Funders v. Investors

Off the top of my head I can think of no less then 20 people who have told me that starting a nonprofit arts organization is a bad idea because "running a nonprofit is too hard."

There are a lot of valid criticisms of the nonprofit system particularly as it relates to the arts but sometimes it gets an unfairly negative rep.

Properly executed, the nonprofit structure can help a company take fair greater artistic risk then the traditional for profit system ever could.

Properly exected . . . there's the rub.

But here's the thing if you think that dealing with a donor who gives you $10,000 a year is too difficult . . . how can you handle an investor who is also giving you $10,000 and expects you to turn into $15,000?

Comments

[Chris Casquilho]

I work in a pretty small shop, and in most daily and pragmatic ways, running my theatre is akin to running a small business. I've never met a single small business owner who said it was easy.

[Adam]

Exactly. I just get concerned that some people are getting the false impression that a for-profit arts org. is inherently better then a nonprofit one. Both have their plusses and minuses