Business on Board
Business on Board is a dynamic program designed to identify, recruit, train and place a diverse pool of high potential business professionals as board members of Greater Cincinnati arts organizations. The program is managed by the Fine Arts Fund Arts Services, whose staff and volunteers are specialists in supporting arts organizations through programs, people and resources.
Best Suited For: High Potential Employees (HPEs) - employees who are interested in ramping up their philanthropic careers along with their professional careers and who are committed to making a lasting difference within an organization and their community at-large.
Applications: Accepted once per year. 2010 deadline for application is July 15.
Required Addendum(s): Copy of current resume. Please refer to the "2010 Program Fact Sheet" for additional information.
Projects: Post training, candidates are matched with a mid-sized or stable small arts group's board for an observership to give both parties the chance to evaluate the potential for board placement.
Project Scope: Varies, depending on involvement and interest
Training: A mandatory 20-hour training session in the fall. The sessions meet for three hours at a time, approximately every other Tuesday from late September through early December at various locations.
Fee: $300 (typically underwritten by employer) and an additional $300 commitment on the volunteer's part, to go to his/her arts client, should the volunteer be asked to join the board. This donation can be cash, in-kind or any other combination of resources that amount to $300.
Candidate Qualifications
Business on Board for the Arts applicants are business professionals who are motivated, accomplished individuals who show a high potential for leadership. They have a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, the arts and possess a strong desire and interest in learning new skills. Applicants should:
- Possess at least five to ten years experience in their field
- Show a high potential for leadership
- Have a strong desire to give back to the community
- Demonstrate their potential to work well on a team
- Have an interest or passion for the arts
- Be able to devote the necessary time and effort to the program.
Since its inauguration in 2004, the FAF has graduated 150 BoB candidates from a variety of major companies throughout Cincinnati including:
Aflac, Inc.; Business Courier; Champlin Haupt Architects; Children's Hospital; Chiquita Brands Int'l; Convergys; Dinsmore & Shohl; Duke Energy; Ernst & Young; E.W. Scripps Company; Fifth Third Bank; FRCH; GBBN Architects; GE Aviation; Great American insurance; Henkle Schueler and Assoc.; Keating Muething & Klekamp; Johnson Investment Counsel; KPMG; Kroger Company; Mercy Health Partners; Meridian Bioscience, Inc; Merrill Lynch; Messer Construction Co.; P&G; PNC Bank; RiverPoint Capital Management; Taft, Stettinius & Hollister; Thompson Hine; Truepoint Capital; UBS; United Healthcare of Cincinnati; University of Cincinnati; US Bank; and Xerox among others.
About the training
The program is offered during seven sessions for a total of 20 classroom hours in the fall. Comprehensive professional training about non-profit board issues in key areas: staff/board relationships; legal and fiduciary duties; decision-making; fundraising, advocacy; networking and strategic planning; with a special emphasis on arts board leadership.
Post training, an "observership" component of Business on Board provides participants with the opportunity to be matched with an arts client, and thus experience the important functions of a board. This "real life" arts-setting provides an environment in which to incorporate the training program's key learnings and assignments. Follow-up by Arts Services staff to the observership is provided over a two-year period.
2010 Training Schedule:
September 14, 18; October 12, 16; November 9, 16; December 7
All Trainings are 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Fund Offices
2010 Application Deadline and Fees
Applications are due by July 15, 2010.
The class size is limited for Business on Board Candidates.
Fee for participation is $300.
The actual program cost of $1500 is underwritten in part by the Fine Arts Fund endowment income. Scholarships are available on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Arts Services Office to discuss this option.
APPLY to become a member of the next BoB class.
For more information, contact Heather Hallenberg at the Fine Arts Fund, at (513) 871-2787, ext. 28 or hhallenberg@fineartsfund.org
"Fabulous program! I would highly recommend it to any of my peers for leadership development. Thanks to Business on Board, I have a greater appreciation of the arts and its economic impact on the community. My desire to engage and serve my city now, and in the future has been ignited. Thank you for allowing me to participate." - Teresa Hoelle, Infintech LLC, BoB Class IV
