The 52nd Street Project (2014)

The 52nd Street Project (“the Project”) is a community arts organization that works with kids primarily based in the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, where the organization is located. In 2010 the Project moved into a larger building and acquired its own theater following a successful $20 million capital campaign. In 2014, the company’s team of leaders had been in their positions for several years with no succession plan in place. There was pressure on the Project’s leaders to increase the organization’s pool of resources for fundraising, and Executive Director Carol Ochs felt concern about finding new sources of income. Since the organization was at capacity in terms of staff and budget, how would the Project balance the budget? This case study includes a video.