arts & business council®

MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series

2003–2004 Series: Strategic Alliances, Leadership Development, and New Business Practices and Trends

Read individual forum synopses from the 2003–2004 series.

The Arts & Business Council proudly presented the second year of the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series. Forums were produced by members of the Council’s National Affiliate Network in the following 10 cities nationwide: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, San Francisco, and St. Louis.

This national program explores pressing issues facing arts organizations in ten cities around the nation. In this year’s Series, partnering organizations chose two from the following three themes for the subjects of their forums: 

• Aliances among nonprofit arts groups, including innovative collaborations, mergers and methods of resources sharing
• Leadership Development, including trends in board recruitment and training
• New Business Practices and Trends that will affect arts organizations

Sites that explored aliances amont nonprofit groups explored ways in which collaboration and resource-sharing can help maximize profitability and efficiency among related nonprofits.

Leadership Development remains an integral goal of nonprofits, and many prganizations chose to explore new ways to recruit board members from the business world. Some forums explored ways in which to tap into the younger generations, particularly to maintain vital boards.

The third theme of the year, new business practices and trends, further addressed the business side of the Arts & Business Council’s mission. This strong commitment to programming aimed at exposing arts executives to developments in business practice was an exciting part of this year’s forum series.

 
This program was made possible through generous support from MetLife Foundation.