Inspired and concerned — in one day

I had a long blog break recently while I attended the Duke University Nonprofit Management Intensive Program, a week-long immersion into all things nonprofit management. My 30-plus class peers came from the arts, environment, education and human services sectors in North Carolina and beyond — and what a passionate and inspiring group they were! I returned feeling very excited about things like the “strategy canvas” and “performance mapping,” the meaning of “debit” and “credit” and many other essential concepts. But reading this week’s news headlines has been a real downer. There’s nothing like a major Wall St. meltdown to underscore the importance of beefing up one’s management skills. The next several years will no doubt challenge every arts development and management professional to maintain financial stability. On the up side, there’s significant evidence that, when the going gets tough, the tough head to the theater or auditorium to recall the possibilities of transformation. Despite its gloomy headline, “Arts Groups Fret the Woes of Big Donors” from today’s Washington Post will cheer you right up if you read the entire article.