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President's Letter: Sustainability and Heritage Organizations

Sus·tain verb: to continue without lessening, to nourish, to allow to flourish, to make something continue to exist

"Sustainability" is one of the current buzzwords that crosses sectors. Borrowed from biological and environmental discussions, sustainability is also applied to social and organizational contexts. In the non-profit sector, sustainability has come to have a range of meaning from "meeting budget" to "having sufficient self-earned (read non-government) revenues to cover expenses." These are two very different goals. In some cases, sustainability also encompasses the ongoing renewal of the workplace and volunteer corps. So what do we really mean when we talk about sustainable heritage organizations? Is sustainability a realistic goal?

The ongoing sustainability of the OMA, and of its members, is a priority for Council. Further to this end, Council and staff led the development of several resources. The financial toolkit was originally developed to aid the financial analysis of the OMA; it was expanded to be a generic tool for use by members and other non-profits. The internal partnership evaluation tool was also refined and shared. The deficit reduction workshops were another piece of the services provided to help members examine their own financial health and sustainability. Similarly, the OMA was involved in the development of the excellent series of human resource manuals produced by the Cultural Human Resources Council. The theme of sustainability, in the broadest sense, has been a driving force behind Council’s work and initiatives, as well as the content of the workshops and resources that the OMA offers its members.

The funding programs offered by provincial and federal governments purport to support sustainability in the sector. For example, the federal Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program aims to strengthen organizational effectiveness and build capacity of arts and heritage organizations. Among the priorities for funding under the Museums Assistance Programs are projects that strengthen the overall organizational capacity of museum institutions. At the provincial level, The Ontario Trillium Foundation supports initiatives that strengthen the capacity of organizations in the arts and culture, environment, human and social services, and sports and recreation sectors.

Ironically, these funders and programs often undermine sustainability through their definition of eligible funds, and exclusion of heritage organizations from services provided to the arts sector.

Too many heritage organizations in Ontario are only "sustainable," meaning balancing the books every year, as a result of the tapping of project grants to supplement operational expenses. This situation is worsened as core operating grants, like CMOG, are dropping either through cuts, an increased eligible pool or as a result of chronic flat-lining. As eligible costs continue to be narrowed, the irony of sustainable initiatives, which don’t recognize the operational costs of applying for, maintaining, evaluating and reporting on projects, is astounding. The very projects that are supposed to increase sustainability can destabilize an organization during its delivery.

But the shift from operating grants to project grants is only part of the problem. Heritage organizations are too often the "poor cousins" in government policy and program initiatives. Among the many programs and services offered by The Canada Council to arts organizations, but not heritage, is the "Flying Squad." This program provides funding for specialists to assist companies with internal problems, challenges and opportunities. There are four components: Organizational Research, Planning and Consultation (with a consultant or peer-to-peer exchange); Mentorship; Special Initiatives; and Professional Development. Started in the late 1970s for professional theatre organizations, this hands-on assistance program now has permanent staff and a broader mandate. No longer just an emergency response mechanism for troubled organizations, today the program is focussed mainly on assisting with effective planning and capacity building to further an organization’s growth and development.

Unfortunately and unfairly, heritage organizations are not eligible. The Flying Squad is a great program and its priorities and eligible activities are timely. The Dance Program priorities are:

… activities meeting an organizational development need, including applicants that are geographically isolated, are undergoing restructuring or reorganization, are in transition, are experiencing a growth spurt or represent culturally diverse or Aboriginal communities. For established organizations, priority will be given to those whose identified needs lie beyond the scope of the company’s regular operations. Priority will also be given to new and emerging dance organizations, as well as to organizations producing or presenting works for young audiences.

• artistic direction, artistic vision and programming;
• strategic planning, general management and administration;
• marketing, audience development and touring development;
• producing and production management;
• financial management, fundraising;
• capital projects (only assistance relating to prefeasibility, impact of capital projects on company operations, planning or fundraising for the acquisition, renovation, equipment or construction);
• board management and crisis management.

Substitute "heritage" for "dance" and "curatorial" for "artistic" and it’s a program that would greatly assist in the long-term sustainability of the heritage sector. Similarly, the Ontario Arts Council has the "Compass" Program (formerly the Consulting, Mentoring and Technical Assistance program). This program came out of the recommendations presented by the Task Force on Arts in the Community, which was co-funded by the Ontario Arts Council and the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation in 1999/2000. The objective of Compass is to help arts organizations increase their self-reliance, capacity building and sustainability, by providing funding assistance to Ontario arts organizations to cover some or all of the costs of providing appropriate experts. Again, nothing for heritage.

Unfortunately, the Flying Squad and Compass programs are not the only ones that exclude heritage organizations from sustainability initiatives. Even the Endowment Incentive Program of the federal Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program excludes heritage organizations in favour of arts organizations so that "those organizations gain access to new and predictable sources of funds." It seems to me that new and predictable sources of funds are a core need of heritage organizations, too. Furthermore, the umbrella program is the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program.

I strongly believe that government has a role in the support of cultural organizations and through direct funding, as well as other tools and resources. However, heritage organizations are clearly disadvantaged in the sustainability funding assistance game. Let’s give all cultural organizations - arts and heritage - the best shot at a healthy, and sustainable, future.

Carrie Brooks-Joiner
President