Financial Leadership for the Arts - by Cleopatra Charles & Margaret F Sloan (Paperback)

About the Book

"This accessible, practical textbook will prepare leaders in the arts to make the best possible decisions for the financial sustainability of their organizations. Designed for individuals without formal training or previous on-the-job experience in nonprofit management or accounting, Financial Leadership for the Arts makes organizational finance simple and clear, freeing creative leaders to do their important work for communities. Governing board leaders, working professionals, and students alike will appreciate clear case studies, as well as the several chapters that examine contemporary challenges and their implications for present and future financial management, program management, and program evaluation. Written by two experts in public affairs and nonprofit leadership with deep experience in teaching and fiscal management, this book provides guidance that will be immediately applicable to arts leaders' work, helping them continue to excel in their creative endeavors-and not only keep the house lights on, but thrive"--

Book Synopsis

This accessible, practical textbook will prepare leaders in the arts to make the best possible decisions for the financial sustainability of their organizations. Designed for individuals without formal training or previous on-the-job experience in nonprofit management or accounting, Financial Leadership for the Arts makes organizational finance simple and clear, freeing creative leaders to do their important work for communities. Governing board leaders, working professionals, and students alike will appreciate clear case studies, as well as the several chapters that examine contemporary challenges and their implications for present and future financial management, program management, and program evaluation.

Written by two experts in public affairs and nonprofit leadership with deep experience in teaching and fiscal management, this book provides guidance that will be immediately applicable to arts leaders' work, helping them continue to excel in their creative endeavors--and not only keep the house lights on, but thrive.

Review Quotes

"A marvelous primer on financial management for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. . . . This outstanding book is one of the most useful publications to appear in recent years in support of the arts and culture sector. It should be on every board member's and staff member's bookshelf. It should be a required textbook in every arts administration educational program."--Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society

"A valuable guide for arts management practitioners and leaders who are seeking to make better and more financially sound decisions. . . . Charles and Sloan have . . . successfully delivered a handbook that should be welcomed by arts leaders."--International Journal of Arts Management

"A well approached, clearly written, welcome addition to the functional but not theoretical literature on arts and cultural management in the United States . . . geared toward new arts leaders but provides valuable advice for many in the field, regardless of tenure. It is practical and should prove imminently and tenaciously useful."--International Journal of Public Administration

"Charles and Sloan move beyond basic financial management principles and pitfalls and introduce broader leadership thinking about ways in which arts leaders engage with and must respond to the numbers and dollars. . . . Financial Leadership for the Arts is a terrific testimony and reminder for my professional-turned-academic colleagues and me of the impact of our financial leadership work in the nonprofit arts community and the value of our lived management experiences in our teaching and scholarship. . . . This book is . . . a gift."--American Journal of Arts Management

"Charles and Sloan provide a valuable examination of the purposes, requirements, and opportunities of financial management in arts-oriented organizations. . . . Recommended. Graduate students, two-year technical students, and professionals."--CHOICE

"Clear, concise, and remarkably accessible. . . . Charles & Sloan have achieved an admirable balancing act. Stripped of the dryness and esoteric jargon that characterizes many financial management and accounting textbooks, the work nonetheless provides a detailed and comprehensive introduction to these topics that underscores their implications for leaders in the arts and culture sector. . . . [J]ust as valuable for arts professionals as it is for instructors seeking to introduce their students to these principles. This text is a must for serious students of arts management."--Voluntas

"Demonstrating their expertise as arts researchers and nonprofit scholars, Charles & Sloan's textbook on cultural sector financial management offers a clear, concise, and remarkably accessible introduction to a topic that many early-career nonprofit administrators often find intimidating. . . . The result . . . is just as valuable for arts professionals as it is for instructors seeking to introduce their students to these principles. This text is a must for serious students of arts management."--Veritas

"Tackling a topic such as financial management with an audience of artists is an ambitious undertaking. Charles & Sloan have embraced the challenge and successfully delivered a handbook that should be welcomed by arts leaders."--International Journal of Arts Management

"The authors have contributed an essential text for students of arts administration and new creative executives entering the arts and culture sector to assess and understand the principles and practice of financial management in this sector through a leadership lens. . . . Financial Leadership for the Arts is a worthy reset for financial literature in the arts/culture sector and a fine addition to arts administration texts for undergraduate and graduate learning."--Nonprofit Voluntary Sector Quarterly

"The reader-friendly structure and essential content . . . make this new publication an indispensable resource. This outstanding book is one of the most useful publications to appear in recent years in support of the arts and culture sector. It should be on every board member's and staff member's bookshelf. It should be a required textbook in every arts administration educational program."--Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society

About the Author

Cleopatra Charles is associate professor at Rutgers University in the School of Public Affairs and Administration.
Margaret F. Sloan is director, professor, and advisor of community and nonprofit leadership at James Madison University.