Happy Holidays & 1st workshop of January details

SMARTies,

As the end of year approaches and everyone is getting ready for the holidays season. We'd like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. May next year bring everyone more opportunities to grow and learn.

A&BC will be hosting a workshop in January focusing on building partnerships with corporations. See below  for details.

Upcoming Workshop:

Building Corporate Partnerships
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Columbia College Chicago
623 S Wabash, Hokin Hall, Rm 109
Click here to register and for more information

What you'll learn:

• Demystify the process of partnering with the private sector
• Develop a prospect list of companies to target
• Communicate the value of an arts partnership
• Design a compelling partnership package

Moderator/Panelists:

Sylvia Alston, Principal & Owner, Write2Win Communications

Beth Gallagher, Director of Community Involvement, Aon

Megan Smith, Director of Corporate Relations, Steppenwolf Theatre

Ruth Meberg Stine, Development Director - Special Projects, Chicago Human Festival

Looking for something different to do this weekend?

DanceWorks Chicago invites public to observe audition

DanceWorks Chicago welcomes the general public, FREE of CHARGE, to observe a professional dance audition – an intriguing part of the dance world that is usually off-limits to the public. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to view the search for exceptional young dancers to join the DWC family. 

DATE: Saturday, December 15, 2012

TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Audience members may come and go throughout the day.

PLACE: The Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago (on stage)

WHAT YOU WILL SEE: The audition will be conducted by Artistic Director Julie Nakagawa. Ballet class with eliminations will be followed by DWC repertoire. DWC representatives will be available that afternoon to answer questions about what’s happening on stage. We hope you will come away with a deeper understanding and fresh curiosity about dance that will inspire your continued relationship with dance artists and their art.

End of Year Appeals article and Upcoming FREE webinar

Good morning SMARTies,

Can you believe it's December already? With the end of year approaching, nonprofits start thinking about their end of year appeals. I found this article that may useful; the article lists with detail five bad habits nonprofit should avoid when writing their end-of-year appeals.

Also, there's a FREE upcoming webinar about reporting to donors from newsletters to annual reports. Donor reaserch has found that donors want to hear what you did with their first gift before they are likely to give a second time. Translation: you need to figure out ways to report back to your donors throughout the year. While annual reports are important they're just one piece of the communication puzzle.

Monday, December 17, 2012
10:00 - 10:45 a.m.
Click here to register

What you'll learn:

• What donors say they want to get back from the charities they support
• Easy ways to integrate results and success stories into your existing donor communications
• Sample wording that gives donors credit for your results, so they feel like part of the team.

Presenter: Kiki Leroux Miller.

Quick Question: Anyone know a bookkeeper skilled in Quickbooks?

Hey SMARTies,

We've received a request from one of your peer grantees about a recommendation for a bookkeeper who is skilled in Quickbooks. Do you work with anyone who you would recommend? Please let us know. You can comment on the blog or email Katie at kkurcz@artsbiz-chicago.org.

Thank you!

FREE Webinars: 11/27 Google Analytics and 11/28 Data Driven Decision Making

We hope everyone had a great holiday! We want to remind everyone of today's webinar, 11/27: Google Analytics for the Enthusiastic Beginner. The webinar is FREE. In this session you'll receive a FREE web analytics tool that shows you how visitors are using your site. Click here for more information and to register. 

Also,  tomorrow's workshop 11/28: Data Driven Decision Making for Nonprofits. This webinar is also FREE. In this session you'll learn the 12 stages of a driven process and show a full illustration of a project. Participant will also learn how to put together a simple one-page project planning brief. Click here for more information and to register. 

Stay connected with the blog as we'll post more information regarding webinars and workshops that are relevant to your goals. 

Webinar: 11/28 Data Driven Decision Making

Wednesday, November 28, 2012
12:00 pm - 1:00pm
FREE
Register

Have you been asked to conduct a survey for your organization at some point? If so, a survey is only one piece of a data-driven strategic process, which really begins with articulation of the core issues and ends with an assessment of how the strategy worked.

What you'll learn:

• Learn the 12 stages of a data-driven decision-making process.
• Understand the basics of when to choose different methodologies such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, and more.
• Practice developing a one-page project planning brief.

Presenter: Rena Cheskis-Gold, demographer and founding principal researcher at Demographic Perspectives, LLC, a consulting firm that provides mission-driven demographic, survey, policy and market research services for non-profits.

DanceWorks Chicago's New Avenues/Nuevas Aventuras

New Avenues/Nuevas Aventuras, DanceWorks Chicago's three-week cultural exchange project generously sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation's International Connections Fund, is heading for a finale this weekend after another action-packed week.

Last Sunday, DWC welcomed 124 dancers from across Mexico to our first-ever international audition, hosted by our partner, Escuela Nacional de Danza Clasica y Contemporanea. EXCITING! The focus of Week #3, however, is our collaboration with the Carlos Chavez Youth Orchestra on Magical Movements, a one-hour orchestral program developed in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to be performed at two different venues this weekend. Speaking of magical movements, we are getting the full experience here in Mexico with earthquake #2 earlier this week. Always moving!?

We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with artists and audiences across borders. Cultural exchange makes us all more knowledgeable citizens of the world, better able to contribute to a richer environment.