Almost a year ago, something happened at SOMArts … I didn’t realize at the time, but it was the beginning of a movement I now call the “Shaping Up On A Shoestring Movement.” Someone who came to SOMArts for Day of the Dead exhibition contacted me, he was part of the National Council on Aging and worked with their employment training program.
Like most SOMArts opportunities, this one came about as the result of the NCOA’s contact with a friendly and inspiring staff member. SOMArts needed someone to monitor our galleries and the NCOA provided Lynne, whose role quickly expanded to include reception and administrative support.
Around the same time, a client of SOMArts suggested that we look into Philanthropy by Design, a charitable organization that connects a network of design industry professionals with community benefit organizations and saves tons of furniture from the landfill through creative reuse. Caroline Ranere of Ranere Design Group donated her time and talent to transform the SOMArts lobby, clean up our office spaces and create a more functional and welcoming workspace.
As we were cleaning and painting, we realized that although we had lots of volunteers at different times throughout the year, we didn’t have a way to track their time or interests so that we could make the best use of their skills. We also weren’t keeping track of all the volunteer time that was donated and relied upon as an essential resource for our organization. I remembered an article published on Blue Avocado, Tracking Volunteer Time To Boost Your Bottom Line, and we used the templates from that article to start building up a real volunteer program. We reached out to the California College of the Arts Center for Art and Public Life and applied for a student to work as our Communications and Community Outreach Fellow. Staff members Deb Bok and Rene Yanez held volunteer orientations to help introduce new volunteers to the opportunities at SOMArts. We attended the Volunteer Center’s Board Match to connect with people who were interested in donating their skills as Board Members for nonprofits. We applied to Rebuilding Together and they brought more than 50 volunteers from The Belden Club to repaint our theater and Bay Gallery during National Volunteer Week (they even put photos of the day on their website). Amber Hasselbring of the Mission Greenbelt Project guided our growing volunteer team to revive our garden. Project 20 volunteers helped repair our floors and deejay at art openings. Curator & Gallery Director Justin Hoover developed internship descriptions for the gallery and reached out to local university programs to help develop the Ramp Gallery in our new lobby and prepare for exhibit installations.
Less than a year later, we’ve partnered with over fifteen organizations and logged more than 2,000 volunteer hours. More importantly, we’ve made significant improvements that will benefit all of the arts and community-building cultural groups who depend on SOMArts and expanded a fun, diverse community of individuals who believe in our mission. Getting strategic about our repair and maintenance efforts means that more donations directly support our programs, and that our donors can feel confident that every dollar they give is going as far as it can. (in case I am being too subtle this is a PITCH to donate to SOMArts—it’s worth it!)
When I think back, the most amazing thing about our little shaping up on a shoestring movement is how easy it was to undertake these projects and how much we got in return for our efforts. In-kind volunteer and employment programs saved SOMArts many thousands of dollars this year and all it took was small, intentional, progressive changes over the course of a year. The organizations (who I’ve linked to for the benefit of other arts managers who might read this) were without exception excited to work with arts organizations, and those of us who work at SOMArts made new friends who are full of great suggestions and enthusiasm.
If you live in the area and haven’t been to SOMArts in a while, there is a beautiful exhibit in the Main Gallery right now: (Re-)CLAIM, an exhibition by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. And next Saturday is a fundraiser to support SNAG (Seventh Native American Generation) youth in attending the Allied Media Conference. There will be a skateboard art exhibit, vendors, drumming, Pomo dancers, Mohawk acoustic soul music, LOTS of other music and dancing, visual art and good food. It will be a very fun time for a very good cause.
