NEWS FROM
Your LBC
JANUARY 2022
GREETING 2022 WITH REFLECTION AND RESOLVE
Like most of the rest of the planet, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts approached 2022 with reflection and resolve. Reflection on a pandemic’s power to alter our way of life. Resolve in the way we have learned over the years to respond to alarm and uncertainty with intention and good citizenship. Fifteen years ago, LBC’s board and leadership embarked on an ambitious strategic plan to meet the promise of its vision and mission. The goal: build resilience into the institution by targeting specific commitments and investments in its people, programs, and performances. Resilience, they knew, would ensure your support is protected and long lasting. It would ensure the longevity of Your LBC. Since that time, we have faced a recession, wildfire damage, and a pandemic. With each and every blow, that resilience we accumulated over the years allowed us to leap to our feet and continue making strides to carry out our mission. While reasserting our culture of philanthropy, we raised more than $10 million to improve accessibility throughout our buildings. We expanded access to arts education with scholarships and increased low-cost programs for students and families as well as professional development for teachers and teaching artists. We brought visual arts, dance, and mariachi camps into local neighborhoods. We broadened our range of performance genres, highlighting various cultural experiences. More Recently . . . Within a month of closing due to the pandemic, we were back with virtual and on-demand programming. We launched an eye-catching brand refresh to amplify all that we offer in the arts across schools, homes, and stages. On top of that, we proudly earned a William & Flora Hewlett Foundation grant of $50,000 to continue to reinforce our organizational effectiveness. And our board, staff, and volunteers completed an intensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program, which invited self-reflection and conversation about what we are doing to improve the experience of being and belonging in this community.
20 22
At the beginning of a new year, we look ahead with even more resolve to keep to our schedule of strategic goals. Here are just a few of our 2022 resolutions: To strengthen our connection to the community, we will: • Launch an Arts Education Training Academy for aspiring teaching artists and college students • Plan public programming that addresses gaps in arts and entertainment To fortify our structure and staff, we plan to: • Hire an HR/DEI manager and continue DEI discussion sessions, coaching, and training • Grow the Board from 17 voting members to 20 To reinforce our financial stability so that we are viable for the future, we will: • Plan for $1 million in multi-year growth of repeatable contributed operating expenses
• Launch an endowment program targeting $10 million in outright gifts and $10 million in legacy commitments by 2026 In times of stress and unpredictability, many of us look to community and the arts to be resilient, to gather strength, and to remember our best selves. You can count on LBC to continue to advocate for the arts in our schools, in our homes, and on our stages. With resilience and innovation, we will keep a pulse on our region to support its needs for community, expression, and growth.