System v. Silo

I guess what I'm really trying to advocate for in the arts is more systems thinking and less silo thinking.

In the arts we love our silo thinking.  We draw all sorts of false and unhelpful distinctions between artists, executives, Boards, etc.  We treat each department like it's a little silo that somehow stands separate and distinct from each other. 

I cringe when I see arts organizations where artistic decisions happen behind closed doors and certain people are effectively barred from the process. 

I freak out a bit when I see Board members that have never had meaningful conversations with some "staff" members.

The world we live in is too complex for those sorts of things.  We need systems thinking, which is essentially the understanding that a decision in one place impacts the other.

Artistic decisions are marketing decisions.

Marketing decisions are fundraising decisions

Fundraising decisions are artistic decisions.

They have to stem from one unified thought, even if the actual functions are done by different people.

See your organization as a system and never allow anyone to forget that one thing impacts the other.

 

 

Comments

[Mazarine]

Oh Wow.

Hear hear!

I did not know I needed to read this post until I read it. As a person who does marketing, art, and fundraising, you are 100% correct. A marketing decisions is a fundraising decision is an artistic decision.

I decided to do graphic design for the Urban League by drawing inspiration from Colors Magazine. I wanted to make it graphically arresting, both with fonts and pictures. I wanted to create pictures that people couldn't look away from. And I think I succeeded. Of course, you be the judge. It's still up on their home page, http://ulpdx.org.

I think that at many small nonprofits, the fundraiser is the graphic designer is the marketer, so luckily the decisions are not going to be made in a vacuum, unless, of course, the fundraiser has some multiple personality issues going on.

I did a post about graphic design and its fundraising impact for nonprofits here: http://www.wildwomanfundraising.com/graphic-design-for-nonprofits/
and here:
http://www.wildwomanfundraising.com/13-tips-annual-report-read/

Sincerely,

Mazarine

[Scott Harrison]

Reminds of my favorite quote from the great Rudolf Bing, long time general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, that went something to the effect of, every business decision is an artistic one and every artistic decision is a business one. (It's in his memoir, 5000 Nights at the Opera.)

[Willa25Blackburn]

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