Announcing Cultural Evolution: Supporting Organizations through Business Model Transformations, a new initiative from the Arts & Creativity program

A cornerstone of Barr’s Arts + Creativity program is to provide appropriate financial investment to grantees through longer-term portfolios or initiatives, including multi-year general operating and targeted capital support. Our goals in this approach are three-fold:

1. Address “under-capitalization” in the arts sector by supporting overhead and the “true costs” organizations have in fulfilling their missions. General operating funds (the hardest to get for the nonprofit arts sector) allow organizations to be more strategic and adaptive;
   
2. Convene arts sector leaders to foster greater connection and peer learning; and
3. Achieve an economy of scale of impact with grantee supports and professional development.
   

Our new Cultural Evolution portfolio builds upon this approach by focusing on a small cluster of eight leading arts organizations across Massachusetts who are facing a major inflection point for their organization impacting their business models. With “managing change” as a central theme, participating organizations will engage in peer conversations about supporting people (staffs and boards) through organizational growth, scaling operations and finances, acquiring or expanding cultural facilities, and increasing community engagement and leadership.

We are pleased to announce Cultural Evolution grants were awarded to:

• Boston Lyric Opera

• Community Access to the Arts

• Community Music Center of Boston

• Company One

• Double Edge Theatre

• Global Arts Live

• Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

• Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

During the selection process, we considered each organization’s business model transformation proposal and impact; the organization’s financial status and readiness to take on business model transformation; alignment between board and staff on current strategic direction as evidenced by a board-approved strategic plan; the organization’s equity journey; and their ability to adapt to sudden or evolving change.

With the Cultural Evolution initiative, the Arts + Creativity program seeks to:

• Support local arts anchor organizations through a moment of instability as they endeavor to transform their business models by providing change capital grants and coaching supports;

• Foster a community of practice and shared learning among arts leaders who are in similar lifecycle stages and pivot moments; and

• Support boards to be better prepared to lead organizations going through complex change.

Cultural Evolution grantee partners will receive three-year change capital grants. Change capital is a strategic infusion of flexible funds to support organizational business modifications, adaptation, and/or risk-taking. Three-year change capital grants will allow grantees to fund a portion of their operations, so they can focus on other areas of their organizational transitions such as facilities, staffing, and growing other sources of funds.

We are excited to partner with the Cultural Evolution grantees and look forward to engaging in meaningful conversations about transforming business models and change management in the years ahead. We intend to share insights and lessons learned to continue to advance appropriate funding in the arts.