You And What Army?

I’ve talked about community before. Lately, I’ve been thinking about it as an underleveraged resource for arts organizations. Can you afford to be out here on your own? Can you afford to be a solo organization beating your own drum? Are you ready to face the challenges that will inevitably beset your organization without the full, enthusiastic support of the community you purport to serve?

I was at a dinner last week for a fund for a local college. One of the honorees was a professor who, since 2002, has built a graduate program in financial engineering. What was incredible to see was the way in which this professor built a vibrant network of alums to support the department’s work. Alums mentor current students, give them internships and, in many cases, jobs. As these former students rise through the ranks of the finance industry, they’re primed to look out for, and provide entree to, future graduates of the program. It’s a self-reinforcing cycle. Simultaneously, as the department built its reputation over the years–rising in the ranks of business schools and business programs–the alumni network only increases in value: The alums now have a shorthand, similar to the way saying “Harvard” functions. This professor also singlehandedly keeps a mailing list/database of over 1,000 graduates and maintains relationships with a significant number of his former students. A testament to that part of this work: Over 90 graduates of his program showed up to the dinner to support him.

Back in 2008, Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired Magazine, wrote about the power of 1,000 True Fans. The simple idea is that you don’t need the biggest audience in the world, you only need 1,000 dedicated supporters who will contribute to your efforts. While it’s not a hard and fast number, you get the idea: Spend time finding and serving those who are most likely to support and cheerlead for you.

In many cases, arts organizations also have alumni networks, be they artists, their supporters, or former staff who’ve worked there. Imagine if your organization was actively entering into relationships with artists with an eye on the long term. What would you do to ensure that you’re building an affinity between the artists and your organization? What would the work look like if your goal was to ensure that artists thought highly of your organization as a hub of community and support? If you nurture community, you’re in a better position to attract artists, administrative talent and resources. It’s not a mystery, but it does require, in the case of many organizations, a big shift in mindset.

Similarly, how would your culture have to change in order for your staff and former employees to go out into the world and remain cheerleaders for the institution? It’s a moment when more and more employees want organizations to prioritize care and respect for their staff. How are you living up to the moment? Like many of you, I’ve had a few bad experiences with former employers. Sadly, there’s one, in particular, that will never get a positive word out of me as long as current management is in place. And that’s too bad, but it’s a choice they made.

So we’re left with a two-sided equation. First, there’s the need to build your community, be they supporters, fans, cheerleaders, whatever you want to call them. At the same time, work needs to go into growing the reputation of the organization so that not only does the community see increasing and ongoing value, but the organization’s reputation and visibility increases in its field. Too many organizations only focus on the latter and hope that somehow the former will develop thanks to their strong brand. Yeah, it might happen. But better to be intentional about it.

Back to the question I posed at the top of this: Can you afford to be the only one out there beating the drum for your organization? Or would you rather have an army of advocates and cheerleaders multiplying your efforts? The professor I mentioned started his work in 2002. So, yes, the best time to start building your community was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.