History of the Awards

by Jennifer DeDominicis Of late, many organizations have been in the thick of reporting back to funders about the work they have undertaken as part of a Future Focus-funded project. Let’s be honest - reporting is typically thought of as a requirement, something a funded organization has to do for compliance and something necessary for future eligibility. Funders are generally clear that reporting helps them to better understand your experience and impact, but also learn abou

The Growing Importance of Cybersecurity In today's digital age, arts organizations are increasingly relying on online ticketing, donor databases, and cloud-based collaboration tools. While these digital tools enhance efficiency and accessibility, they also introduce significant cybersecurity risks. Recent incidents in the nonprofit and arts sectors have highlighted the vulnerabilities organizations face, including phishing attacks, data breaches, and system disruptions. The c

As part of the Future Focus program guidelines, we talk about organizations being “curious about how to anticipate or encounter challenges they face.” Truthfully, anticipating and encountering are somewhat gentler terms than many organizations use to share the circumstances they are facing. In conversations I have with arts managers, we often speak of urgency or a need to respond to a new or persistent challenge that demands their time and attention. Curiosity in these circ

by Jennifer DeDominicis, Organizational Strategy Advisor Core to the Future Focus Program’s ethos is supporting learning to facilitate a shift or change that organizations hope to undertake. When you apply, there’s an entire section of the application about learning and outcomes. But here’s the rub – learning, especially learning as it relates to change, doesn’t necessarily happen in straight or predictably sequential lines. In this way, learning towards a desired outcome in

by Ayla Stephen Introduction to Future-Focused Work Over the past year, Jennifer DeDominicis and I have engaged in numerous insightful...

In 2022, the Rozsa Foundation, Calgary Arts Development, and the Calgary Foundation jointly developed the Future Focus funding program to...

The current operating context for arts organizations has brought about considerable questions and challenges for arts leaders, from...