Practical Grant Writing & Fundraising Strategies
Posted OnSeptember 8, 2025 bySESSION DESCRIPTION Securing sustainable funding is essential for keeping free, live music thriving in your community. This 75-minute virtual workshop, led by fundraising expert Joanna Drew of Hilo Consulting, provided practical strategies to strengthen your fundraising and grant writing efforts. Participants explored the current funding landscape, assessed grant readiness, and learned approaches to research, storytelling,…Read More…
Creating Accessible Marketing Strategies
Posted OnAugust 6, 2025 bySESSION DESCRIPTION Planning accessible concerts is just the beginning; ensuring that people with disabilities are aware of and feel welcomed at these events is equally essential. This practical workshop, led by accessibility expert Elizabeth Ralston, delved into the importance of accessible marketing for free, outdoor concerts. Participants explored strategies to enhance accessibility across websites, social…Read More…
HEALING FORWARD™: Designing for an Equitable Future
Posted OnApril 15, 2025 bySESSION DESCRIPTION Co-created by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Rika Iino, HEALING FORWARD™ is a lively workshop that engages cultural leaders to think structurally about equity. Utilizing their unique framework, this program supports leaders and organizations in their journey toward an equitable future. Since its launch in June of 2021, HEALING FORWARD™ has impacted 70+ organizations…Read More…
Spinning Straw into Gold, PART II: Responding to Microaggressions
Posted OnNovember 20, 2024 bySESSION DESCRIPTION Recognizing microaggressions is one thing—responding to them is another. When microaggressions are left unaddressed or addressed badly, both safety and trust wear down. In this 90-minute application-focused workshop, participants learned and practiced tools for addressing microaggressions in ways that build shared understanding, repair trust, and prevent future harm. There was also a short review of basic content…Read More…
Spinning Straw into Gold, PART I: Microaggressions as Teachable Moments
Posted OnSeptember 25, 2024 bySESSION DESCRIPTION Microaggressions are common, small-scale insults that are often unintentional, but have a significant impact on those receiving them that builds up over time. Left unaddressed, repeated microaggressions erode safety and trust in any environment. In this interactive and engaging 90-minute workshop, participants learned to recognize unintentional microaggressions, understand microaggressions in the context of systemic inequality, and began to…Read More…
Embrace AI for Nonprofit Impact
Posted OnAugust 14, 2024 bySESSION DESCRIPTION This workshop was designed to educate nonprofit leaders about AI and its implications for their work. With the growing discussions on equity, representation, and collaboration in AI initiatives, gaining fluency on these issues and a working knowledge of these tools is critical. In this 90-minute workshop, we explored AI and its relevance to…Read More…
Addressing Implicit Bias
Posted OnJuly 8, 2024 bySession Description Despite our best intentions, we all have biases and are susceptible to stereotypes. Implicit biases live deep in our subconscious and provide information on almost every facet of our lives. In this session, Reverend Dr. Bryant T. Marks, Sr. led a highly engaging and interactive discussion on how implicit bias manifests itself in…Read More…
Inclusive Engagement Practices with Individuals Experiencing Homelessness – Part II
Posted OnJune 25, 2024 bySession Description This virtual workshop continued the conversation about how to engage with the unhoused population in your area while bringing outdoor concerts to life. Topics included community care, harm reduction and overdose prevention, de-escalation strategies, and more. Resources Inclusive Engagement Workbook – Part II (PDF) Presenter Rene Jemio is a seasoned homeless services…Read More…
Inclusive Engagement Practices with Individuals Experiencing Homelessness – Part I
Posted OnJune 25, 2024 bySession Description This virtual workshop provided insights about how to engage with the unhoused population in your area while bringing outdoor concerts to life. Topics included community care, harm reduction and overdose prevention, de-escalation strategies, and more. Resources Inclusive Engagement Workbook – Part I (PDF) Presenter Rene Jemio is a seasoned homeless services professional…Read More…
Understanding Implicit Bias & Practicing Equity and Anti-Racism
Posted OnJune 24, 2024 bySession Description What does it mean to practice equity and to be anti-racist? This session unpacked the complexity of white supremacy and white privilege in the United States. We discussed how these dynamics can show up in ourselves and in our work, and what we can do to build a concert series that is more…Read More…