The Arts Firm worked with Concerts in Care Ontario from November 2023 – June 2024 to explore their current Fund Development and Marketing/Communications strategies, and make HR recommendations geared towards expanding their capacity and refining their goals across the organization.
We had the privilege of speaking with Debra Chandler, the Executive Director of Concerts in Care Ontario, to gain insights into the significance of reviewing capacity and the impact of their collaboration with The Arts Firm.
What made Concerts in Care Ontario decide to look at capacity-building at this stage of its existence?
After major growth 2017-2019, and expansion of channels to serve during Covid, we were feeling a bit bottlenecked and stuck in ruts. Then Community Service Recovery Fund offered the opportunity for funding to deal with several operational areas at once. We knew we needed clarity and improved basics before another growth spurt.
How has your work with The Arts Firm helped decide on your next steps?
The written assessments and recommendations are a tangible result and offer strong starting points for action, and for more discussions. But I would say that the preparations for The Arts Firm, gathering materials and making time to think, then discuss with Arts Firm staff, was at least as valuable as the reports themselves. Clarity, dead ends, new possibilities, are all necessary to adopting new thinking.
What advice would you give other presenter organizations that are finding themselves overwhelmed by demand?
Stop and think. Map your current position before you ride off madly in all directions (ref. Stephen Leacock). If you can, hire an excellent team from the Arts Firm. If you can’t, talk to colleagues and wise industry people before you make a move.
Are you looking to build your organization’s capacity? Reach out to The Arts Firm to discuss the future of your organization.
