A Most Necessary Indulgence

Wars are being waged; natural disasters are wreaking havoc; people are living in poverty; and children continue to be abused. In these troubling times, international- and domestic-relief agencies and social-service nonprofits have their work cut out for them. The need is disturbingly obvious.

But what of organizations that support the lovely things life has to offer? Music, dance, art, literature? No matter how ugly the world gets, they still have their missions. And it’s not always easy to convince people that their donations should go to support the arts instead of — or even in addition to — those organizations with seemingly more consequential missions.

Ana Papakhian is the director of communications for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, a $24 million organization made up of 87 full-time musicians who perform more than 200 concerts a year. Jeffrey Norman is the vice president of public affairs for the $26 million New Jersey Performing Arts Center, which — in addition to providing a full roster of events throughout the year — also lists as part of its mission the revitalization of the city of Newark, N.J.

Here, they share their insights about reaching potential donors to arts organizations and about why such funding is relevant in a world that seemingly has gone mad.

FundRaising Success: Who’s your target demographic as far as fundraising? What other demographic groups do you reach out to?
Ana Papakhian: Our target demographic is our audience, but some donors don’t attend. They like to support educational and outreach programs, etc. We reach out to thousands of people in the area each year through direct mail, e-mail, telefunding, etc.

Jeffrey Norman: NJPAC’s target demographic is really comprised of any of the 4 million patrons who’ve purchased tickets in the first nine seasons of [our] operations. This covers a wide cross-section of the metropolitan area, geographically, ethnically, socially, politically and in terms of wealth levels.

FS: What is the most effective approach (or message) for
organizations whose mission is music or other arts when trying to get people to give?
AP: Education seems to be a priority.

JN: The arts matter. The arts are not a frill, but rather intrinsic to the quality of life of our communities. Healthy arts organizations promote economic development and lifelong cultural learning, and help anchor communities.

FS: Are there any special traits or other considerations that make music lovers in general harder or easier to engage as donors?
AP: People love music and enjoy attending concerts, thus it’s probably easier to connect with donors because of the art and entertainment aspects. But on the other hand, it’s considered by some to be a luxury, not a necessity.

JN: NJPAC is fortunate to be able to present music, dance, theater, spoken word and a variety of subgenres within those groups. Donors, whether to the arts or any other philanthropic endeavor, need to be cultivated, to be asked, but most importantly, they need to be passionate about what your organization does and how it delivers performances, education and added value to your community.

Also, NJPAC’s arts-education program is something that seems to inspire philanthropy because the activities are often beyond the donors’ own experiences, and, so, they’d like to provide the experiences to the new generation.

FS: Any additional insights for our readers who have arts-related missions?
AP: The trend of the time seems to be partnerships in terms of big funders and even individual donors. Partnerships and collaborations bring more people focused on the same goals together. Generally, people who enjoy one art form may often enjoy or participate in another.

JN: Be passionate; find others who share that passion. They may start out as volunteers but can quickly move to members, then major donors and, if it’s a lifelong relationship, perhaps even planned-giving prospects. Make sure you share the art with the donors. Expose them to it. Let them revel in it. Ask them to help you expose others to it. People love to share their passions, particularly about art. If you make a donor feel part of the organizational family, their loyalty will be long-term.

To learn more about these organizations, log on to www.indianapolissymphony.org and www.njpac.org.