McCarthy Arts Consulting provides a variety of services for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations:

Strategic Planning
Cultural Policy Research
Increasing Capacity Through Program Design
  and Implementation
Community Cultural Development
Fundraising
Communications

Strategic Planning

McCarthy Arts Consulting devises strategic plans for nonprofit cultural organizations in consultation with its leadership and primary constituents.  These plans are responsive to mission, environment, opportunity, and organizational capacity.  Example:

For Performance Space 122, conducted a strategic planning process through interviews with key stakeholders and a broad electronic survey of audiences.  The resulting plan reaffirms mission and values, documents audiences, summarizes primary organizational goals and provides multi-year timelines for action while identifying income and expenses tied to these actions.

For the Center for Puppetry Arts, led a National Endowment for the Humanities planning initiative to redevelop and reinterpret the museum exhibition of the permanent collection with a team of national advisers drawn from the Smithsonian and major U.S. universities.

For HT Dance Company, conducted an audience survey, interviewed key stakeholders and guided the board and staff through a process that resulted in the adoption of a new naming strategy.

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Cultural Policy Research

McCarthy Arts Consulting conducts cultural policy research to document the health of the arts and cultural sector.  Example:

For Cultural Institutions Group of New York City, documented the 130 year history of the City of New York’s public-private partnership with the 34 members of the Cultural Institutions Group including American Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. 

For Dance/NYC, issued the report, Where Does the Money Go? Dance Funding in New York City, which provides a rare and in-depth analysis of the cultural investment made by corporate, foundation, and government funders and supporters and their impact on the dance community. 

For the New York Foundation for the Arts, provided research editorial and planning support for the yearlong advocacy initiative A Cultural Blueprint for New York City and its report to the field, Culture Counts: Strategies for a More Vibrant Cultural Life for New York City.  This project examined existing cultural policy, analyzed New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs funding structure, surveyed public participation in the arts, and identified key issues affecting artists and cultural organizations.

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Increasing Capacity Through Program Design and Implementation

Working in tandem with both philanthropic and nonprofit cultural organizations, McCarthy Arts Consulting designs and implements programs that leverage cultural investments for maximum impact. Example:

For the New York State Artist Workspace Consortium, designed and now manage a multi-year capacity-building initiative in partnership with the Visual Arts Program of the New York State Council on the Arts and LarsonAllen Public Service Group. This collaborative of artist-driven visual arts organizations seeks to improve organizational capability, promote the artist workspace field, and share expertise and resources through issue-based convenings, peer-to-peer exchange, and technical assistance from outside experts. The founding members of the Consortium include Carriage House Workspace at the Islip Art Museum, CEPA Gallery, Dieu Donné Papermill, Lower East Side Printshop, Sculpture Space, and Women's Studio Workshop. In 2004, the Consortium added four new members to its roster: Center for Photography at Woodstock, Harvestworks, Smack Mellon, and Socrates Sculpture Park. In 2006, it launched the Artist Workspace Mentorship Program to encourage the adoption of this artist residency model by artist collectives, art museums, and other nonprofit organizations. The Consortium has issued three reports to the field and made presentations on its work at the national conferences of Grantmakers in the Arts and the Alliance of Artist Communities.

For the Technical Assistance Program of the New York State Council on the Arts Visual Arts Program administered by Women's Studio Workshop, planned and facilitated convenings of arts centers in the Capital Region. The meetings and subsequent report examined curatorial processes, audience development and public access strategies.  Lead participants included The Tang Teaching Museum, Albany International Airport Arts Program, and University Art Museum at the University at Albany SUNY. With additional funding provided by the State & Local Partnerships Program at NYSCA, this program was replicated for the New York Multi-Arts Centers Consortium in Albany and Syracuse in 2007. Click here to see the summary report.

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Community Cultural Development

Recognizing that culture is an important social asset, McCarthy Arts Consulting works with community and cultural leaders to design programs that bridge the divide, bring people together, and increase public participation in cultural organizations. Example:

For the Queens Museum of Art, created a cultural community development plan with the Queens Child Guidance Center, Jackson Heights Community Development Corporation, Asociación Tepeyac de New York, and Flushing Chinese Business Association. Created through a series of planning meetings with additional community development experts and community based organization partners, this plan seeks to enliven public space and promote community and youth development among the disparate international communities in three neighborhoods connected by Roosevelt Avenue and the International Express #7 subway line.

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Fundraising

McCarthy Arts Consulting offers expertise in institutional and project-based strategic planning and fundraising initiatives. Example:

For Ma-Yi Theater Company, developed a forceful case statement and devised a campaign strategy to match a significant challenge grant and secure the company's artistic future. For Queens Theatre in the Park and Meredith Monk/The House Foundation for the Arts, crafted overall development plans and championed long- and short-term action-based organizational planning. Conducted situational analysis, fundraising audits, and provided new and compelling case statements and narratives for Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, The Mama Foundation for the Arts and Queens Council on the Arts.  Lectured on grantwriting and fundraising for Alliance of Resident Theatres/NY and others.

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Communications

McCarthy Arts Consulting helps cultural organizations communicate with multiple audiences through clear and on message language. Example:

For NAPAMA: North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, created a series of regular e-newsletters for the national membership as well as press releases and marketing materials.

For the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, wrote multiple educational pre-visit teacher guides that outlined curriculum-based activities for schoolchildren.

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