When board and staff of The Music Man Foundation shifted from funding immediate needs to focusing on long-term systemic change, the foundation went all-in. Engaging partners in open-ended conversations revealed opportunities to integrate music and the arts into the nation's fabric in new and permanent ways. The foundation chose one of these big ideas - the significant opportunity to embed music and the arts into the nation's healthcare practices, and committed itself. Executive Director Sarah Lyding shares how her staff and board pursued a strategy embracing convening, advocacy, and multi-year general operating support to advance the goal and build a new field of practice. Learn how a lean foundation can help drive big change with a razor-sharp focus, and the creative application of its unique powers.
Sarah Lyding is the founding Executive Director of The Music Man Foundation. Driven by the arts’ capacity to build empathy and promote understanding of diverse viewpoints, she has spent her entire career working in arts administration. Previously, she was Executive Director for The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation.
