ArtsNews

Built to last

The ACGG’s Sustainability Lab helps arts organizations thrive

Strong communities need strong arts organizations. But strong arts organizations don’t happen by accident.

Behind every exhibition, concert, festival, and performance is a team making hundreds of decisions that determine whether it can continue serving its community — not just this year, but for years to come.

Over the past four years, The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro has worked alongside more than 28 local arts organizations through recovery and sustainability initiatives. One lesson has become clear: long-term success depends on more than funding alone. It also requires thoughtful leadership, engaged boards, sound financial planning, and the ability to adapt as organizations and communities evolve.

That insight inspired The ACGG’s Sustainability Lab.

The ACGG’s Sustainability Lab, which will launch in the fall, is designed for executive directors and board leaders of all Guilford County arts organizations. It will be a four-part series, combining collaborative learning, coaching, and practical problem-solving. Rather than working through hypothetical case studies, participants will tackle real challenges facing their organizations — from strengthening governance and diversifying revenue to improving financial planning and building stronger partnerships.

Members of The Nonprofit Accelerator completed a six-month program and identified needs for continued leadership, sustainability and long-term growth. They held their last session July 1. Pictured are, from left, Claudia Femenias, Casa Azul; Atiba Berkley, Piedmont Blues Preservation Society; Cyril Howell, Strange Fruit Foundation; Princess Johnson, Royal Expressions Contemporary Ballet; LaTasha Best Gaddy, consultant, Infinity Bridges; and Sherri Raeford, Shared Radiance Performing Arts Co. Not pictured: Alexandra Warren, JOYEMOVEMENT, and LaTasha Foushee, TAB Arts Center.

The goal is to develop stronger, more resilient organizations.

When arts organizations have the tools to make better decisions, they’re better prepared to navigate leadership transitions, respond to changing economic conditions, steward resources responsibly, and continue serving their communities.

The benefits extend far beyond the organizations themselves. Stronger nonprofits create more opportunities for artists, richer cultural experiences for residents, and greater confidence that public and philanthropic investments will have lasting impact.

By strengthening the organizations behind the arts, The ACGG is helping build a creative ecosystem designed not only to thrive today, but to endure for generations.

The ACGG’s Sustainability Lab is supported in part by the Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation.