arts & business council

MetLife National Arts Forums Series

St. Louis Regional Arts Commission
St. Louis, Missouri

Taking Center Stage: A Candid Conversation About the Arts
07/28/2005

Panelists:

• Claudia Daugherty, CFRE-Principal, The Rome Group
• James Reeves, Board President, St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts
• Lory Bowman, Director of Marketing, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
• Paul Ha, Director, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
• Julie Krull, Audience Development Director, St. Louis Symphony

Invited Focus Group: 30 under 30 (young St. Louis community leaders)

While arts organizations often find themselves in a competitive struggle for funding, retaining members and gaining new ones, and for the attention of the elusive “next generation” of donors, RAC hosted an event that showcased the collegial and cooperative spirit of the arts community in St. Louis by providing a forum which allowed them to learn from each other.

Claudia Daugherty began with an overview of philanthropic giving and revealed emerging trends. During the next 50 years there is the potential for the transfer of 41 trillion dollars to the next generation as baby boomers age. Corporations who want to make their community a better place to live and work are becoming more purpose- and cause-based. Corporate donors look for return on their donation investment in the form of volunteer opportunities for their employees or a more educated pool of workers. Unlike health and human services, nonprofit arts organizations face an uphill battle in documenting specific, quantifiable results that will satisfy corporate donors. The most effective tool for contributions is personal solicitations. Special events did well and online giving programs are growing. Direct mail did poorly, planned giving was disappointing because it is such a long-term investment for the organization, and caller ID has tempered telephone solicitations. Person-to-person interactions are the most successful in raising money and while media is great for getting the word out, it is not effective for fundraising.

James Reeves then took the floor to lead the "30 under 30" group and arts organization representatives in a conversation about the arts. The "30 under 30" group indicated that they are looking for unique entertainment opportunities, and the satisfaction of a cultural experience. They are also interested in events with a networking component that might assist them in business. Most of their event planning is spontaneous. A suggestion was offered for a $10 day-of show ticket for theater-goers younger than 22, a program that has had great success in the Seattle area. Attending an event in St. Louis with someone is always preferable to attending an event alone, even if an event is free. They prefer events that are an easy “sell” to get their friends to attend with them. As a group, they are very well-informed and get their information from a variety of sources. Most access newspapers online. Bombarded by e-mails, they site a preference for messages forwarded from a friend rather than directly from an organization.

Lory Bowman, Paul Ha, and Julie Krull presented the marketing plans for their organizations for discussion with the group, and participants left with valuable information on how best to engage and market the arts to the next generation.