The real nuts and bolts.....FINANCIALS

Seeing that we are facing a trying economic time, have you ever wondered about the fiscal responsibility of a particular non-profit organization. As part of a non-profit status, financial information is public information. Guidestar is the place to get that information.

Guidestar states:

If you care about nonprofits and the work they do, then you're affected by what GuideStar does—even if this is your first visit to www.guidestar.org. You see, we gather and publicize information about nonprofit organizations. Our reach is far and wide. Our database is broad and deep.

GuideStar's mission is to revolutionize philanthropy and nonprofit practice by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving.

We encourage nonprofits to share information about their organizations openly and completely. Any nonprofit in our database can update its report with information about its mission, programs, leaders, goals, accomplishments, and needs—for free. We combine the information that nonprofits supply with data from several other sources. You'll find GuideStar data:

• on this Web site
• on our many partners' websites.
• in computer applications used by funding entities and private companies who work with nonprofits

If you're new to GuideStar, check out our demo for new users to learn more about finding the nonprofit information you need. Then start searching our site-it's free! You'll get even more information if you complete ourregistration form and log in-also free!

Why are we so passionate about nonprofit information? Because the best possible decisions are made when donors, funders, researchers, educators, professional service providers, governing agencies, and the media use the quality information that we provide. Those decisions affect our world today and will continue to affect it for generations to come.

Job Description. Part VII- Executive Director

JOB DESCRIPTION FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In a typical dance organization there are two people on the top of the leadership pyramid. The artistic director that I have previously described and then the executive director of whom I will mention here. The executive director is essentially the financial and business head of the organization, the CEO of the non-profit. Together the artistic and exectutive director are the right and left brain respectively.

As mentioned in previous posts, each organization has its own inter workings; with today's tight economy, there are an increasing number of organizations that utilize one person to wear both the artistic and executive hats. But here is a summary of the executive duties of a non-profit organization.

The United Way of King County offers a plethora of non-profit governance resources. Including the following job description for executive directors by Jan Masoaoka:

At a recent gathering of nonprofit CEOs (executive directors) it was amazing how many people didn't have job descriptions - and almost no one had one that had been recently updated. Too often boards only look at the executive director's job description when they're unhappy with their executive or when they're hiring a new one. If you're writing or rewriting a job description, it may be helpful to have one for comparison. I've taken my job description as executive director of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services - one of the Board Cafe's co-publishers - and made it a bit more "generic" to serve as a template. Whatever job description you use, test to see that it both provides everyday guidance for the executive director and can serve as an evaluation tool at the end of the year. AND be sure to revisit and revise the job description as the job and the organization change.


Executive Director

The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of ____________. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors, and is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. In program development and administration, the Executive Director will:


Specific committee responsibilities:

1. Assure that the organization has a long-range strategy which achieves its mission, and toward which it makes consistent and timely progress.

2. Provide leadership in developing program, organizational and financial plans with the Board of Directors and staff, and carry out plans and policies authorized by the board.

3. Promote active and broad participation by volunteers in all areas of the organization's work.

4. Maintain official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

5. Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field.
   
   
   

In communications, the Executive Director will:

1. See that the board is kept fully informed on the condition of the organization and all important factors influencing it.

2. Publicize the activities of the organization, its programs and goals.

3. Establish sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements with community groups and organizations.

4. Represent the programs and point of view of the organization to agencies, organizations, and the general public.
   
   
   

In relations with staff, the Executive Director will:

1. Be responsible for the recruitment, employment, and release of all personnel, both paid staff and volunteers.

2. Ensure that job descriptions are developed, that regular performance evaluations are held, and that sound human resource practices are in place.

3. See that an effective management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is in place.

4. Encourage staff and volunteer development and education, and assist program staff in relating their specialized work to the total program of the organization.

5. Maintain a climate that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top quality people.
   
   
   

In budget and finance, the Executive Director will:

1. Be responsible for developing and maintaining sound financial practices.

2. Work with the staff, Finance Committee, and the board in preparing a budget; see that the organization operates within budget guidelines.

3. Ensure that adequate funds are available to permit the organization to carry out its work.

4. Jointly, with the president and secretary of the board of directors, conduct official correspondence of the organization, and jointly, with designated officers, execute legal documents.

Career Transition....Professional Development?

First let me begin with a few questions: Is career transition a scary term? Is professional development available to performing artists? At what point do we begin thinking about the "what's next"?

Very few of us are so lucky to reinvent ourselves on the stage as many times as Baryshnikov or Gus Solomons Jr. But we don't have to leave the pursuit of dance as we mature or transition. Career Transition for Dancers is a great organization providing counseling, research tools and funding for professional dancers at any point in their career. The funding requires a minimum of seven years professional experience, but doesn't necessarily have to be a "career transition" it can also be for professional development.

I have many years left to dance, and last spring I received a grant of $2000 to assist with my interest in teaching Gyrotonic. The process was fairly simple and very informative as well. I recall a very humbling moment going through my contracts of years past and totaling my net income....well let's just say I have lived a rich life on very little money! Add that to the research that it takes as long to make a professional dancer as it does to make a doctor- an average of 20 years. When a dancer wants to pursue more education Career Transition for Dancers is a valuable resource.

Here's info on the grant that I received:

Caroline H. Newhouse Scholarship Fund
Remaining 2008 grant deadlines: Sep 3 & Nov 5

Provides $2,000 scholarships or grants to initiate an academic or retraining process or to help professional dancers with start-up money for a new business. Please note: Choreographing and teaching dance is not applicable for meeting eligibility requirements.

There is also a support group that meets in NYC:

"Midcareer Moves" is a dynamic support group led by Career Counselor, Anita Lands. This group helps dancers with professional, personal, emotional and psychological transitions and provides them with action steps and resources to move ahead.

The group meets monthly on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00pm at

165 West 46th Street, Suite 701. New members are always welcome.

Next meeting: Wednesday, July 23
RSVP to groups@careertransition.org

I suppose that in essence we are always transitioning. Although we devote our lives to dancing, transitioning in reference to our careers should be part of how we evolve, not something to fear.

Business Model Presentation

Have you ever wondered where the money in a dance organization comes from? Or where that money goes? Have you ever thought about how money and performance opportunities differ between companies?

At the Dance USA convention in Portland, Oregon in 2006, David Mallette an arts consultant based out of Texas put together the following power point presentation comparing a number of dance companies. A few of the comparisons were based on how the organizations served their audiences in a unique capacity. Later in the presentation the numbers appear to show how the organizations budgets differ.

I wish that I could have his witty and engaging critique with this power point. Mr. Mallette humorously refers to the infrastructure of an organization as the "sexy stuff". Please note also that the transfer of power point to blog space is still in it's infancy (to my knowledge) and some of the transitions in the presentation are missing.

BUSINESS MODEL - Upload a Document to Scribd

David Mallette

Management Consultants for the Arts

www.mcaonline.com

And of what importance is that to a dancer? The more that I know about how the money comes into the organization in which I work, the more connected I feel to it as an artist. All those people who also work 6 hours per day but aren't in the studio are integral to the opportunities that I have in the studio. All those earned income (audience) and contributed income (donor and board members) people have a particular importance and balance in the organization.

Read this document on Scribd: BUSINESS MODEL