Practice Areas

This Is What We Love To Do.


We provide organizational strategy informed by a combination of analytic rigor, field knowledge and perspective, independent judgment, and practical experience. MCE walks with you on a journey to discover how to create change and take your organizational and operational efforts to the next level. Our clients have included New England Foundation for the Arts, Dance/USANational Arts Strategies, The Heinz Endowments, and more.


Strategy

Operational Assessment. Program Evaluation. Executive Recruiting.


Growth

Development Assessment. Donor Prospecting.


Innovation

Program Design. Evaluation Workshops. Grant Monitoring.


Advising

Strategic Facilitation. Leadership Development.

Organizational Strategy


Operational Assessment

 

Do you need an objective eye to help you review and assess your organization’s current priorities, operations and effectiveness? Have an operational assessment done on your organization.

 

What will you learn?
  • Factors contributing to your success
  • Barriers or hurdles to your success
  • Stakeholder perceptions
  • Opportunities for growth

Targeted Audience: Artists, Grantmakers, Arts and Culture Administrators and Arts Organizations

Program Evaluation

 

Wondering about the impact of your program’s efforts? Program evaluations are designed to help you reflect on the impact of your programs and identify ways to refine your efforts for the future.

 

What will you learn?
  • How to set priorities and work toward common goals
  • Focus your energy and resources
  • Strengthen operations
  • Refine your program identity or strategy
  • Identify realistic performance measures for your program goals

Targeted Audience: Artists, Arts and Culture Administrators and Arts Organizations

Executive Recruiting

 

Do you need to hire your next executive director or senior leader? Do you want a reimagined process that prioritizes your strategic direction and capacity building needs?  Are you concerned about how to ensure that the search is equitable and just? MCE can help you build critical capacity by identifying qualified and mission-aligned leaders. For our team, recruitment is more than merely filling a vacancy. It is a collaborative learning experience that strengthens organizational culture and process.

 

What will you learn?
  • Ways to balance qualitative and quantitative data to ensure that your ideal candidates possess the skills and experience to excel in the role and fit your organization’s culture, team, and community
  • New techniques to strengthen talent acquisition and retention to advance your organization’s mission, values, and practice
  • Key insights to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring process

Targeted Audience: Arts Service Organizations, Arts Nonprofit Organizations, Performing Arts Centers

Growth


Development Assessment 

 

Who should you target for financial support? We learn a bit about your organization. We use those insights to research potential funders to support your efforts. Then we help you set realistic fundraising goals.

 

What will you learn?
  • Names of funders aligned with your mission and vision
  • Grantmaker funding patterns for your discipline and/or organizational need
  • Philanthropic motivations
  • Funding calendar and plan

Targeted Audience: Artists, Arts and Culture Administrators and Arts Organizations

Donor Prospecting

 

Now that I know my target for financial support, how do I get to them? We design a strategy to support and achieve your fundraising goals.

 

What will you receive?
  • A strategy and timeline for increasing your donor base

Targeted Audience: Artists, Arts and Culture Administrators and Arts Organizations

“Without the arts, without music, without dance, without drama, without photography, the civil rights movement would have been like a bird without wings.”

~John Lewis

Innovation


Program Design

 

Need help designing a new or existing program? Let us provide sound advice to help facilitate your planning process.

 

What will you receive?
  • Thought leadership
  • Ways to evaluate your success
  • Project coordination support

Targeted Audience: Artists, Grantmakers, Arts and Culture Administrators and Arts Organizations

Evaluation Workshops

 

Looking for ways to build capacity and facilitate communications across several systems? Have us come in and support your efforts.

 

What you will receive?
  • Skills Training

Targeted Audience: Artists, Grantmakers, Arts and Culture Administrators and Arts Organizations

Grant Monitoring

 

Are you looking for ways to determine the efficacy of your grant programs? Do you want to ensure that your measures for success are in alignment with your funded projects? Do you want to test your existing success measures?

 

What you will learn?
  • Grantee Progress and Success
  • Grantee Barriers to Success
  • Ways to refine your performance measurement indicators

Targeted Audience: Grantmakers

Advising


Strategic Facilitation

 

Looking for an innovative and strategic way to approach your work? In need of an objective thought partner to assist with bringing your ideas to life?  Let’s work together to envision what this looks like.

 

What you will receive?
  • Tough Questions to Support Your Thought Process
  • Potential Blindspots in Your Strategy
  • Guiding Probes to Determine Planning Steps

Targeted Audience: Leaders from Nonprofits, For-Profits, Government Agencies

Leadership Development

 

Do you need some support navigating your career? Are you continuing to run into the same challenges but aren’t quite sure why?

 

What you will receive?
  • Targeted Inquiry About Your Goals and Aspirations
  • Reflection Exercises to Explore Your Potential Blindspots
  • Assistance and Guidance to Support Your Career Journey

 

Targeted Audience: Early Career Arts Professionals