Our Projects
Strategy & Planning
Goldsmith Strategies draws on our more than 35 years of experience as leaders in the arts and culture sector to guide other leaders navigating a wide range of challenges and opportunities. We walk side-by-side with nonprofit boards, chief executives, and senior management teams to develop and implement strategies designed to increase impact and transform organizations. Our consultants bring an objective perspective and outside voice that can help leaders communicate more effectively with stakeholders, overcome barriers, and move things forward in ways that might not be possible internally.
OUR PROJECTS HAVE INCLUDED
LEADING
national coalition- and relationship-building through understanding and empowerment with El Sistema USA and Equity Arc to institutionalize a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive.
FACILITATING
strategic planning, in partnership with WolfBrown, for the Office for the Arts at Harvard to develop a compelling vision and dynamic programs in which the arts can be central to the undergraduate experience.
SUPPORTING
legacy institutions such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Handel + Haydn Society in identifying and addressing systemic barriers preventing access for non-dominant cultural groups.
CONDUCTING
a feasibility study, commissioned by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to launch Boston BEAM, a regional collective supporting young musicians of underrepresented populations who aspire to careers in classical music.
PROVIDING
organizational and operational audits and assessments, including DEI audit and strategic thought partnership for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, as well as assessments for Moody Center for the Arts and Caramoor Center for Music and Arts.
BUILDING
new departments for New England Conservatory, including the Department of Cultural Equity and Diversity and Department of Expanded Education.
Fundraising & Philanthropy
We have led annual fund and capital campaigns of up to $150 million,
A common saying in the not-for-profit world is “no money, no mission.” The principals of Goldsmith Strategies have been on both sides of the table.
In our roles as founders, front-line fundraisers, and board members, we
know first-hand what it takes to sustain and grow organizations. We have
led annual fund and capital campaigns of up to $150 million, helping open the doors of significant international cultural complexes, such as the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center and the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of the Land of Israel.
At the same time, we are actively involved in philanthropic endeavors,
helping organizations such as MacArthur Foundation’s Culture, Equity and the Arts in Chicago and initiatives such as Chicago’s Cultural Treasures to identify, assess, and distribute more than $50 million over the last 15 years.
We support nonprofit professionals, foundation executives, board members, and philanthropists in their efforts to acquire or distribute funds with greater impact.
Talent Management
Amid the ongoing “Great Resignation,” organizations are undergoing significant employee turnover. We help organizations to see, think, and act differently as it relates to attracting, assessing, retaining, or exiting talent — whether creatives, staff, board, or volunteers. While we are not recruiters per se, we meet clients where they are and offer outsourced hiring support as an alternative to traditional or retained executive search. We lend hands to new leaders seeking an objective outside assessment of their team’s individual and collective strengths and weaknesses. We also help organizations establish or install best hiring and performance management practices.
Leadership Development
Together with WolfBrown, Goldsmith Strategies also co-hosts a four-day arts leadership retreat in beautiful Midcoast Maine. The retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for chief executives in the arts to come together, share experiences, and learn from one another and from experts in the field.
LEARN MORE
Passionate about developing and supporting leaders in the field, Goldsmith Strategies regularly works with individuals and groups seeking career and professional development support. We previously worked with Sphinx Organization to design and launch its SphinxLEAD program, serve on the faculty of the Global Leaders Institute’s MBA in Arts Innovation program, and have supported various mentorship programs at Princeton University, including the PUMP Mentoring Program, Career Chats, and Princeton Internships in Civic Service.