An Interview With David Gray, Executive Director of The Pennsylvania Ballet and Speaker for the upcoming NJ Nonprofit Event

Don’t Miss David Gray, Executive Director of The Pennsylvania Ballet present at The Lessons From The Leaders Event For Sophisticated & Growing Nonprofits! David is a well known speaker and leader in the nonprofit community and his style is entertaining, informative, straight-forward and a LOT of fun!

Can you tell us how you became Executive Director of The Pennsylvania Ballet?

DG: ”The job came to me as a result of having built a reputation and networking (with perhaps more of an emphasis on networking!). Over the years I have accepted many low- or –no- paying opportunities to give talks or Board presentations and while some have not led to paying work, others have!”

What top management strategies do you recommend for arts & culture organizations? Do they Differ from other nonprofits?

DG: “As a nonprofit leader I would argue that the real skill is to build a strong team and get out of their way. I want people who want to grow and learn. If you want to put in your 8 hours and collect a paycheck you should probably work elsewhere. That advice is true for all sorts of nonprofits. Also, I would suggest that tackling the ugly stuff is what leaders get paid for.”

What does it mean to be an “Ambassador” for a nonprofit?

DG: ”I consider the ambassadorial role to be similar to a US ambassador overseas… you may personally have issues with a particular US policy but you keep that to yourself and go out and represent the best of the Country… A Board member’s role is similar… disagree all you want in the Board room but once a decision is made either get behind it or get off the Board. If you can’t go out to your friends and the world at large and talk about the organization with pride, you shouldn’t be on the Board.”

Are there any new trends in the industry that we should be aware of?

DG: I think we are all still figuring out how to address the emphasis on measurable results… especially in the arts where it is hard to translate ethereal and transformative emotional responses to art into numbers. The increasing focus on entrepreneurial philanthropy, using the skills of the entrepreneurial manager to run nonprofits, rather than the more traditional social service mindset, is disrupting many areas, or at least causing discomfort among many more traditional organizations.”

Do you have advice on how to invest in technology tools to make sure your nonprofit is effectively engaging the community?

DG: “I’m less focused on the tools and more on the goals… where I am today the focus for a long time had been on disseminating the information we wanted to send… like asking folks to buy tickets… without much research on our audience or on how those messages were being received. We’ve been working very hard to get to know our audience and create two-way communication so they aren’t just hearing from us but we get to hear from them.”

What is the most important “tip” or piece of advice you would share with a newly formed nonprofit?

DG: “If they have already formed it is already too late! Seriously, so many nonprofits are formed that are unnecessary because people don’t know what other options exist or get their egos caught up in having to have their own thing. For example, you can often find a “fiscal sponsor” which will allow you to funnel charitable donations through their books so you don’t need the burden of your own 501c3 to do good works. And scan the community and see who else has a passion for your cause, maybe a partnership is a viable option without having to start from scratch. But if you have already formed, I would say run (don’t walk) to get one of the books on Nonprofit Lifecycles. This concept, that organizations go through stages of development that are recognizable, definable, and have specific addressable issues and challenges helps keep you focused on what you can and cannot expect from your start-up organization. I found these insights to be invaluable in the early days of my leadership development.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DAVID GRAY’S INTERVIEW ON TALENTED PEOPLE

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL NONPROFIT - LESSONS FROM THE LEADERS

The Palace at Somerset Park
333 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ
Thursday, October 8, 2015
8:30 am - 2:45 pm

Over the period of six hours and while earning CEU credits, attendees will learn:

• How to better brand, differentiate and communicate
• Creative and innovative solutions for fundraising
• How philanthropists make decisions on their charities
• About forming boards and leadership improvement
• How to manage donations and making that money work for the organization
• About creating loyalty from donors, volunteers and the community

Registration is available here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/lessons-from-the-leaders-what-makes-a-successful-nonprofit-tickets-17480682191