resource.

In spring 2004, the National School Boards Association and Americans for the Arts convened to discuss opportunities for collaboration in a nationwide campaign to increase the presence and quality of arts education in American public schools. The arts serve as a critical component to a complete education and are proven to increase student academic achievement. Young people who consistently participate in comprehensive, sequential, and rigorous arts programs are:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem*

For many of America’s youth, public schools serve as the major provider of formalized arts instruction. Therefore, it is critical that the arts maintain their status as a core academic subject within a school district’s educational mission and that they are adequately funded.

Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences documents the key role played by the nonprofit arts and culture industry in strengthening our nation’s economy. This study demonstrates that the nonprofit arts and culture industry is an economic driver in communities—a growth industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is the cornerstone of tourism.

Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The study is the most comprehensive study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted. It documents the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in 156 communities and regions (116 cities and counties, 35 multicounty regions, and five states), and represents all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The $166.2 billion in total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:

• 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs
• $104.2 billion in household income
• $7.9 billion in local government tax revenues
• $9.1 billion in state government tax revenues
• $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenues

Our Arts & Economic Prosperity studies continue to be among the most frequently cited statistics used to demonstrate the impact of the nation’s nonprofit arts industry on the local, state, and national economy.

In the outdoor education and informal
science world we design programs,
build exhibits and seek to create and
evaluate hands on and minds on results.

Today, as I rushed about from task to
task, appointment to appointment, I
paused as one of the first fall leaves fell
at my feet. The leaf’s only rush has
been its fluttering drop from branch to
ground.

What has this leaf seen from its
summer-long perch? There it dangled
for over six months, never moving more
than the distance it could twist back and
forth in the wind.

Perhaps the best participatory, hands on,
minds on experience can be delivered
by just letting go of those “measurable
results.” Perhaps all we need do is slow
down, listen, and notice be it indoors or
out.

We have done a good job over the past
thirty years or so of connecting people
with nature through the head. The
museum educator, naturalist, teacher or
consulting firm who finds a way to back
that up by consistently connecting
people with nature and themselves
through the heart and soul, will be a
leader in this important, emerging
direction in outdoor education.

We here at Jan McKay and Associates
are exploring this new path. We are
also looking for like minded
organizations who would like to explore
it with us. If you are interested, call us.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR
PRESENTING INDOOR AND
OUTDOOR PROGRAMS

* Mingle before your program so that
you know who you are talking with and
they know you.

* Introduce yourself and your
organization.

* Say in advance what you are going to
do. Have some general objectives.

* A visitor wants to be talked with, not
at.

* Talk first-hand. Use real objects. Pass
them around.

* Use …

Action verbs (like crunch)

Powerful adjectives (like blood red)

Personal words (like you, yours, let’s)

Use Body Language and Expression

Use all the senses

* Speak of what you know. But. too
much stress on facts can communicate
aloofness, etc , strive for fun

* Use your own experiences and relate
them to other people’s experiences.

* Progress from simple to complex,
from familiar to unfamiliar.

* Use reinforcement, respond to people
with approval, acceptance and with
words, gestures, smiles etc.

* Be enthusiastic, but not to excess. “If
you tell me that your locale combines
the grandeur of the Rockies, the serenity
of an English village, and the mystery
of Tibet, I reply that there is no such
damned place and I’ll drop your folder
in the trash.”

* Never be afraid to say that you don’t
know. But don’t ever have to say that
you don’t know something more than
once – find out!

* Use a conclusion and summary. It is
just as important as an introduction.

* Work in some plugs for your
organization

* Know when to stop.

FOR CHILDREN:

* Remember their shorter attention
spans.

* On walks, limit yourself to one
concept per stop.

* Stoop down, or kneel to their level
(especially when attention begins to
wander)

* Give troublemakers a job (carrying
something, watching for something etc.)

* Use question and answer techniques
vs. lecturing.

* Encourage exploration, discovery,
finding things, using the senses, etc.

You have a space and you have a lot of artwork. Your job is to hang it, but where do you start? First, consider how you would like the show to be organized. There are several types of ways to organize.  You can arrange things chronologically or thematically or by the artist. Or consider organizing by the medium used, such as all pencil drawings to be exhibited in one section and all the oil paintings go in another. There are many different methods of organization depending on the type of exhibit you have. Start with this decision.

When you have decided how you want to organize the exhibit, you can go around the perimeter and lean the art against the wall at the location you wish to hang it, or lay flat on the floor if there is concern about scratching the frame. Leave a comfortable space between artwork for the labels. This process gives you a chance to see if you have enough room and to make adjustments accordingly.

Now that you know where you will hang each piece, you have to determine how high. Imagine a line going horizontally around the room that is 60” High. This is your centerline. All of the pictures will be hung so that the center of the artwork, midway between the top of the frame and the bottom will be at 60” height. 60” is a comfortable eye level height for the average adult visitor. If there are going to be many children visitors, it might be a good idea to lower it a few inches.

Stacked pieces are a little more complicated. Two or more stacked pieces will be placed so that the top edge of the piece on top and the bottom edge of the lowest piece, including the spaces between will be considered one piece and that will be centered on the 60” centerline. One method is to lay the stacked pieces on the floor with the appropriate space between, measure the height of the total then divide it by two.  The bottom edge of the lower piece would then be below the 60” centerline that amount, and the top of the upper piece would be above the centerline that amount. It is better if stacked art is smaller, as you do not want anything too high, or too low. Stacked pieces are usually hung so that they are vertically centered also.

A helpful tool is to hang a washer on a piece of string and tie a knot at 60” from the bottom of the washer to the knot. This, with a piece of blue painters tape will make it easy to establish the height of the centerline as you go around the room. It is also useful for determining a vertical centerline for stacked pictures as it will always hang.

The next task would be lighting. In an ideal situation, you will want to light from several angles so that someone standing directly in front of the art will not creating a shadow on it. You also want to be aware of glare and hot spots, where one piece of art has noticeably more light than another. It is a tedious process, but lighting is what gives an exhibit its sense of drama and will lend artwork that transcendent glow.

The last item is labels. They should be placed after the lighting so that you can be sure they are not placed in a shadow. It is good to position them consistently, as much as possible. An example of this would be to place them at the bottom right hand lower corner of the art throughout the exhibit. The text on labels is usually small, so you don’t want them too far from the 60” eye level we established. If they are too low they will be hard to read without backing up and will be blocked by anyone standing in front of the art. If it is too high, it will be difficult for older visitors with bi-focal type of glasses to read or for children.

There are no exact rules for installing an exhibit, it is an art not a science, but if you have followed these instructions you will have a gallery that has a purposeful sense of orderly tranquility and will encourage the visitor to appreciate the artwork, which is after all, the main goal.

These questions – how to reach more people, do MORE and do it BETTER – are important to embrace. They are the right questions to ask today, and the fact that you ask them at all, says a lot about your organization.

I recently met with a Museum Director who lives in another world. He has no financial worries, just one patron who underwrites the organization, a solid and stable staff with no changes over more than a decade, no plans or pressure to connect with schools, and no worries about attendance because it does not really matter to the organization if people come or don’t come to see the art. He lives off of an endowment and his museum offers free admission. His staff members do not strive to put new programming together, he does not have committees to deal with, and he does no special event fund raising. Did I mention that he has a nice travel budget? It was almost an unearthly experience to talk with him!

After I left his office and came down to reality (and the freeway) I realized that while his museum sounds like a dream, especially during this recession, it is far better to struggle toward being exceptional then to bask in being good.

I like the struggle and chances are, you do too, whether you are an Executive Director, Board member, or a professional in one of the many chosen paths at nonprofit destinations.

My Associates and I have been in your shoes.

What’s more, they have navigated in the nonprofit cultural arena, parks and museums for years and they are available to help you and your organization. For a complete list of the Senior Associates of Jan McKay & Associates go to the Who’s who area.