Capitalization in Practice: Moving from Conversation to Action

Monday, October 7, 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Organized by Liz Curtis, President, TDC, and Rebecca Thomas, Vice President, Nonprofit Finance Fund.

Presented by Lisa Cremin, Director, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund; Michelle Reynolds, Program Officer, James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation; and San San Wong, Senior Program Officer, Arts, Barr Foundation.

Strong balance sheets provide artistic freedom. Without adequate levels of cash and flexible capital for change, arts and culture organizations struggle to pursue new artistic ideas, explore innovative program approaches and undertake organizational adaptation. Data show that only one-third of arts organizations nationally report annual surpluses, and most groups are getting by with a few months, or just weeks, of cash.

In 2011, GIA invited TDC and NFF to produce a seminar, Conversations on Capitalization and Community, for presentation to grantmakers around the country. Drawing on lessons from these conversations and our experience working with cultural leaders and their funders, we will facilitate a dialogue about the impact of local efforts to strengthen capitalization practices. Grantmakers will share what they are doing and learning as they incorporate capitalization principles into their capacity-building programs and investment decisions.