Ben Cameron, Director of the Doris Duke Charitable Fund (DDCF) made this statement with a November 2007 announcement of a $15M donation to the Nonprofit Finance Fund. The hopeful objective of the donation, to provide leading Arts organizations with the resources necessary to test ideas for responding and adapting to the world around them and the complicated trends affecting the performing arts.
Are the countless social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, YouTube, imeem, Google, SuperDeluxe, Flickr, and other online media sites preventing Arts organizations from reaching the next generation of supporters? Does the open source (read: FREE) state of the internet influence potential audiences to feel as if ALL Art should be available at no cost? Has the immediacy of the Information Age affected the longevity and impact of artistic works?
Ben Cameron believes that Arts Leaders must convey, not only the quality of the work produced, but the VALUE that the organization and its work offers to the community. He suggests that every arts organization answer three basic questions:
- Hard: What is the value of having my organization in my community?
- Harder: What is the value my group alone offers, or that my group offers better than anyone else? Duplicative or second-rate value will not stand in this economy.
- Hardest: How will my community be damaged if we close our doors and move away tomorrow?
Answering these questions will certainly help you reflect on sustainability. By considering the community as a potential audience that can exercise CHOICE, you are forced to reflect on your VALUE to that community and to reflect on what works of Art that potential audience might find meaningful and relevant to their lives.
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