Marketing & Communications

You Probably Need To Be Spending More On Overhead

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For decades now there has been a belief that the lower the ratio of non-profit’s overhead expenses to program expense, the better run the non-profit is.  As a result, a low overhead ratio has been viewed as something of a virtue and non-profit organizations have used all sorts of accounting tricks and parsed terminology in an effort to  redefine what constitutes an overhead expense. Likewise, funders have rewarded non-profits who can exhibit low overhead expense ratios or they disallow the use of funding for overhead altogether. This has created what many have … Read more

Let’s Talk About TikTok

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Ok folks, let’s talk about arts organizations on TikTok. In the past few months, I’ve noticed more and more establishing a presence and totally rocking it! I’ve been in the industry for the advent of nearly all the major social media platforms (and some not so major, and even more now-defunct) and I think that TikTok has the most distinctive style and voice right from the very start. There is no potential to simply repeat content from other channels here — TikTok content must be created specifically for use on the platform. … Read more

A.D.E.I has to be more than checking a box

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My colleague and frequent collaborator Ann Marie Sorrell is fond of saying that engagement with diverse communities must be more than “checking a box” and she’s absolutely correct.  Ann Marie and I are long-time collaborators in this work, starting with a multi-year initiative many years ago at Palm Beach Opera. As National Black Business Month has just concluded, I’m reminded of an article in The New York Times which brought this concept to the front of my mind once again. It shines a light on the sometimes performative nature of A.D.E.I work, … Read more