SEEKING CONSULTANT FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING

Job Outline

• Title: Strategic Planning Consultant

• Brief overview of job: To guide the strategic planning process, including a merger between two 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organizations

• Reports to: Chair of Strategic Planning Committee, comprised of members from both nonprofits;  Arts Presenters of Northern New England (APNNE) and New England Presenters (NEP)

• Position Type: Consultant, 5 hours/ week, up to 30 hours/month 

• Timeframe: 6 month contract, completed by Summer 2023

About Arts Presenters of Northern New England

Established in 1978, the Arts Presenters of Northern New England (APNNE) strives to build community among presenters by promoting communication, the sharing of resources, and encouraging block booking of the performing arts throughout the region. 

APNNE meets monthly on Zoom with additional opportunities to connect at events like the New England Foundation for the Arts’ (NEFA) annual Idea Swap and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals' (APAP) annual Conference in January. ​We also have a joint meeting once a year with the New England Presenters (NEP) in May. 

APNNE is a non-profit collective of over 25 organizations spanning across Northern New England presenting the performing arts to our communities. Our group comprises centers of all sizes, with a wide-range of programming. We are free-standing organizations, state art councils, campus-based centers, community festivals, and everything in between.

APNNE's goal is to serve its members by supporting their initiatives and bolstering the work they do by creating and fostering new connections with fellow arts presenters. This is accomplished through brainstorming to solve problems; sparking ideas to reinvigorate programming; facilitating block booking of tours to help reduce fees to individual presenters; supporting special projects or commissioning new works; and providing creative topics at meetings to offer further professional development and an opportunity to exchange ideas.

APNNE members have an active role in contributing to the goals of the consortium. In addition to providing support and building community, APNNE maintains relationships with the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), New England Presenters (NEP), and the local state arts councils.

About New England Presenters

Founded in 1981, New England Presenters (NEP) is a non-profit, regional consortium of over 50 organizations consisting of performing arts presenters from public and private colleges and universities, preparatory schools, municipal arts agencies and community based organizations of all sizes.

NEP serves its membership by facilitating block booking of tours by performing artists that reduce fees to individual presenters; commissioning new works in dance, music and mixed art forms that tour the New England region; supporting special projects by artists, sometimes in collaboration with other regional presenting groups and, providing professional development opportunities for presenters to exchange management and artistic ideas.

NEP maintains liaison with the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), the National Association of Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA), the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), the Arts Presenters of Northern New England (APNNE), and the six state arts agencies.

NEP FACTS

• NEP members serve a combined audience base of 18 million in urban and rural areas

• Member organizations spend more than $7 million annually in fees paid to performing artists

• Organizations can save 20%-40% when participating in block booking

About the job

Seeking a consultant to guide the strategic planning process for APNNE and NEP, including a merger between the two organizations. The ideal candidate will have a familiarity with arts presenting organizations and the laws & process of incorporation in the New England region. 

Expectations from consultant

• Lead the strategic planning process: set agendas, send polls and surveys, prompt action items, and follow-up 

• Give guidance around federal and state laws of incorporation

• Review both organizations’ bylaws and ultimately recommend an update to combine bylaws 

• Assist in redefining the membership’s identity, roles, benefits, and responsibilities 

• Organize and attend regular monthly meetings with the strategic planning committee

• Facilitate sessions with members from both APNNE and NEP about the merger process

• Create and implement a membership survey resulting in quantitative and qualitative data 

• Assist in determining a merged organization budget and fundraising strategies 

• Create and present a final report of all recommendations for merger with resources

Scope

The consultant will work directly with the strategic planning committee, which will consist of 2 APNNE Board Members, 2 NEP Board Members, plus an additional 2 non-board members from the general membership. Our goal is for this group to be as diverse as possible, evenly representing NEP & APNNE, including newer to region and established folx. The committee will meet monthly on Zoom.

Contacts

The Consultant works closely with both APNNE & NEP Boards, Strategic Planning Committee, and NEFA staff. They will develop and maintain positive and supportive relationships and be committed to contributing to and maintaining an environment  that supports, celebrates, and empowers both organizations’ diverse volunteers and constituency. 

Compensation

The initial project budget is $10,000, and is negotiable based on the determined project scope and on the selected candidate’s level of experience.

Qualifications

Must be well organized, self-motivating, and detail-oriented. Demonstrates initiative in creating thinking and problem solving, communicating effectively via email and virtual meetings, working on an efficient timeline. Must be able to drive the progress of this strategic planning process, work independently and collaboratively, with emphasis on initiation and completion of tasks.
Required:

• Experience with Performing Arts Organizations

• Experience in mediation, facilitation, and project management, involving the ability to keep the process moving for multiple committee members and both boards

• Strong organization and planning skills with the ability to advance multiple priorities and processes concurrently

• Resourceful problem-solving skills with attention to detail and ability to see multiple sides of a challenge

• Appreciation for and identification with both APNNE’s and NEP’s missions and values, and interest in engaging in work to advance strategic planning goals, including those centering equity, diversity, intersectionality, and accessibility, while serving the greater arts communities of New England 

Preferred:

• Experience in the cultural sector, passion for the arts and creative economy, and a genuine interest in the New England Arts Community

• Experience with NonProfit Mergers.

Application Instructions

We ask all candidates to submit a current resume and a cover letter describing their interest in and preparedness for the consultant role. Submissions should be made through the following Google Form. https://forms.gle/6sdVn29rExQSpcA56.  Questions about this position or about the application process may be addressed to nepresenters@gmail.com.

The deadline to apply is Monday, December 19. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and we encourage interested candidates to apply prior to the deadline. Applications received after the deadline may not be reviewed if the existing candidate pool is deemed sufficient. We plan to reach out to candidates within a week of the deadline.

 

Thank you for your interest!