Friday, May 1, 2009

Arts appreciation

As cash donations decline, new arts program seeks gifts of professional services

Portland Business Journal - by Wendy Culverwell Business Journal staff writer

As profits plummet and slice into business donations to nonprofits, Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts has been forced to use more volunteers to keep the connections between arts groups and businesses from fraying.

A volunteer program the group launched last fall has enlisted 20 local professionals who have saved arts organizations thousands of dollars on professional fees. Now, it's looking to expand.

The group is the Portland edition of Business Volunteers for the Arts, a national program that matches professionals with nonprofits that need expertise for specific projects.

It began last summer with a call for volunteers and projects.

The need is obvious.

In 2008, 465 local businesses contributed $5.4 million in cash to local arts organizations, about 1.4 percent less than in 2007. Cash donations will continue to drop in 2009 as the recession weighs on profit margins. Through volunteers, businesses are able to keep contributing to the city's cultural scene in ways that go beyond the balance sheet.

The arts are good for business and, according to a 2007 impact study, make a $318 million splash in Portland's economy.

"Now is the time to stress that," said Virginia Willard, executive director for the business and arts organization.

Susan Myers, who coordinates the volunteer program, said linking professionals from the private sector with nonprofits benefits everybody.

"Businesses love to see their employees out in the community," she said.

The grant-funded effort began with a debut class of 20 volunteers last fall. All were coached on working with nonprofits, then matched to organizations for projects lasting up to three or four months.

Ethan Samson is a second-year attorney at Stoel Rives LLP, where he focuses on corporate law. He teamed with the Portland Playhouse, which needed legal counsel as it prepared its application for nonprofit status to the Internal Revenue Service.

Samson wasn't an exact fit since he doesn't practice nonprofit law and hadn't previously worked on 501(c)3s. But his enthusiasm and connection to Stoel Rives suited the Portland Playhouse, which stages professional theater productions in a former Baptist church in the Alberta neighborhood. It formed last fall.

Michael Weaver, co-founder and business manager, said free legal advice was exactly what his young theater company needed.

"We had a couple of specific legal questions at the time. Ethan didn't match up perfectly. But he's young and interested in what Portland Playhouse is doing, so it was a good connection. We went with that and that has been good," Weaver said.

Allison Beam, a staffing consultant in the temporary division of Boly:Welch Recruiting, the Portland-based recruiting firm, was looking for a way to connect with the local arts community and cement her connection to the Rose City. She moved from Seattle four years ago and is a longtime supporter of the arts.

She was matched with the Tears of Joy Theatre, where founder Janet Bradley is preparing the organization for a change in leadership someday.

"One of my missions right now is to clean up loose ends," she said.

One of those loose ends is Tears of Joy's personnel policy, often amended but not given serious review in 10 years. The review led to a comprehensive effort to develop job descriptions, which were largely unwritten.

Bradley said paying a consultant would have cost thousands, money it doesn't have in this era of reduced grants and foundation gifts.

Beam, who hadn't previously written an employee handbook, turned to her peers at Boly:Welch and found lots of experts willing to help her out.

"It was fun for me to learn," she said. "I could create my own company and create an employee handbook now."

Neville Wellman, formerly with Sterling Savings Bank, volunteered his financial expertise and was matched with Well Arts Institute, which addresses health and wellness through storytelling and theater. Its current project involves canvassing seniors citizens for their stories.

The small organization, which has less than $100,000 in annual revenue, turned to the business volunteer program for help with its finances and reporting after a board member asked for more detailed reports.

"The finances have just always been a challenge," said Valerie Moore, executive director.

Without Wellman, it wouldn't have gotten done.

"We couldn't have afforded it."

Wellman, who works for a nonprofit, is working on an accounting system to measure cash flow and other key financial indicators to help board members identify trends.

It already has led to a more active fundraising campaign.

"I'm helping an organization to survive a difficult situation," Wellman said.

wculverwell@bizjournals.com | 503-219-3415