I have spent most of the last twelve years advocating for a robust understanding of the nature and value of effective community engagement for arts organizations. While much (much) work remains to be done, there does seem to be greater acceptance of the need for substantive relationship building on the part of arts organizations. AssessmentAssessment is another matter. There remains a lack of common understanding of community engagement. That … [Read more...]
Evaluating Engagement: Outcomes
Evaluation of any kind is a challenge for nonprofit organizations generally and for nonprofit arts organizations in particular. Resource constraints and focus on mission, sometimes at the expense of critical management issues, make evaluation a frequent afterthought if considered at all. Evaluating community engagement is particularly difficult because it is in its infancy as a practice for arts organizations. As such, it is no surprise that … [Read more...]