Over the holidays, I visited some old friends in California.  Our discussion over a loaf (or two!) of sourdough bread has been weighing on me more than the carbs I consumed that day.  Here’s the story:

Joe recently retired from 30+ years of teaching music and math at a public high school in the bay area.  During his tenure, he founded a Conservatory of the Arts, where his students could apply to take intensive coursework in the arts, while also fulfilling their standard course requirements.  Over the years, Joe saw students develop talent, increase engagement in school, and persist to graduation.  No small accomplishment considering that only 68% of CA’s high schoolers graduate.

So when Joe said “It’s too bad we have to shut down next semester,” I almost choked.  What?!  “Well, we got a grant of $5,000 last year, but haven’t won any other grants since.  The school doesn’t have room in its budget, and the peanuts that come in from student fundraising aren’t enough.”  I couldn’t believe that this program – with real impact, committed leaders, and engaged students – was going under.  

First I was confused.  Why aren’t funders interested?!

Then, I felt guilty.  No doubt the foundations they were contacting had been told to focus on results.  Measure their impact.  Fund outcomes.  You know…the things I preach every day.  That Joe’s Conservatory lacked a sophisticated measurement system likely contributed to their inability to secure funding.  How could it be true, then, that I still believed measurement to be the right approach AND that I believed the Conservatory should be funded?

Having reflected on this struggle, I now feel determined to share my musings on this paradox.  I hope this brings solace to anyone who has gone through a similar experience.  

1. Good organizations are hard to spot.  I have long believed that (as painful as it is) recessions expedite natural selection.  The best organizations survive; the worst don’t.  What is painfully obvious to me now is that “best” does not just mean highest-impact.  It must also mean organizational savviness. 

2. Arts organizations too often sell themselves short.  Someone once said to me: “But you can’t measure the impact of the arts, right?  I mean, people have to just intrinsically value it.”  Sure, some will fund the arts per se, but we can’t depend on that support alone.  Research (though debated) has shown a connection between the arts and 21st Century Skills, math skills, engagement in school...  In addition to promoting their intrinsic value, arts organizations must also promote their connection to higher-value outcomes (in case the arts aren’t high-enough-value for their funders).

3. Traditional funders may not have the deepest pockets.  You need to raise money?  You think of foundations and individual donors.  But, consider:  who else values your impact?  For example, maybe universities want to invest in the Conservatory as a pipeline of talent.  Or maybe a locally headquartered business wants to invest in the Conservatory to differentiate itself via a specific social strategy.  Larger and more sustainable funding may be lurking around the corner.

While no solution has yet been found for the Conservatory, I hope that you will be able to help the organizations you know and love to carry on and be the best (in all senses of the word) that they can be.