I've written before about how I believe the nonprofit structure is still viable for the arts.
I stand by what I wrote, but here's a caveat:
Nonprofit status should be your very last option. You should only do it after you have considered (and maybe even tried) a bunch of other options like
- Making it as a for profit
- Partnering with an existing nonprofit
- Doing it on a strictly volunteer basis
- Working under a fiscal agent
You get the idea.
------------------------
I'm not advising this because I think the nonprofit is "broken". But I do think that running a nonprofit is complex.
Really, really complex.
Running a nonprofit requires an almost ridiculous level of vision, patience and coalition building. It means always walking the fine line between artistic needs and fiscal reality. It means that you have to learn to love things like cash flow statements and organizational design as much as you love theatre, dance or indie film.
It isn't for everybody. But we don't say that often enough.
Instead we watch as people start nonprofits that were doomed from the inception. We watch as aggressive artistic folks that want the fame and spotlight NOW languish in a model that is inherently built for the long term.
We watch as our friends ignore basic economics concepts like competition, supply and demand as they build an arts organization that is 99% similar to everything else out in the world and then wonder why the world isn't beating a path to their door.
Starting a nonprofit is a serious decision. It isn't a joke, or a game, or something you do when you lack other options.
So the first thing you should do before starting, or continuing, your nonprofit arts organization is consider your alternatives.
Comments