For many nonprofits, November usually signals an almost singular focus on fundraising activities. ‘Tis the season when nonprofits are strategizing on how to grab the attention of philanthropic individuals who traditionally integrate end-of-year charitable giving with their annual tax planning -- that’s the whole purpose of our sector’s inclusion in the 2013 Bethesda Magazine Guide to Giving. If you want to get a leg up with the competition, before you start crafting those appeal letters and placing those phone calls to donors, keep just this one thing in mind:
STORIES + DATA = IMPACT
As Jody Ulrich of the Fort Worth Arts Council recently noted, economic impact studies are valuable only if they reflect the community your programs personally touch. The Cultural Data Project and results from Arts and Economic Prosperity IV are great tools that can help nonprofits and cultural communities generate reports that tell your story with unambiguous metrics that can give life and meaning to your narrative.
We know that today’s donors are sophisticated. They want personal and compelling stories that speak to your organizations’ irreplaceable value in the community; they want to know why their support will matter. When crafting your message, not only do you need a compelling story, but you also should consider who is being recruited to tell that story to donors. Stories can and should be told not only by organizational leadership, but donors also need to hear from volunteers, parents, youth participants and community stakeholders just like them.
In this incredibly competitive fundraising season you can increase your appeal to potential and existing donors by presenting both the numbers and the narrative that outline your organizations unique value proposition. When you pair stories and data and demonstrate impact convincingly you’ll gain a competitive advantage that will certainly show up in your bottom line. When that happens, everyone wins!
Kudos & News
Kudos to This Years Executive's
Award Winners!
On October 21, 2013 The Leggett's presented awards to Tom Murphy, Heena Genti, David Minton, Betty Scott, Patricia Woolsey, Nilimma Devi, Maritza Rivera, and Busy Graham. They were honored for their contributions to Montgomery County's arts and humanities community.
Kudos to Poet Nancy Naomi Carlson
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently announced that poet Nancy Naomi Carlson of Silver Spring is among the 16 Americans to receive a Literature Translation Fellowship, and will receive $12,500 to support the translation from French of a poetry collection by African writer Abdourahman Waberi. More on this fellowship.
Kudos to The Young Artists of America, Inc. (YAA)
Young Artists of America, Inc. (YAA), will hold its first performance of the 2013-2014 season, a gala concert version of Jerome Kern’s musical "Show Boat", on Sunday, November 17, 2013 at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club. High school aged students from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, trained by professional artists and educators will be featured. All funds raised during this gala performance will be directed towards tuition subsidies for student participants. Eliot Pfanstiehl, CEO of Strathmore, will act as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
Kudos to The Writer's Center
More than 140 people attended the Publish Now! seminar at The Writer’s Center on Saturday, Oct. 26. Speakers presented a plethora of information on finishing, editing and publishing a manuscript in the digital age. The presenters, 12 industry experts including Writer’s Digest Publisher Phil Sexton, broke down the costs related to e-publishing, the ins and outs of copyright, and marketing dos and don’ts. Visit http://www.writer.org/to learn about future events.
Re-Imagining the Holidays
Save the date! On saturday, November 16th 6-8 pm Downtown Silver Spring, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, will once again re-imaginine the holidays! The community will light an impressive 30 foot holiday tree on Downtown Silver Spring Fountain Plaza, made completely of Toys and Sporting Goods. For more information on the community holiday tree lighting, click here
Bethesda Art Walk
Bethesda galleries showcase artwork created locally, nationally and internationally including painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media. Enjoy several galleries by walking throughout downtown Bethesda. To learn more about the Bethesda arts scene and featured artists.
Visit http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/art-walk for more information
Impressive NPEA VIII Results Released
The Nonprofit Energy Alliance – an initiative of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Nonprofit Montgomery, and the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington recently announced the results of NONPROFIT ENERGY ALLIANCE VIII. Since 2010, NPEA has organized nonprofit businesses in Montgomery County and its neighboring jurisdictions to negotiate for cheaper and greener electricity. In this eighth round, 14 participating organizations of NONPROFIT ENERGY ALLIANCE VIII reached an aggregated total savings of approximately $2,357 in comparison to current Standard Offer Service (SOS) rates. Collectively, they purchased a total of 1.99 million kWh in wind power, which is equivalent to offsetting 3,088,676 pounds of carbon dioxide or to taking 292 passenger vehicles off the road for an entire year.To learn more, read the full press release HERE
The Sandy Spring Museum Opens its Collections
The museum’s new vision is to focus on the nexus of history and the cultural arts – visual, literary and performing. Instead of museum staff creating programming and exhibits, we now look to the community to “co-create†by inviting artists to use our historic collection as a source of inspiration in the creation of new works of art. In order to make this happen on a larger scale, we are looking to form partnerships with other cultural arts organizations or with individuals who want to be part of this process. For More information, Contact Allison Weiss at aweiss@sandyspringmuseum.org or 301-774-0022.
FREE Open-House at SIDRA
The Sutradhar Institute of Dance & Related Arts (SIDRA) is offering a sneak peak into their classes for children. Two open houses will be held Friday Nov 22nd at 4:45pm and Sunday Nov 24th at 12:15pm. Visit www.dancesidra.org or email dancesidra@gmail.com
Community Stories Festival Celebrates Silver Spring and Takoma Park
Filmmaking workshops, interactive storytelling sessions, and two nights of screenings of films on local people and places are among the events featured at the Community Stories Festival, taking place Thursday, November 14 through Sunday, November 18, 2013 at several venues around Silver Spring and Takoma Park, Maryland. All events are free and open to the public, although some suggest or require an RSVP. This program is supported by the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Maryland Film Office, the Takoma Foundation, We Are Takoma, the Silver Spring Regional Center of Montgomery County, and the William and Karen Tell Foundation. Visit http://docsinprogress.org/ to learn more.
AHCMC Grant Deadlines
Upcoming Grant Deadline:
FY14-2 Arts Integration Residency Grants
Deadline: Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Lynne Kingsley, Director of Marketing and Communications for Blackrock Center for the Arts and Joe Frandoni, Marketing and Constituent Services Manager for the Arts and Humanities Council will lead this engaging lunch forum, giving this group an inside look at the trends and topics that were presented at the National Arts Marketing Project Conference in Portland, OR, November 8-11.
Join local arts and humanities marketing professionals from around the county for the fantastic FREE Event.
*The Marketing Manager's Forum is an informal gathering presented by the Arts and Humanities Council to discuss the trends, opportunities and technologies in today's marketing environment. While the event is free, we ask that you please purchase your lunch or snack from La Madeleine.
Kramer Gallery
Cultural Exchangesopens with a reception on Thursday, November 7, 2014,
from 5:30-7:30.
FREE and open to the public
Winston Harris “American Made†Silkscreen
Cultural Exchanges celebrates the diversity of Montgomery County and explores artistic cross-fertilization. It brings together eight artists and one poet - Fetunwork Amedie, Anne Becker, Sally Brucker, Pierre-Antoine Goho, Winston Harris, Shanye Huang, Pauline Jakobsberg, Dawda Oliver, and Linda Slattery-Sherman - whose work refers to people, places, experiences and artistic traditions from across the globe. Some of these artists have lived and worked in Montgomery County their entire lives, while others have traveled here as children or adults, sometimes under duress. As a group, the work shares an abstract language that traverses cultural divides and probes themes of memory, loss, identity, and encounter.
The Public Arts Trust and AHCMC are pleased to announce the launch of our new public art directory. Explore the County’s public art collection and listen to Dr. Michele Cohen, PAT Director, interviewing Stevens Jay Carter, Ted Clausen, Judy Sutton Moore, Heidi Lippman, Deirdre Saunder, Vicki Scuri and Athena Tacha. Read and hear descriptions of selected pieces and learn about the public art in your community. Email us at Kramer-Gallery@creativemoco.com if you would like to record a podcast about your favorite piece.
