Previous ASC Workshops

This is a sampling of previous workshops ASC has offered. These offerings are no longer available for registration.

------------------------

(R) Organizational Success in the Social Sphere

Friday, April 26
9:00AM - 2:00PM (lunch included)
ASC Board Room

All organizations face one very similar challenge: How do I leverage social media for success? From brand awareness to business development, from motivating employees to engaging learners the opportunities for impact continues to increase. Data shows that customers, clients, donors, employees and learners are increasingly committed to connecting online. Are you prepared to lead your organization into the social-sphere?

There are more devices connected to the Internet than there are people on earth. (Source: AllTwitter http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-power-people_b27575)

By 2016 more than half of the dollars spent in US retail will be influenced by the web. (Source: Forrester Research http://blogs.forrester.com/sucharita_mulpuru/12-06-12-our_cross_channel_numbers_show_showrooming_could_be_overblown)

Twenty-five percent of small businesses have no social strategy and only 28% of small and 24% of medium-sized businesses measure their return-on-investment of social media strategy. (Source: MarketingMag http://www.marketingmag.com.au/news/a-quarter-of-smbs-have-no-social-media-strategy-sensis-14448/#.US0pG6KsiSp)

In this workshop, you will:

* Discover the positive impact of engaging prospects, learners, employees and fans through social media channels.
* Identify three specific ways your organization can use social media to create a digital identity right now: whether your goal is to gain audience, engage learners or motivate employees.
* Learn three easily consumable and comprehensive strategies for creating social presence that cultivates connections to move your goal(s) forward.
* Explore key messaging & strategy to position yourself as an inter-organizational champion for social media strategy and implementation.

Check out a few video testimonials from recent workshop participants: https://vimeo.com/59376251 and https://vimeo.com/59827108

At Yellow Cape Communications, our goal is transformation through learning. We believe that experiencing the difference is much more effective than hearing or reading about it. Here are a few things you can count on:

* Dialogue designed for intelligent adult learners to offer new perspectives on concepts.
* In class opportunities to apply strategies to real-world challenges with impact potential.
* Resources to support successful implementation of action plans after the workshop.
* Behavioral coaching options to sustain learning, progress and results (one 45-minute telephone session per participant).

Click here to learn more about your presenters, Jason Fararooei and Jeannie Sullivan

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artist Offering: Your Promotional Toolkit
Tuesday, April 30
2:00-5:00PM
Mint Museum Randolph - Ivey Forum

What should be in your portfolio and who do you want to see it? This session focuses on promotional materials: your business card, artist statement, artistic resume and a representative collection of work samples. We will talk about targeting your resume, choosing a work sample, and crafting focused and effective artist statements. Artists are encouraged to bring promotional materials along for review. This workshop is presented in partnership with Springboard for the Arts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calling all artists...JOIN US to learn about an exciting new program offering!

Community Supported Art (CSA) Information Session
Tuesday, April 30
6:00-7:30 PM
Mint Museum Randolph - Van Every Theatre

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy seasonal food directly from local farms. With the same eat-local spirit in mind, ASC is seeking artists, of all disciplines, to participate in our inaugural Community Supported Art (CSA) program, celebrating local art, artists and art appreciators.

The CSA program is an exciting new model of art support and distribution that supports artists in the creation and promotion of new work and establishes relationships with local collectors and patrons. Nine selected artists will receive a commission to create 50 “shares” for the program. Interested consumers/collectors will purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive 3 “farm boxes” of locally produced artwork in the Fall of 2013.

CSA is open for artists working in any discipline -- visual, performing, musical, literary, and new media - who reside in the Charlotte Region including Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Rutherford, Union, or York (SC) counties. The application process for the first round of artists will open on May 1st.

So, are you an artist interested in submitting a proposal? Do you have questions about how the program works? Andy Sturdevant from Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, MN will hold an informational session on applying to CSA, where he will answer your questions about the program, show work from previous CSA programs across the country, and provide tips on crafting your proposal.

This local project is modeled on the successful CSA program in Minneapolis/St. Paul – created by mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts and supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

------------------------

(R) Festivals 101 with City of Charlotte

Tuesday, March 12
12:00-1:30PM
ASC Board Room

Got Festival Fever? Is your organization interested in hosting a festival style event? If so, you need to be in attendance on March 12th. The City of Charlotte’s Neighborhood and Business Services Division will lead a workshop session that discusses how to organize a city festival. Festivals are a great opportunity for residents to get together to celebrate history, culture, diversity, sports and much more. Neighborhood and Business Services wants to ensure that individuals and organizations are educated about the process of planning the event, permitting requirements, street closures and how to gain support from the appropriate governmental agencies and departments, which will be the focus of the workshop. Organizing a festival is a huge undertaking but with the proper planning and keys to success, a great event is achievable!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(R) Join us for TWO offerings from...

FUNDING YOUR WORK

Saturday, March 16
9:00AM - 5:30PM
ASC Board Room

Based on content from Creative Capital’s esteemed Core Weekend, this workshop combines nuts-and-bolts strategies with a broad-based empowering approach for integrating fundraising into your creative practice. Appropriate for artist’s of all disciplines, this workshop will help you evaluate a wide variety of fundraising opportunities and will teach how to tap these valuable resources. Topics include applying for grants and residencies; fundraising from individuals; working with a fiscal sponsor; forming an advisory board; preparing the right materials for the right donors; making the tools of organizational fundraising efforts work for individual artists; partnerships with venues, donors and funders; and determining and communicating the real cost of your work.

Participating artists will learn:

• How to prepare for, organize, and pursue different types of fundraising campaigns
• Strategies to form long-term donor relationships that support your artistic vision and direction
• How to maximize personal resources and networks to create fundraising opportunities
• Best practices and strategies for using new technologies to fundraise
• How to determine the real cost of your work
• Strategies for balancing time and money
• How to communicate with clarity and confidence, in writing and in person

Participants leave the workshop with:

• A roadmap for funding your work and revenue-generation, including improving your fundraising materials; working with parters and building a base of individual contributions.
• New perspectives on how to approach presenting your work for fundraising purposes
• A cohort of peer artists in the community who can act as resources going forward
• Workshop handouts that include self-assessment exercises, focusing strategies and fundraising tools specific to artistic concentrations

Target Audience: The workshop is for individual artists of all disciplines who have been practicing professionally for at least three years.

Click here for workshop leader bios.

Click here for tentative schedule.

REAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Sunday, March 17
10:00AM - 4:00PM (note time change!)
ASC Board Room

This workshop is designed for artists who work outside the traditional art community to create work that engages topics of social and political relevance. Designed for those who already have a community engaged practice or are planning for a project, this workshop will help artists clarify their objectives and gain the management skills they need to produce successful community engaged projects. Participants will get an in-depth look at the strategies and practices involved in making and supporting community-engaged art, including ways to engage a wide range of stakeholders in the process, production, funding and distribution of the work. Using case studies from a range of disciplines, participants will learn about grassroots fundraising, community partnerships, audience building and how to preserve the autonomy and integrity of one’s work. Artists leave the workshop with a handbook designed to help them outline clear project goals and establish a roadmap for building beneficial community relationships and support.

Participants will learn:

• How to form lasting and strong community bonds with a variety of groups and organizations
• Strategies for encouraging different groups to work toward a common goal
• How to manage a community-based project while working with multiple partners and staying on budget
• Methods of fundraising using the community itself as a resource
• Best practices for navigating relationships with civic offices and permit agencies

Participating artists will leave the workshop with:

• The Real Community Engagement Handbook, which includes tips on clarifying project goals and establishing a roadmap for community based work
• A community of informed and educated peer artists (including participants and workshop leaders) who can act as resources for future endeavors

Target Audience: The workshop is for individual artists of all disciplines who have been practicing professionally for at least three years. The Real Community Engagement sessions are specifically designed for those who already have a community-engaged practice or are planning for a community-based project.

Click here for workshop leader bios.

Click here for tentative schedule.

About Creative Capital
Creative Capital is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing adventurous projects in five disciplines: Emerging Fields, Film/Video, Literature, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Working in long-term partnership with artists, our pioneering approach to support combines funding, counsel and career development services to enable a project’s success and foster sustainable practices for our grantees. Since 1999, we have committed nearly $25 million in financial and advisory support to 372 projects representing 463 artists, and our Professional Development Program has reached 5,000 artists in more than 100 communities across the country. Creative Capital's core program receives major support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Toby Devan Lewis, Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, The Theo Westenberger Estate, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, Muriel Pollia Foundation, Catharine & Jeffrey Soros, Paige West, Cordish Family Foundation, Sylvia Golden, Rappaport Family Foundation, Stephen Reily & Emily Bingham, and John L. Thomson, in addition to support from more than 150 other institutional and individual donors.

About PDP
Creative Capital created the Professional Development Program (PDP) to share with the broader arts community the tools and methods developed to help its grantees manage the business side of their art with greater efficiency and results. Through workshops led by Creative Capital grantees and other arts professionals, PDP teaches artists about self-management, strategic planning, fundraising, verbal communication, promotion and maximizing online capabilities to help them expand their skills and build more sustainable practices. Creative Capital's Professional Development Program receives major underwriting for program development from the Kresge Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Joan Mitchell Foundation and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(G) Webinar: Community-Engagement Governance
Wednesday, March 27
3:30 - 4:30PM
ASC Board Room

Community-Engagement Governance™ is a nationally recognized governance framework that many nonprofits are finding innovative and effective. Research shows that its benefits include increased responsiveness to community needs and changing environments, improved quality of governance decision making, and increased community ownership. It is an approach in which governance responsibility is shared across the organizational system (or network) among its key stakeholders, including constituents, community leaders, staff, and board(s), to ensure responsiveness to community needs and impactful change. It is a flexible approach that is intended to be customized to the unique needs of each organization.

Join us for this BoardSource webinar to learn more about this new approach to governance, research results from participating organizations, and how you might participate in the Community-Engagement Governance Project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(G) Moving Beyond the Matrix:
A Strengths-based Approach to Board and Committee Engagement

Friday, March 8
8:30AM-11:00AM
ASC Board Room

An organization that is not using its board productively is missing out on opportunities. Why devote so much time an energy to bring smart, ambitious, well-connected, dedicated people together and then not tap into that potential? Effective boards build their ranks strategically and bring individuals on board who are committed to using critically needed skills to expand the reach of the organization. But it is a two-step process — finding the right people and then being prepared to use them. In this session we'll learn about:

• Nine steps to finding, recruiting and engaging nonprofit board and committee members

• Three traps of the board building matrix and how to avoid them

• Positioning individual board members in roles based on who they are at their best

• Creating action-oriented responsibilities for board and committees

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(R) Back by Popular Demand!
Crash Course in Google Analytics & Mobile Marketing

Tuesday, February 26
8:30AM-11:00AM
ASC Board Room

Google Analytics is by far the most widely used website analytics software, and it’s free. Yet many nonprofit professionals have only a cursory understanding of the useful information that this service provides. In this session, we will explore the wide array of data provided by Google Analytics along with tips for how to both interpret and maximize this vital communications information.

As an added bonus, we will also discuss how to analyze your mobile website traffic and the growing importance of a mobile website. Lastly, we will discuss the Google Grant, the benefits and the application process.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(R) Call for Applications: Volunteer Program Assessment (VPA)

We are excited to share an opportunity with you to enhance your organization’s volunteer program. ASC has partnered with Organizational Science at the UNC Charlotte to bring the Volunteer Program Assessment (or VPA) to local nonprofits in the region. VPA is a survey-based diagnostic system designed to identify what is going well and what is going not so well from a volunteer perspective. Already over 80 nonprofits have used this service throughout the US, and recently several Charlotte-based nonprofit organizations received this opportunity.

One of these local participants, Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST), had this to say about VPA: “The VPA program has been the best in CAST's History. We participate in many programs but VPA has been the most tangible and satisfying with real time analysis and concrete action items we can put in place immediately!"

We are pleased to announce that VPA will now be offered to 10 additional organizations FREE OF CHARGE by scholarship. We will accept scholarship applications on a rolling basis beginning October 1, 2012. Applicants must be Mecklenburg County non-profit organizations whose primary mission includes arts, science or history.

Click here for complete program details and instructions on how to apply.

------------------------

Using Strengths for Personal, Staff and Team Development

Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

Nearly a decade ago, Gallup unveiled the results of a landmark 30-year research project that ignited a global conversation on the topic of strengths. More than 7 million people have since taken Gallup's StrengthsFinder assessment, which forms the core of several books on this topic, including the #1 international bestseller StrengthsFinder 2.0.

No matter your role on a team, it is important to understand how you can leverage your own strengths and your team's strengths to solve complex issues and be productive, energized and satisfied at work.

Join us for one of the two sessions offered below to learn more about how you can apply your strengths and improve performance -- individually and organizationally.

Wednesday, Sept 26
8:30-11:00AM
ASC Board Room
This special session targets emerging leaders, or those newer to the field. Participants will explore how to use a strengths-based approach for their own personal and professional development.

Friday, Sept 28
8:30-11:00AM
ASC Board Room
This session targets established/senior-level leaders or others managing teams within their organizations. This will be the first in a 3-part series offered over the course of the year exploring how managers can use a strengths-based approach in supervision to maximize staff motivation and productivity while strengthening interpersonal relationships. In this initial session, you will gain a better understanding of your own strengths and how to apply them to maximize what you do best. Subsequent sessions will introduce tools for how to use strengths when developing and working with boards, staff and other organizational teams and how to improve business outcomes through group application of strengths.

In both sessions, you will:
- Describe and interpret your signature strengths as indicated in the StrengthsFinder online Assessment.
- Discover strategies for using your strengths for excellence in personal performance with your current job responsibilities.
- Apply this information to identify strengths in others.

About the Presenter: Doug Bacon is Principal of Throwing Words LLC and consults with organizations on team-building, leadership development and executive coaching.

After registering, you will receive an access code for the online StrengthsFinder Assessment prior to your scheduled session and will be expected to bring a copy of your strengths report with you to the workshop.

------------------------

Communications Crossroads: Connecting Community to Seniors
Thursday, June 14 - 8:30-11:00AM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250

North Carolina has 2.4 million “baby boomers,” representing one quarter of our current population. The aging of our population will have implications across the state from a changing workforce to challenges in the healthcare and retirement systems. Ageism also frequently plays a role in miscommunication and misunderstanding between individuals. In many situations, this can lead to numerous issues for both an organization and the consumer such as poor customer service or employment concerns.

Given the growing body of research related to the aging of arts and cultural audiences, patrons and donors, it is crucial that our sector is also prepared to meet these challenges. It's important for organizations to begin to proactively prepare their service systems to address the unique characteristics of serving both older and disabled adults.

Join us for a special workshop offered in partnership with the Centralina Council of Government Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Centralina has been a leader in the field of gerontology since the early 1970’s and continues today to offer advocacy, education, and outreach to individuals who are aging and those who provide services to them. The training will enable participants to understand and recognize various social, emotional, financial, and medical aspects of aging in order to become a more “senior friendly” North Carolina.

The workshop will include information on the normal and abnormal aging process, strategies for improving communication, and recognition of ageists beliefs and myths. Individuals completing the program will be able to:

• Recognize issues and concerns that surround aging
• Identify and dispel common myths about aging
• Increase sensitivity to losses due to the aging process and techniques to compensate for losses (ex: hearing loss, cognitive changes)
• Learn effective customer service techniques and communication styles which should result in reduction in errors from miscommunication
• Identify warning signs for fraud and available assistance when it has occurred.
• Learn to assist seniors when changes in medical or cognitive status occur.
• More effectively serve older adults through increased confidence and knowledge, and reduce errors
• Increase and improve internal staff communication as the workforce ages

Thanks to a special Crossroads Charlotte grant through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation, this workshop is offered FREE of charge! We hope you'll join us.

------------------------

Internet for Artists Weekend Workshop

Using the Internet to Build Community, Promote Your Work
and Increase Administrative Effectiveness
for Established Visual, Performing & Media Artists

Workshop Dates:
May 18-20, 2012

Workshop Location:
McColl Center for Visual Art
721 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Details: This weekend workshop will help participants expand their online presence and learn to harness the power of internet tools such as social networking and media sharing sites, e-commerce, promotional websites, and blogs. Beginning with an overview of internet terminology and applications, the workshop will explore how these resources can be used to build audience, expand community, amplify marketing and extend administrative resources. Participants will develop a step-by-step, holistic strategy to apply online resources to promote specific career goals. Additionally, the workshop will help artists' expand their thinking to quickly recognize and implement the possibilities of new technologies as they develop. The workshop employs a combination of lecture, small group breakout sessions and one-on-one consultations to help participants gain the maximum of personalized attention while encouraging community-building as part of the workshop process. This workshop is designed for groups of up to 24 artists.

Click here for complete details.

Click here for Sample Weekend Workshop Agenda.

------------------------

Building Strategic and Diverse Board Composition
Wednesday, February 29, 8:30AM-4:30PM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

The establishment of both trust and diversity at all levels and in all aspects of leadership is critical to effective boards. Research has shown that a heterogeneous group promotes creativity and innovation — that groups whose members have high capabilities and complementary skills and expertise perform better than groups whose members share a homogeneous body of knowledge. Tapping into the perspectives and expertise of different backgrounds will help ensure the board is making the best decisions possible. Come spend a day learning about various tools and techniques for building diversity and cultural competency in your board, and how your board/CEO can provide leadership to prepare for generational change and ready your board and organization to work effectively across generations.

This training is approriate for both board and staff members.

AM Session - 8:30AM-12:00PM
Moving Beyond Political Correctness: Cultivating a Diverse Board
Is your board struggling to diversify? This workshop moves beyond “political correctness” and engages participants in a meaningful discussion on establishing diversity goals. This session will ask the uncomfortable questions head-on, in an effort to understand the real value of integrating diversity and an inclusive environment into boards and organizations. Participants will learn about various tools and techniques for building diversity and cultural competency in their nonprofit boards of directors, and cover topics such as:

•making the case for inclusiveness
•the benefits of valuing diversity
•cultural attitudes and biases
•strategies for building an inclusive board

PM Session - 1:00 - 4:30PM
Bridging the Gap: Generations in Nonprofit Leadership
In recent years, a number of high-profile studies and reports have foretold of an impending talent shortage in the nonprofit sector, discussed the challenges of working across generations in the nonprofit sector, and encouraged nonprofit organizations to prepare for generational change. These challenges not only impact the staffing of nonprofit organizations, but also nonprofit boards. Divergent values and ideas between generations, regarding the use of technology and time among other issues, exacerbate the generation gap both on nonprofit boards and in nonprofit organizations. This workshop focuses on how boards and CEOs can provide leadership to prepare for generational change and to ready their boards and organizations to work effectively across generations. This course will address strategic reasons to be generationally competent and diverse, highlight the implications and challenges of working across generations, and counsel nonprofit leadership on how to effectively address these challenges.

Presenter: Vernetta Walker (click here for bio)

------------------------

Where Your Next Audiences Are:
Find Your Consumers with Web Analytics, Mobile Marketing, and More
Tuesday, March 6 - 8:30AM-5:00PM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

This multi-faceted workshop will cover the hows and whys of Google analytics, effective decision making with data, mobile marketing, and technology planning. Participants will learn how to effectively utilize Google analytics and how this rich source of data can inform their decision making practices regarding their website, social media and technology-based marketing strategies. Furthermore, participants will gain knowledge in mobile marketing tools and how to build a holistic approach to their technology planning across their entire organization.

Presenters: David Dombrosky, Dana Maki and Amelia Northrup

Click here for complete details, the full day's schedule and presenter bios.

------------------------

Understanding Nonprofit Financial Statements:
Special Offering for Board Members
Thursday, February 9 - 8:30-11:00AM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

As a board member your fundamental role is to oversee the implementation of the nonprofit organization’s mission. This includes exercising your fiduciary duty to ensure that the organization’s financial resources are effectively managed and sufficient to ensure long-term financial viability. For better or worse, in the post-Enron, Sarbanes-Oxley-driven environment, board leaders are being held accountable - a key word in the new lexicon - for nearly everything that occurs under your watch, including changes in the institution's financial health. The routine review of financial statements can tell a lively story about the well-being of the organizations you serve.

However, for those with little to no formal accounting training, financial reports can seem intimidating. This workshop is designed to help nonprofit board members better understand the basics of nonprofit financial statements so that you are better equipped to perform key legal and fiduciary responsibilities, set realistic financial goals, and assess the organization's performance.

Focus areas will include:

-Key differences between nonprofit and for-profit financial statements and reporting.
-Fundamental accounting concepts underlying nonprofit financial statement presentation and reporting.
-How to effectively and efficiently review nonprofit financial statements to assess the overall financial health of a nonprofit organization.
-Understanding how an organization’s financial statements are evaluated by board members, granting agencies, foundations, other donors and the public.
-Some tools to improve the overall quality and accuracy of financial reporting at your nonprofit organization.

Presenter: Karen T. Deierhoi, BlackWood Finance & Accounting, Inc.

------------------------

Speaking the Language of Common Core:
Uniting artistic vision with common core standards and student success

TWO SESSIONS (choose one):
Tuesday, January 10 - 9:30-11:30AM
Wednesday, January 11 - 1:30-3:30PM

ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

Presenter: Jami Rodgers, Middle School Literacy Specialist, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

For Cultural Educators to be successful in grant writing, they need to be able to articulate what they are trying to teach students and how to make meaningful curriculum-based connections. To that end, Cultural Educators must understand the new Common Core Standards and Essential Standards being used is all North Carolina public schools. This professional development course is designed specifically to help ASC cultural partners and teaching artists working in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools begin to understand and implement the language of the Common Core Standards and Essential Standards.

Beginning in the 2012-2013 school year, all ASC Education-based grants will need to speak the current language of the Common Core and Essential Standards in order to be considered for funding. ASC will be providing two separate initial opportunities to help our providers get ready for the transition.

We will offer a new Common Core strand in January (2 dates listed above) and a new Essential Standards strand in February (date TBD). There will be 30 seats available for each session listed.

January Focus:

How can we infuse “literacy” and “texts” into lessons to meet the NC requirement (Standard 3A) that ALL teachers are teachers of literacy? Using the Common Core State Standards for Literacy, this session will afford ASC cultural partners the opportunity to explore and unpack the document, see the Literacy Standards in action, and examine the shifts required in order to fully understand and implement these new standards.

Click here to register online. Remember, registration is limited to 30 people per session and is available first-come, first-served.

------------------------

A Better Way of Working:
Unconventional methods for unlocking team effectiveness and creativity
Wednesday, January 11 - 8:30-11:30AM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

For nonprofits to be successful they have to capitalize upon the intellectual resources and diversity of their staff, board and volunteer teams. Unfortunately, research and first-hand experience reveals that teams do not always make high quality decisions. Problems that limit decision-making effectiveness include incomplete dissemination and discussion of information, free-riding, groupthink, and premature consensus without considering all possible alternatives.

Through interactive discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, this workshop will explore approaches that alter the structure of team discussions in ways that minimize the aforementioned problems and maximize team potential and innovation. We will also discuss methods for determining situations when unconventional approaches are warranted and how to encourage teams to try unconventional approaches.

Overall, program participants will: 1) Discover powerful unconventional approaches for facilitating effective team decision making; 2) Learn when unconventional approaches are warranted; 3) How to promote “buy-in” and acceptance of unconventional ways of making decisions; and 4) Gain insight into factors that undermine team effectiveness.

Presenter: Dr. Steven Rogelberg, Professor and Director of Organizational Science at UNC-Charlotte. Dr. Rogelberg’s work on teams has been profiled on NPR, CBS News, the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, and even National Geographic magazine.

Click here to register online and take advantage of special deals for TEAM attendance!

------------------------

We Are Our World: Crafting a Multicultural Messaging Strategy
Friday, December 16 - 8:30AM - 12:00PM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

Part II: Maximizing Your Multicultural Fundraising Efforts (8:30AM - NOON)

Session will introduce participants to the nuances of raising money within multicultural communities to support your organization.

Topics will include:
- Creative ways to “invite” multicultural communities to support your organization in a fundraising and/or Board/volunteer capacity.
- Identifying multicultural organizations that are interested in the arts and culture.
- Understanding ways to create strategic multicultural collaborations to support your development efforts.

------------------------

Creating a Roadmap for Fundraising Success:
A Three-Part Workshop Series on the Development Cycle
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)
Thursday, October 6 - 8:30-11:30AM
Thursday, November 10 - 8:30-11:30AM
Thursday, December 8 - 8:30-11:30AM

Presenters: Patton McDowell & Josh Jacobson, Patton McDowell & Associates, LLC

"If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Get You There."
--The Cheshire Cat, Alice In Wonderland

In this heightened age of donor discrimination and philanthropic choice, there are few secret weapons, few unique opportunities, and few fast-track methods to securing substantial and sustainable donors. A plan not only tells you where you are going, but also tells you how you will get there. It empowers you to mark your progress and make changes along the way.

Join us for a 3-part series that will help you create or fine tune your organization's development plan by focusing on time-tested strategies and tactics related to the development cycle.

October 6 - Donor Identification: The Search For New Supporters
In the wake of economic unrest, where are the future (and current!) supporters for arts and cultural organizations hiding? The answer: they may be closer than you think. In the first of Patton McDowell & Associates’ three-part development cycle workshop series, presenters Patton McDowell and Josh Jacobson will walk through new ways to discover and research the individuals, companies and foundations that may have interest in funding your next gallery opening, performance or community program. Patton and Josh will present tips for discovery and talk through challenges facing your organizations. Participants will engage in small group breakout sessions.

November 10 - Cultivation: Converting Earned to Contributed
As arts and cultural organizations mine through lists of contacts, searching for prospective donors, how do they know where to allocate their limited staff and board resources? In the second of Patton McDowell & Associates’ three-part development cycle workshop series, presenters Patton McDowell and Josh Jacobson will investigate the ways sources of earned revenue (audience members, ticket buyers, museum visitors, etc) can be converted to charitable donors. Patton and Josh will focus on the three forms of impact (cultural, educational and economic), present case studies of successful organizations, and provide an overview of best practices in annual fund development, corporate sponsorship and foundation outreach. Participants will be invited to discuss challenges in their own cultivation efforts and have Patton, Josh and the group brainstorm methods of engagement.

December 8 - Stewardship: More Than Just “Thank You”
Once you’ve secured hard-earned support, how do you help ensure that you continue to receive it again and again? Stewardship is the often neglected component in the development cycle – the methods that you communicate and engage with a donor all year long. In the third of Patton McDowell & Associates’ three-part development cycle workshop series, presenters Patton McDowell and Josh Jacobson will outline the do’s and don’ts of stewardship, provide insights into new methods of keeping donors close and present case studies of successful organizations. Participants will work collaboratively to develop a season-long stewardship program for a sample organization.

------------------------

Crash Course in Board Essentials
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)
Friday, November 4 - 8:30-11:00AM

Presenters: Dianne Chipps Bailey, Patton McDowell & Kathy Ridge

As volunteer leaders, board members play a critical role in the success of the organization and have significant legal and ethical responsibilities to their constituents, staff, and communities. Strong, knowledgeable boards help organizations gain credibility, provide important access to the community, and serve as effective advocates.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes take several months or even years of service before board members begin to function effectively in their leadership roles. This workshop is designed to help speed up the learning curve by providing valuable information Just-in-Time for the new board year.

Whether you are a new board member or a seasoned volunteer looking for a refresher on best practices, this workshop is for you! Participants will receive top nonprofit expertise in a compressed information format and training that will get you comfortable immediately as a productive, high contributing board leader.

Topics will include:
-Basics of NC and Federal nonprofit regulations and requirements
-Minimizing personal liability exposure in nonprofit board service
-Differentiation in board leadership and staff management responsibilities
-Holding the organization, board and staff leadership appropriately accountable
-How to develop strategies for broad, diverse, sustainable funding
-Being an effective community ambassador on behalf of the nonprofit organization
-Building strategic relationships for future funding and support

Click here for presenter bios.

------------------------

Introduction to the Enneagram
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)
Wednesday, November 9 - 1:30-4:30PM

Presenter: Angelina Corbet, The Mobius Company

As we journey through our professional lives, we travel many roads, taking many twists and turns. And yet, even as we take on new projects or work with new clients and co-workers, we often face the same challenges and experience the same frustrations again and again. We are not curious about these twists and turns and do not recognize that each experience - planned or serendipitous, provides us with an opportunity to understand ourselves and our leadership style at a deeper level. These experiences are an invitation for us to be present, observe ourselves, make conscious choices and lead with intention. One of the best tools we have to lead with intention is to be present to ourselves and the world around us.

Join us for an introduction to The Enneagram, an ancient tool with practical application based on 9 personality types and their corresponding views of the world.

In this session, participants will:

* Gain an understanding of how the Enneagram can be used as a tool to look at themselves at a deeper level by engaging in several reflective and hands-on exercises designed to provide opportunity for them to experience each of the nine Enneagram types.

* Learn about the basic characteristics of the nine Enneagram types including information about the three centers (Feeling, Thinking and Doing).

You'll also learn more about ASC's mid-career coaching program, Lead with Intention©, the only program in the region specializing in the use of the Enneagram as a tool for self-awareness to enhance leadership style.

------------------------

We Are Our World: Crafting a Multicultural Messaging Strategy
Friday, September 16 - 9:00AM - 12:00PM
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

Part I: Maximizing Your Multicultural Marketing Efforts (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

This session will introduce participants to the nuances of multicultural marketing and how to be effective in reaching communities of color in a manner that is welcomed.

Topics will include:
- The 7 ways to “touch” or reach a consumer.
- Understanding the difference between effective mainstream and grassroots media activities and cost differentials.
- Understanding the characteristics of grassroots media outlets and/or collaborations to support your marketing efforts.

Presenter: Tyrha Lindsey (click here for bio)

------------------------

Breaking the Fifth Wall: Rethinking Arts Marketing for the 21st Century
Thursday, September 8 - 8:30AM - 11:00AM
ASC Board Room (227 W. Trade Street, Ste 250)

Presenters: Eugene Carr & Michelle Paul

What if you could "Break the Fifth Wall?" and reconnect with your patrons beyond your venue, using technology to become a part of their day-to-day lives? Join the co-authors of Breaking the Fifth Wall: Rethinking Arts Marketing for the 21st Century, Eugene Carr (CEO) and Michelle Paul (Product Manager) from Patron Technology, for an introduction to their recently published book, Breaking the Fifth Wall: Rethinking Arts Marketing for the 21st Century. They will present results from the company's nationwide survey of online arts patron behavior, and talk about how to transform your organization's audience-development efforts using e-mail marketing, website design, social media, and CRM, as well as ponder the future direction of technology and how it will impact arts marketing. A copy of the book is included in the price of registration.

------------------------

Cultural Participation in a Changing Society
Tuesday, August 23 - 8:30AM - 11:00AM
ASC Board Room (227 W. Trade Street, Ste 250)

How do we remain relevant when communities change? Join us for a session outlining detailed demographic data on North Carolina’s growth and population trends, as reported in the recently released 2010 US Census. Learn how to access the data down to the block level to meet your organization's needs. We’ll also explore organizational and outreach changes associated with current demographic shifts and discuss some specific strategies for developing engagement initiatives that consider not only the characteristics of a target population, but also the changes within your organization that facilitate implementation.

------------------------

Seven Ways to Better Engage Your Board
a special training opportunity presented by Patton McDowell
Friday, June 24 - 8:30 - 11:00am
ASC Board Room (227 W. Trade Street, Ste 250)

As life gets busier for board members, nonprofit organizations need to focus on how best to identify, recruit and retain quality individuals. Simultaneously, potential board members are eager to be involved in dynamic and engaging organizations, and want to leverage their skills and resources for exciting and strong nonprofits. It is important for staff to understand how to not only find these committed volunteers, but keep them involved, engaged and supporting their mission.

During this interactive half-day workshop, Patton McDowell will walk participants through the Seven Ways to Engage Your Board. The workshop will include user-friendly tactics that are applicable for organizations of every size and of varying missions. Participants will leave with tangible strategies that can be immediately implemented in their organizations.

Patton McDowell & Associates is a Charlotte-based consulting firm that has worked with over 40 organizations across the Southeast. PMA will bring best practices, case studies and new strategies to workshop participants. For more information on Patton and PMA, please visit www.pattonmcdowell.com.

Presenter: Patton McDowell

------------------------

Telling Stories That Build Support and Raise Money
Friday, May 13 - 9:00 - 4:00pm
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

The single, most powerful marketing and fundraising tool your nonprofit has is both free and already in your possession -- you just may not realize it. It's telling a good story about the people involved in your organization -- the people you serve, and your volunteers and supporters.

Good stories are so powerful because they are emotional, and emotions, not facts and figures, drive giving. Stories are also easier to remember than facts, making it easy for supporters to tell their friends about your work. That's how your organization grows. All nonprofits have great stories, but exactly how do you go about telling them? What do you emphasize and what do you leave out?

During a day-long workshop with Nonprofit Marketing Guide's Kivi Leroux Miller, you'll see how stories can be the backbone of your marketing and fundraising strategy, both offline and online. Through a series of exercises and practice sessions, we’ll remove some of the mystery from the storytelling process as you learn how to tell four different kinds of stories. You'll see how you can use stories (and reuse them) in email, on your website, in social media, in fundraising letters, at events, and more.

Presenter: Kivi Leroux Miller

------------------------

Playing Well with Others: Goal Setting in Collaboration
Tuesday, April 5 - 9:00 - 4:00pm
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

Properly planning for resource allocation (money, time, and people) is setting up for success. In collaboration, it is critical that each party knows what it is contributing to the project, and what it is responsible for. This session will cover the hows and whys of effective planning, budgeting, and impact measurement. Participants will learn how to develop a plan for measuring the impact of your collaboration, while determining the best method of tracking, when to track, and how to present the results to stakeholders, funders, and other decision makers.

Presenter: Tyrha Lindsay

------------------------

Working Simply Lab for Creative People:
Get More Done -- Effectively Managing Tasks and Time
Tuesday, March 22 - 9:00am-12:00pm
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

In an ideal world we’d be putting all our time and energy into creative work, but the realities of modern work often seem to be conspiring against us. And in lots of ways the scenario is getting worse. The wonderful thing about modern technology is the amount of communication and information-sharing it facilitates. And the awful thing about modern technology is the amount of communication and information-sharing it facilitates. We are deluged with new information and connections, via telephones, e-mail, websites, blogs and social networking technology.

This workshop provides instant solutions to restore productivity, effectiveness and order so you can overcome the messy, clutter-filled and time-wasting activities that create chaotic minds and offices...and get back to what you really love!This is no lecture. This is a hands-on interactive lab. Bring your laptop, Blackberry, or other communication devices to create the system that will change your world. You will work with your tools -- email, calendar and task list -- to maintain simplicity and sanity at work and in your life. You will learn to:

* Stop the crush of information
* Sync up your technology tools to increase your efficiency
* Boost performance with a real task list
* Re-invent the way you manage time
* Learn the "Priority Quadrant" to take action

Presenter: Carson Tate, CPO®

Due to the need to provide individual attention/coaching for each attendee, this workshop is limited to 25 participants.

------------------------

Presenting Yourself as a Professional Artist SERIES

Part 1 / Business Etiquette: Navigating Your Network
Thursday, March 3
4:30 - 6:30pm
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

Your art may be amazing, but if you lack basic business etiquette or "people" skills, you may be missing out on a host of opportunities to advance your work. The single most valuable part of your success as an artist may be the relationships you cultivate. And, in today's professional world, networking is more than a cocktail pleasantry; it's a survival skill that can open windows and doors you might not otherwise access. Believe it or not, a quick lesson in the art of "schmoozing" may make a big difference in your career development!

Join us for a lively conversation about the importance of business etiquette for professional artists. This seminar teaches skills that can be put to use immediately. You'll learn strategies for everything from remembering names, business card savvy and introductions to communications strategies, networking saavy, and much more.

Presenter: Savannah Shaw

---------

Part 2 / When Artists Speak: Finding Your Voice
Wednesday, April 13
4:30 - 7:30pm
Interact Studio (1435 West Morehead Street, Studio 210 – Charlotte, NC 28208)

You cannot create art in a vacuum. Finding your voice and relating to others in an authentic way is non-negotiable. "When Artists Speak" is a 3-hour speaking and presenting workshop that gives participants at least two standing presentation opportunities with individual coaching after each one. Learn how to begin developing the story of your art. Confidence in this story will attract the support you need. Other topics covered in the workshop include navigating adrenaline, tools of human connection and physical confidence.

Presenter: Lou Solomon

Due to the need to provide individual attention/coaching for each attendee, this workshop is limited to 20 participants.

------------------------

Part 3 / Write it Down: Massaging Your Message
Wednesday, May 4
4:30 - 7:30pm
McColl Center for Visual Art (721 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202)

As an artist, one of the most critical aspects of what you do is to embody a message and communicate that message to others. Most artists are multi-faceted which makes committing to a core brand or message that much more difficult when one has many messages to communicate. This workshop will help you develop your message, determine how it can be incorporated into promotional strategies and communicate it clearly, consistently and effectively to appropriate audiences, funders, and other stakeholders.

You will also learn how to simplify your written communications, describe your work without using technical terms that might not be easily understood by someone with little or no experience in your artistic discipline, find the elements of your story that are most compelling or newsworthy, and strategize about how you might pitch your authentic message to external audiences.

Presenter: Carmella Jarvi

------------------------

Linking Money to Mission: A Balancing Act
A Workshop Presented by the Nonprofit Finance Fund
Wednesday, December 15
8:30am - 4:00pm
Harris Conference Center - Charlotte, NC
Cost: $50/$75

Learn to balance your organization's mission with its financial realities. Plan for an in-depth and dynamic discussion of your organization's capital situation, its plans for the future, and the best path to achieve your long-term goals. This offering can be beneficial for executive directors and finance staff as well as development, marketing or program professionals who want to learn how to better articulate financial management goals to other staff, constituents, board members and potential funders.

Nonprofit Finance Fund instructors will:

Give you a crash course on interpreting your financial statements to reveal the financial reality underpinning your programs
Engage in dialogue about the challenges posed by growth, endowments, property ownership, and much more
Use real-life case studies, with financial information drawn from IRS Form 990s and audits, to demonstrate how the choices you make impact your organization's financial health and viability
Discuss the use of financial information in communicating to funders and other stakeholders your organization's financial story and resource needs

Participants are asked to bring your organization's most recent audit to the session.

Click here to learn more about the Nonprofit Finance Fund's programs and services.

------------------------

Arts Accessibility and Inclusion Workshops
Tuesday, October 26 - TWO session times listed below
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)

Arts Access is offering Charlotte-Mecklenburg arts and cultural organizations the opportunity to learn more about accessibility for people with disabilities. Gather with others in the field seeking information and resources for achieving accessibility, share experiences and learn about resources that will build a foundation to support access and inclusion in the arts. We encourage you to attend both sessions but if you are unable to the content will stand alone for each session.

Session 1: Introduction to Accessibility: 10:00am-12:30pm

By attending Introduction to Accessibility, you will strengthen your understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act and how its regulations impact your organization. We will identify resources, as well as easy and low-cost solutions that will help your organization become fully accessible and inclusive. Learn strategies for making access an attainable goal for your organization.

Session 2: Accessibility and Customer Service 1:00-3:30pm

Focusing on customer service, participants of the Accessibility and Customer Service workshop will learn best practices for interacting with people of all abilities, people-first language, and skills for developing relationships with people with disabilities in your community. Discover ways to increase community involvement and strengthen your programs by promoting accessible features and inclusive customer services. Ideal for box office staff, ushers and docents.

The registration fee for one session is $20 per person. If you choose to attend both sessions, your total registration fee is $30 per person. To learn more about Arts Access, Inc., please visit www.artsaccessinc.org.

------------------------

403(b) BOOT CAMP:
GETTING YOUR NON-PROFIT RETIREMENT PLANS IN SHAPE!
Wednesday, October 27
10:00 - 11:00am
Does your nonprofit organization sponsor a 403(b) plan? Are you thinking about starting a retirement plan for your nonprofit organization this year? If the answer to either question is "Yes," be sure to join us for an informative (free) webinar on the exciting revolution taking place in the nonprofit retirement plan marketplace.

We will address:

Changes made by the final 403(b) regulations and how these may effect your plan
New 5500 and Plan Audit requirements
Market evolution and current trends that will impact the design and operation of your organization's retirement plan
Are you a fiduciary? Understand the increased need forplan fiduciaries to recognize and properly fulfill their duties

Thank you to our friends at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for offering this FREE webinar to the nonprofit sector! And please note...this webinar is NOT intended as a sales pitch. It was designed with ASC as a service to address pending legislation, fiduciary best practices and overall effective management.

------------------------

Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute

Program Dates:
October 9 - 9:00am-6:00pm
November 13 - 9:00am-6:00pm
December 11 - 9:00am-6:00pm

Location:
Arts & Science Council
227 W Trade Street, Ste. 250
Charlotte, NC 28202

Cost:*
$125 Early Bird Registration by September 15
$150 Regular Registration until October 1
Registration includes instruction, all materials and food service for all three Saturday sessions. Free parking is available onsite.

About the Program:
Created and piloted by the Community Partnership for Art and Culture (CPAC), AEI is a comprehensive course of study designed to provide visual, literary, media and performing artists with the basics of business from start up to bringing a product or service to market. The 18-module course is taught by local business professionals, artists and non-artists, practicing in a variety of small business functions. Sessions include a mix of lectures, panels, group discussions and practical exercises. Topics and reading materials include understanding consumers, developing a brand and product mix, pricing practices, communications strategies, copyright, taxes and writing a business plan. The AEI curriculum offers critical support for artists, enabling them to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the larger urban arts and culture sector.

For sample program schedule and details, click here.

Support:
The Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute is made possible with support from Dominion and the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). Additional support is provided by the Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation and the Kulas Foundation.

------------------------

Americans for the Arts Webinar
Be Sure Your Cell Phones Are Turned ON: Marketing to Today's Mobile Arts Audience
October 5, 2010 - 2:00 - 3:00pm
ASC Board Room

This webinar will explore the new and ever-developing field of mobile marketing. It will cover the ways another cutlural provider, Artsopolis, has experimented with targeting the mobile market, as well as highlight the experiences of local arts groups. From creating buzz around an event to increasing ticket sales, to patrons generating content during an arts experience, the presenter will demonstrate that there is a segment of people willing to "do your work for you" if you can just reach them.

The webinar will seek to address questions such as:
* Who is the mobile market target audience?
* What do they really look like and where will you find them?
* How can existing smart phone applications (like Foursquare) be used to engage an audience?
* How to effectively leverage social media? (Tweet Seats, #tags, Facebook)
* How success in a mobile marketing campaign is measured?
* How much time and manpower does it take to implement such a marketing campaign?

FREE but space is limited.

------------------------

Grantseeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts

Tuesday, June 22
2:00 - 4:00 PM

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Main Library Auditorium
310 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

This (free!) course will prepare you to find grantmakers that award funds directly to individuals in the arts. Learn how and why funders make grants to individuals, how to articulate your funding needs, the best search tools and more.

Presenters:

Lydia Towery, Librarian / Foundation Center Collection Coordinator, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Heather Pontonio, Program Director, Grants & Creative Individuals, Arts & Science Council

------------------------

New Connections: Audience Development through Web 2.0 and Social Media
A Special National Arts Marketing Project Mini-Conference
Wednesday, April 14 - 8:30am-5:00pm
Harris Conference Center - Charlotte, NC

Topics will include:

Online marketing initiatives that will encourage new strategies and tactics for increased audience engagement
How to ensure that your organization or message cuts through the noise
How your online presence can better capitalize on other marketing and sales initiatives
Thinking tactically about e-mail marketing and websites
How to make online referrals, viral marketing, and good old-fashioned networking work for you
and MUCH MORE!

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS:

Behind the Curtain: Sharing Your Story
Presenter: Jaki Levy

Social media provides a wealth of channels for arts and cultural organizations. But how do you ensure that your organization cuts through the noise? Letting patrons “behind the curtain” online brings great rewards and excitement. The presenter will provide an overview of online marketing strategies that utilize interactions with the real creative work of artists, staff or other key players happening behind the scenes, via social media and online tools. Participants should be prepared to address online marketing initiatives that will encourage new strategies and tactics for increased audience engagement.

Building Blocks: Figuring out Your Online Approach
Presenter: Ron Evans

For arts and cultural organizations, e-mail and websites provide great exposure. But an organization’s online presence doesn’t always capitalize on its other marketing and sales initiatives. This session is designed to get organizations thinking tactically about e-mail marketing and websites. First, participants will study how and why cultural consumers use the Internet and social media to make entertainment decisions. Participants will then cover the basics of effective online marketing – what works and what doesn't. The presenter will also discuss the necessary staff time to make online marketing work.

Speaking Socially: A Deeper Understanding of Social Media
Presenter: Allison Fine

The top reason audiences cite when asked how they heard about a cultural event or offering is “from a friend.” And increasingly, friends are talking through social networking tools. How can organizations make word of mouth happen online? Are there strategies for disseminating messages about arts and cultural organizations? Participants will find out how to make online communities, referrals, and good old-fashioned networking work. The presenter will also discuss how networking relates to social change and deeper engagement in the overall cultural sector.

Click here for overall schedule.
Click here for speaker bios.

-----------------------------------------------

Workshop for Artists: Photoshop Elements 8
Friday, March 26 - 9:00am-4:30pm
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)
Cost: $60.00

Presenter: Lori Neil

Learn how to put your best foot forward with the best selling image manipulation tool available on the market today. Photoshop Elements 8 for Artists is a new workshop developed from the ground up with the artist in mind. This workshop utilizes the most current release (Adobe Photoshop Elements 8) available today, and not only provides an overview of the functions, but clearly guides the artist through real life examples in a targeted fashion.

------------------------

The Role of Staff Leadership in Building a Philanthropic Culture
Sponsored by ASC & The Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust

Wednesday, March 31 - 8:30-11:30am
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)
Cost: $20.00 - 40.00

Presenter: Karla Williams (click here for bio)

A philanthropic culture is key to successful fundraising, and it starts with staff leadership. Throughout the evolution of arts and cultural organizations, philanthropy has played a unique role in sustainability. In good times and bad times, philanthropy is our navigating tool; creating audiences, resources and community engagement. This session will focus on how to build an internal culture of philanthropy that results in a synergy that grows external contributions. Learn how a culture enhancement begins with the staff leadership team.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to register in teams of at least TWO to enable workshop learning and practical application to go further; special rates are available for teams of up to three to encourage this level of participation/investment.

Attendees will be asked to complete an advance survey outlining current philanthropic practices prior to the session.

------------------------

Working Simply Lab for Creative People:
Get More Done -- Effectively Managing Tasks and Time

Friday, February 5 - 9:00am-12:00pm
ASC Board Room (227 W Trade Street, Ste 250)
Cost: $25.00

In an ideal world we’d be putting all our time and energy into creative work, but the realities of modern work often seem to be conspiring against us. And in lots of ways the scenario is getting worse. The wonderful thing about modern technology is the amount of communication and information-sharing it facilitates. And the awful thing about modern technology is the amount of communication and information-sharing it facilitates. We are deluged with new information and connections, via telephones, e-mail, websites, blogs and social networking technology.

This is no lecture. This is a hands-on interactive lab. Bring your laptop, Blackberry, or other communication devices to create the system that will change your world. You will work with your tools -- email, calendar and task list -- to maintain simplicity and sanity at work and in your life. You will learn to:

Presenter: Carson Tate, CPO®
For more information on her approach, click here to visit her website.

Due to the need to provide individual attention/coaching for each attendee, this workshop is limited to 20 participants.

------------------------

Customer Care: Enhancing Patron Experience & Loyalty
A Special National Arts Marketing Project Mini-Conference
Wednesday, December 9 - 8:30am-4:30pm
Thursday, December 10 - 8:30am-1:30pm
Charlotte Convention Center - Charlotte, NC

CLICK HERE for schedule of sessions and complete details.

We all know that it costs a lot less to keep an existing customer or a committed donor than to find a new one. With the economic downturn affecting budgets and revenues, arts and cultural organizations have to work harder than ever to retain loyal constituents, but this work is a critical investment in the future of our organizations.

How can we get to know our patrons better and entice them to be lifetime supporters?
How can we take our donor and customer relationships to the next level?
How can we move our patrons along the value continuum, from single ticket buyers/one-time visitors, to subscribers, members and, ultimately, to donors?

To help us answer these and other related questions, ASC has partnered with the National Arts Marketing Project (a program of Americans for the Arts) to host a 1.5 day "mini-conference" right here in Charlotte. We hope this will be a fantastic (and affordable) opportunity to learn from outstanding national presenters, share best practices and take away new and improved strategies to increase revenue, build audiences and fundraise more effectively.

We are pleased to welcome three wonderful national speakers:

Kate Prescott, President of Prescott & Associates - click here for bio.

Philippe Ravanas, Professor in the graduate program of the Arts, Entertainment & Media Management Department at Columbia College in Chicago - click here for bio.

Gerald Yoshitomi - independent cultural facilitator/consultant with Meaning Matters - click here for bio.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.