Creative Synergy: Funders and Service Organizations as Partners
Wednesday, October 20, 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Organized by Rohit Burman, director, culture & public broadcasting, Metlife Foundation; Jonathan Herman, executive director, National Guild for Community Arts Education.
Moderated by John McCann, president, Partners in Performance. Presented by Ken Cole, associate director, National Guild for Community Arts Education; Sandra Gibson, president and chief executive officer, Association of Performing Arts Presenters; Cheryl Ikemiya, senior program officer for the arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Across the country, numerous collaborations between arts funders and service organizations are aimed at addressing systemic challenges and opportunities, conducting research, spurring innovation, building capacity, and promoting sustainability. While such partnerships can generate lasting, field-wide impact, tensions can impede their success. In this session, we will examine the unique challenges and opportunities facing service organizations and how long-standing funder-service organization partnerships, at both the national and regional/state levels, have thrived over time. Participants will be invited to share their own experiences as we explore lessons that have been learned about how those on both sides of the equation can best work together to increase impact and advance the field.
