Exploiting Hidden Assets

ACCA member Debra Chandler shares an interesting article that poses a stimulating question: Is the arts sector missing out by not exploring intangible assets?

Author Patrick Towell, Golant MediaVentures, writes:
“Cultural, public and commercial value rarely comes from one type of asset… The hidden value almost always accrues from the effective exploitation of combinations of brand, collections of content, data about content, related intellectual property rights, relationships and organisational knowledge and skills.

“And understanding the creative components of your content or skills, as well as the creative aspirations of your users, customers and audiences, is the magic that makes what you do stand out from the crowd.”

Read more

New from Hill Strategies

1 Million Donors and 900,000 Volunteers | 

The equivalent of 56,000 jobs were volunteered by 900,000 Canadians in arts and culture organizations in 2013.

The 107 million hours contributed to arts and culture organizations represent an average of 120 hours per volunteer – more hours, on average, than volunteers in any other type of organization.

Between 2004 and 2013, the number of volunteers in arts and culture organizations increased by 23%, much higher than the 7% increase in all volunteers.

In 2013, $162 million was donated to arts and culture organizations by over 1 million Canadians (3% of the population 15 and older). This represents, on average, $159 per donor to arts and culture organizations.

After adjusting for inflation, donations to arts and culture organizations increased by 46% between 2007 and 2013, a much greater increase than the 16% growth in donations to all types of not-for-profit organizations during the same timeframe.

Between 2007 and 2013, the number of arts and culture donors increased by 34%, the highest rate of increase among 11 types of organizations, well above the 6% increase in all donors during the same timeframe.

Learn more

Professional Development: Online Learning

Cultural Planning and Development at UBC | 
 
ACCA member Sue Harvey and her team have put together an exceptional range of courses including Foundations of Cultural Planning, Creating Strategic Plans, and Festivals, Events and Eventful Communities.

These courses, taught entirely online by international
experts and senior practitioners, can be taken individually for professional development, or applied to the
UBC Certificate in Cultural Planning.

Several new courses are now available, including:

Cultural Planning – An International Perspective (Apr 28-May 12) is offered by ACCA member Lidia Varbanova.

The Age of Disruption: Thriving in Changing Times

A conference presented by Orchestras Canada | 

This year’s conference takes place in Kitchener ON, co-hosted by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. It starts Wednesday, April 27 with a one-day pre-conference devoted to digital options for orchestras. The main conference starts at lunch time on April 28 and wraps up at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.

Learn more about the conference

New Vision, Mission & Strategic Plan 2015-18

rfp-icon Strategic Plan 2015-18

Since becoming President in November (thanks to Past President Jerry Smith for his efforts during his 2013-15 term), I have been working on the new Strategic Plan for ACCA.  My first priority was the finalization of the new Vision and Mission statements that were drafted at the board planning retreat last September in Toronto.

VISION:
Arts Consultants Canada / Consultants canadiens en arts (ACCA) members are valued contributors in a thriving, creative Canada.

Les membres de Arts Consultants Canada / Consultants canadiens en arts  (ACCA) contribuent au rayonnement d’un Canada créatif et florissant.

MISSION:
ACCA strengthens the arts in Canada by connecting a network of experts with Canada’s arts community and by encouraging the active exchange of its members’ expertise to advance and promote the development of the sector.

L’ACCA renforce les arts au Canada en raccordant un réseau d’expert(e)s au  secteur artistique canadien ainsi qu’en encourageant un échange actif d’expertise parmi ses membres pour favoriser le secteur.

These are now included in the new Strategic Plan 2015-18 document which I encourage you to read.

Thank you to all the ACCA members and volunteers for their efforts towards a thriving, creative Canada!

Sandra Thomson
President

Rethinking Investment

“We need to understand charities not just as service providers, but as social change agents that are uniquely positioned to solve problems because of their irreplaceable and unparalleled know-how in the areas they operate in… We have to stop demanding that 100 per cent of our money go to programs, hopefully delivered by volunteers or by low-paid staff… let’s discard this myopic view and instead demand that charities invest into themselves and show us the impact of their efforts and the positive change they make happen.”

Ontario Nonprofit Network (link)

Why do Boards Micromanage?

It is a good question and one that ACCA member, Kathleen Darby, has been exploring. Her research led her to this interesting article, which she wants to share with her consulting colleagues.

The author, Hildy Gottlieb, makes an interesting point: micromanagement is not the problem, but rather the symptom of other problems. She outlines six problems that contribute to micromanagement and offers solutions and a process to find resolutions.

She writes: “The approach takes the anger out of the work, by approaching these legitimate fears with compassion rather than blame. And by creating systems that proactively address the root causes of those fears while moving the organization forward, the board will have plenty to work on that is not day-to-day.”

Read the full article here.

Get It In Writing

While arts and culture rarely figure prominently in federal elections, there were some tantalizing promises made during the campaign leading up to the election on October 19.

Now, the new federal government has indicated its intention to make good on the promises… and they have put it in writing in the Mandate Letter to Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. Here is a sample of what we hope to expect in the coming years:

  • Restoration and increased funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, following consultation with the broadcaster and the Canadian cultural community.
  • Doubled investment in the Canada Council for the Arts.
  • Increased funding for Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board.
  • Restoration of the Promart and Trade Routes International cultural promotion programs.
  • Increased funding for the Young Canada Works program to help prepare the next generation of Canadians working in the heritage sector.

Read the complete letter here.

Digging Into The Numbers

Since October 2013, CAPACOA has been digging into years of statistics collected by Canadian Heritage. With roughly 600 clients of the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF), there is a wealth of information that is available. Here are some of the findings:

  • Canadian presenting organizations pay artistic fees estimated at more than $200 million per year.
  • CAPF clients paid an average of $177,000 in artist fees.
  • Considering reported expenses between 2008-2012, direct fees paid to artists averaged $107.9 million. Of this, $77.5 million were paid to Canadian artists annually and $30.4 million to foreign artists.
  • CAPF clients report average attendance exceeding 20 million per year.

Read the full report here.

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