|
More Connections Impact of Community and Youth Organizing on Public School Reform October 19, 2009 Most Still Oppose Same-Sex Marriage, Majority Continues to Support Civil Unions October 16, 2009 | ||
 
Zarin Mehta, President and Executive Director, New York PhilharmonicPhilanthropy News Digest spoke with Mehta about the challenges of running a world-class arts organization in a recession-plagued economy.... PND: With the recession affecting ticket sales and donations at arts organizations around the country, a number of orchestras have had to scale back or even cancel performances and tours this season. How has the recession affected the philharmonic?  Zarin Mehta: We haven't discussed our current financial position much in the media. We feel our business is to play great music, and we go about that business in a quiet way. Our board and our musicians are very well informed of what's going on. But we have had experiences relatively recently with declining ticket sales and falling endowment values. About a year after the 9/11 attacks, for example, our endowment income fell significantly, and we had to make up the shortfall in other ways. So, we cut expenses by canceling a tour to Europe in 2003 and replaced it with a Beethoven festival. Our board also negotiated a one-year salary freeze with the orchestra in 2004. In fact, we looked at every aspect of our operation and took a number of steps designed to help us through that rough patch. Today, things are looking up despite the recession.... Read the Q&A» | ||
  Through an arrangement with Stanford Social Innovation Review, PND is pleased to offer a series of articles and profiles related to the "business" of improving society. | ||
|
Behind the Curve
In 2004, the U.S. government-backed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) certified the West African nation of Senegal as eligible to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid. Initially, Senegal seemed like an excellent choice for a grant from the MCC, which targets aid to poor countries that are committed to good governance, free markets, and investments in people. Senegal is one of the few African states that has never had a coup d'état. And since the nation became independent from France in 1960, Senegal's leaders have peacefully transferred power two times — most recently in 2000, when citizens elected the current president, Abdoulaye Wade. In addition, the country has encouraged private sector-led development and has at least officially welcomed foreign companies. Since Wade's election, however, Senegal's enthusiasm for economic freedom, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth seems to have flagged. For instance, after giving the French and Canadian consortium Hydro Québec International-Elyo a 34 percent stake in Senelec, Senegal's monopoly electricity supplier, the Senegalese government would not allow the company to recoup its investment by raising prices. Frustrated in their attempts to turn a profit and to modernize the ramshackle power system, the investors were forced to accept a government buyout after less than eighteen months.... Read the article» | ||
On the blog, Thaler Pekar continues her series on story-banking, Mitch takes a closer look at the just-launched Social Impact Exchange, Kathryn Pyle surveys the world of social issue documentary film, and Andrew Wolk shares some thoughts about social impact measurement.... More»
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Flint Institute of Music 
Comprised of a symphony orchestra, school, and theater, the institute works to provide Michigan residents with lifelong exposure to world-class performing art....
More»
|
|
|
|
|
This collection of ten essays examines how local economic and social contexts affect foundations' efforts to build civil society abroad....
The Futurity site highlights health, science, and environmental discoveries in a news-driven format from research universities in the United States and Canada....
|
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter, or to change your e-mail address, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/newsletters/. Foundation Center • 79 Fifth Avenue • New York, NY 10003 • (212) 620-4230
|