Arts Administration Students Team with Nonprofit on Capital Campaign Development
Students in the BU Metropolitan College Arts Administration course Capital Campaigns (MET AR 711) are getting valuable hands-on experience working with the nonprofit Manship Artist Residency + Studios (MARS) to develop an anticipated capital campaign to further MARS’ historic preservation efforts. The course, led by fundraising expert Mary Doorley Simboski, ACFRE, is part of the Arts Administration program’s Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management.
MARS was established in 2015 to preserve the 15-acre Cape Ann estate of Paul Manship, an American sculptor known for important public commissions such as the iconic Prometheus sculpture at Rockefeller Center and the Celestial Sphere at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva Switzerland. Since its inception, MARS has hosted almost 100 interdisciplinary artist residencies at its historic site. Recently, the nonprofit approached Doorley-Simboski for advice on developing an anticipated capital campaign to further its historic preservation efforts, leading to the involvement of the students in MET AR 711. The class will conduct an evaluation of MARS’ readiness for a capital campaign effort and prepare a set of recommendations to help guide future development. Along the way, students will have a valuable opportunity to roll up their sleeves and review background materials, including financial statements, strategic plan documents, donor histories, and previous grant applications. Working in small teams, students will also interview stakeholders in the project. At the conclusion of the course, students will provide a summary analysis and present their findings in a live session with MARS’ board.