ACSO eNEWS provides updates and opportunities for California's orchestras and classical music field.


More Speakers and Sessions  Announced 


In addition to already announced speakers like Thomas Wilkins, Vijay Gupta, and Craig Watson, we are excited to highlight newly added speakers, including  Laura Zucker, executive director of the LA County Arts Commission and Gail Samuel, acting president & CEO of the LA Phil! Also we have added new sessions to the conference line-up, including:
 
Developing and Leveraging BRAND YOU
With today's exponential growth of qualified executive leaders, it's even more important to set yourself apart from the pack by developing and leveraging your brand with personalized skills and experience. From identifying your niche to landing your dream job against all odds, this program will provide the tools and insights to give you the advantage in your professional journey.
 
The Executive's Role in Board Governance
Join this moderated discussion about the executive director/CEO's role in encouraging and sustaining strong board governance. Bring your thoughts, ideas, and issues as stories will be shared, solutions will be offered, and questions will be answered.
 
 
Register by June 12 to save $50 on the general registration rate! Bringing a group? If your organization is bringing five or more people to Conference, you are eligible for a 10% discount on registration. Contact us at conference@acso.org for personalized service. The deadline for group registration is July 10.

Advocacy Action Alert

President Trump released the full version of his FY 2018 budget proposal, A New Foundation for American Greatness.

As you may recall, the FY 2018 was released in March and called for a total elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and other cultural grant-making agencies. Today's full budget proposal was no different.

The President's FY 2018 budget takes the NEA from its $150 million appropriation to $29 million.

Take action now by contacting your Member of Congress and Senators telling them to #SAVEtheNEA. Be sure to include your own stories of how the NEA has brought the arts to your community. You can find specific examples for your state by clicking here to see a breakdown of NEA grants for 2016.

Your voice can make a difference. Speak out to Congress and #SAVEtheNEA! Congress will now officially begin hearings on this request, so your message to your elected officials is timely!

Arts Loan Fund

The Arts Loan Fund (ALF) was created by art funders to alleviate short term cash-flow issues for arts organizations. The fund has provided quick-turnaround loans for over thirty years and aids organizations in sound financial habits that advance their mission.

ALF loan often helps with:
  • Bridge payment of funds from school districts, government or foundations grants.
  • Upfront capital for a fundraising event.
  • Upfront costs to producing a performance, including paying artists and paying facility costs.
  • Aid in renovating a facility.
  • Debt consolidation.
Quick Facts about the Arts Loan Fund:
  • Maximum loan amount is $50,000, however, the approved loan amount is determined by an organization's capacity to take on debt.
  • Repayment rate remains over 95%, due, in part, to the understanding that pay-back enables the fund to continue supporting the arts community.
  • Current interest rate is 2.75% for "Secured" loans and 4.75% for "Unsecured Loans."

Investing in Tomorrow Organizational Grants

As part of the Center for Cultural Innovation's (CCI) efforts to support new arts leadership with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Investing in Tomorrow Organizational Grants is a new, one-time grant program that will invest $105,000 in bold ideas by individuals at California nonprofit or fiscally sponsored arts organizations that have the potential to re-shape the future of the arts sector in exciting and important ways. 

CCI recently published Creativity Connects: Trends and Conditions Affecting U.S. Artists, a national research report to examine the state of the arts and its shifts. The report described how the nonprofit arts sector is changing in dramatic ways. Shifts in demographics have created new priorities for democratizing production of and access to culture. In addition, emerging generations of artists and arts leaders eschew being defined solely by sector or discipline in favor of more complex identities, including prioritizing artistic practices that have social impacts. On January 23, 2017, CCI convened over 200 artists and arts professionals to brainstorm the future of the arts. What we heard affirmed our Creativity Connects research findings: Participants want to work toward advancing equality, inclusion, equity, and financial sustainability in common cause with others.

At this time, there are no grants of this type field-wide offering change capital for promising leaders to improve the nonprofit arts sector through existing arts organizations. Investing in Tomorrow Organizational Grants will therefore surface and support catalytic individual and institutional leadership at this time of tremendous social, economic, generational, demographic, and technological change.


Upcoming Dates and Reminders

June 12
Annual Conference Advance Registration Deadline

June 15
July California Concerts Submission Deadline

July 19
ACSO Board of Directors Meeting - Los Angeles, CA

July 20-22
ACSO 2017 Annual Conference - Los Angeles, CA - Learn More

STAY CONNECTED: