Three vital roles backbone board members play in complex civic systems
Backbone organizations are unusual entities and that means they need unusual boards too. Board members of organizations responsible for performing backbone functions need to assume roles and responsibilities beyond those of a board member of a traditional nonprofit.
Why an inclusive arts & culture plan is the perfect next step for Akron
By: Rob Lehr & Dina Younis Communities of all sizes develop plans – strategic plans, economic development plans, urban design plans – but a cultural plan? You betcha. From festivals to food trucks, arts and culture are among a community’s most powerful assets. But in order to ensure that we are effectively caring for and […]
Akron is embarking on its first Arts and Culture Plan
ArtsNow and Designing Local are taking a closer look at Akron’s existing arts and cultural offerings and inviting residents to share what they want to see in each of Akron’s neighborhoods. The end result: Akron’s first-ever comprehensive cultural plan. ArtsNow has received funding from GAR Foundation and Knight Foundation to work together with the City […]
Five things we learned after working with consultants
Hiring a consultant can make sense for a number of reasons. Oftentimes, consultants bring specialized skill sets that you don’t have in house and don’t wish to develop. Sometimes they simply add capacity to get a job done when you have no bandwidth to spare. In other situations, they are the outsiders who can deliver […]
The Pillars of the Akron Civic Commons
The Akron Civic Commons works across three neighborhoods in Akron: Downtown, Park East, and Summit Lake, and the process is guided by four pillars: Civic Engagement, Socioeconomic Mixing, Value Creation, and Environmental Sustainability. But what do these mean in the context of their work? All throughout the month of January the Akron Civic Commons shared […]
New year, new review?
There are few things in professional life that can take the oxygen out of a room quite like the prospect of year-end performance reviews and new year goal-setting. Why is that? Many of us are goal-oriented people, after all. Many of us fancy ourselves introspective and eager to learn from our experiences. And yet, the […]
New $5 million investment from GAR Foundation and Knight Foundation will help build a more vibrant, connected downtown with restoration of Akron Civic Theatre
Akron, Ohio — Nov. 15, 2018 — Akron Civic Theatre today announced plans to transform Akron’s Whitelaw Building into a vibrant new theatre, revitalizing a key corridor of Akron’s primary downtown entertainment and residential district and introducing new opportunities for Akron residents to meet and connect. The project is a collaboration with the Bowery Development […]
Crafting effective communications to create social change
Strategic communications have the power to transform your organization and a compelling story told to the right audience is vital to fundraising and building awareness of your organization’s mission. What is your organization trying to make true that isn’t true now? Who has to do something they’re not doing now (or stop doing something) for […]
Lynn Budnick receives Glass Half Full award
GAR Foundation is honored to present Lynn Budnick with the 2018 Glass Half Full award for her steadfast and inspirational leadership of ACCESS, Inc. The annual Glass Half Full award was created to recognize Summit County community leaders for their inspiring and optimistic leadership of nonprofit organizations. Lynn Budnick is the executive director of ACCESS emergency […]
Why We Ask: SummitLive365.com
This post is part of a series. Click here to read all of the posts in this series. GAR’s arts and culture applicants are asked if they self-publish events on Summit County’s free marketing and event calendar, SummitLive365. This website, facilitated by ArtsNow, is designed to serve as a centralized source of information for arts and […]