The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County and the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland recently announced the launch of a year-long training and consultation program for 10 cultural nonprofits in Palm Beach County. Building on a strong platform of training previously conducted by the Council, the Palm Beach County Arts Accelerator is driven by a singular outcome: to optimize 10 institutions for new investment from both the public and private sectors. Focusing on organizations that are preparing to undertake a major fundraising effort, the Arts Accelerator will support organizations in their effort to identify strengths, liabilities, and needs in respect to their campaign. A mix of in-person training and one-on-one, in-depth consultation will ready participants to implement their efforts while maintaining organizational stability. The program is offered free of charge to participants, underwritten by two generous gifts: one from The Donald M. Ephraim Cultural Leadership Fund, and a second from Suzanne L. Niedland.

“Palm Beach County is one of our nation’s most vibrant and vital cultural ecologies. Its organizations function as a powerful driver of economic and social equity,” said Brett Egan, President of the DeVos Institute, “and we are honored to have been invited by the Cultural Council to work alongside its team to support the vision and ambition of 10 game-changing institutions.”

The following 10 organizations were selected as participants in the Palm Beach County Arts Accelerator and training begins September 2018:

• Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
• Boca Ballet Theatre
• Boca Raton Museum of Art
• Center for Creative Education
• Historical Society of Palm Beach County
• Loggerhead Marinelife Center
• Loxahatchee River Historical Society, Inc.
• Maltz Jupiter Theatre
• South Florida Science Center and Aquarium
• Young Singers of the Palm Beaches, Inc.

“Building capacity within the arts and cultural sector is imperative for Palm Beach County,” said philanthropist and Cultural Council board member, Don Ephraim. “The Arts Accelerator program offers sophisticated training in nonprofit fundamentals and customized training that will have a significant impact on these organizations.”

The Arts Accelerator program was open to all eligible organizational members of the Cultural Council through a competitive application process. Criteria included timeliness of campaign; organizational awareness; fundraising practices; program readiness; distinct goals for engagement; and a commitment from the board and staff leadership to support and participate in this process.

“The training offered to the community at large, along with individualized consultation and support for participating organizations, offers an invaluable opportunity for organizations to plan and implement their fundraising strategies. I am proud to play a part in the Arts Accelerator program,” said Suzanne Niedland, member of both the Cultural Council board and the DeVos Institute Advisory Council.

Learn more about the Arts Accelerator and the Cultural Council’s Institute for Cultural Advancement at palmbeachculture.com/institute.