Kennedy Center Board Seminar, April 19-20, 2007

Board members of most not-for-profit arts organizations are faced with many challenges: developing strategic plans, evaluating and approving budgets, hiring senior administrative and artistic staff, and leading fundraising campaigns. Too few board members have experience and/or skills in how to facilitate the effectiveness of organizations to succeed at their missions while navigating these challenges. As a result, many board members must rely too heavily on conventional wisdom as they attempt to fulfill their roles.

On April 20, 2007, the MIT Leadership Center presented the John F. Kennedy Center Board Member Seminar. Sponsored by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston and the law firm of Goodwin Procter, the seminar was led by Michael Kaiser, President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a world-renowned authority on arts management and board member effectiveness. Kennedy Center Board Member Seminars and Arts Management Training are funded by the generous support of the AT & T Foundation.

This hands-on and user-friendly seminar was attended by current and potential board members and senior staff from over fifty arts organizations. Teaching alongside Marie Mattson, the Kennedy Center's Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Mr. Kaiser helped more than eighty participants learn key skills to:

• Develop strategic plans
• Build institutional identity
• Hire senior administrative and artistic staff
• Lead fundraising campaigns
• Make your board membership more efficient and effective

For insights from Michael Kaiser on leadership and the arts, see his interview in the Lessons from Leaders section of this website.