The Ars Nova staff was gearing up for their annual New Year’s Eve fundraising gala, a celebration to mark the end of a long hard year. Managing Director Jeremy Blocker, meanwhile, was preparing for the upcoming board meeting to begin the 2012 fiscal year. At the close of 2011 he was projecting a $33,000 surplus for Ars Nova. The surplus was due in part to unanticipated savings earlier in the year but Blocker and his staff had also succeeded in doubling the organization’s contributed revenue from the previous year. Contributed revenue at Ars Nova still included $750,000 from the Gabe Wiener Foundation, and that foundation was looking to wind down its involvement with the organization. How would Ars Nova move forward as its primary backer began withdrawing support? This case explores the challenges facing a small organization that attempts to stabilize itself in the face of impending independence and provides a background for a discussion on expanding revenue opportunities. This case includes a video.
Publication Date: 2012-05-01
Suggested Citation: Lico Whitfield, "Ars Nova (2011)," Yale Theater Management Knowledge Base Case 11-45, May 1, 2012
Keywords: New York City, Theater, Performing Arts, Alignment, Fundraising, Donor Relations, Growth, Case Video
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