Maui Arts & Cultural Center
Kahului, Maui, Hawaii

A 7-year relationship.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center opened in 1994 as a $33 million performing and visual arts center. Today, it hosts over 1,400 events a year with an attendance of 220,000 on an island of 120,000 residents. It nurtures local artists and groups, presents national and internationally-renowned artists, and boasts one of the strongest education programs in the country.

1998 Organizational assessment and planning. In March 1998, Halsey and Alice North conducted a fundraising assessment to position The Center to undertake an endowment and deferred gifts campaign successfully. Through Interviews with staff, board, other key volunteers, donors, and politicians, they learned that, first, The Center needed to reinvigorate the original passion the founders had when they built The Center. Subsequently, off site and, in October 1998 on site, the Norths worked with Chris Cowan, then the new President & CEO (808-572-7736, ccowan@maui.net), her staff, board, and key volunteer leaders to create a long-term vision and plan of action for The Center that would energize programs and community outreach, strengthen the staff/board teamwork, get everyone moving in the same direction, cultivate ownership among The Center's funders and constituents, enhance earned and contributed income, and pave the way to pay off long-term debt, attract new operating, capital, and endowment funding, and re-invigorate and expand the staff and board.

2000 Strategic planning, staff/board retreats, and facility master planning. To launch the development of a second 3-year plan, the Norths facilitated first a staff and then a board retreat to create a 20-year vision for The Center and its role in life on Maui and a 3-year plan to fulfill the vision.

Out of this process, the board appointed a Facilities Master Plan Committee to create a 20-year Facilities Master Plan. The Committee recommended approximately $8 million in new construction to help The Center generate more earned income, operate in a more cost-effective manner, be more accessible and user-friendly, and better support The Center's mission and program commitments.

2001 Fundraising feasibility study. The Norths worked with Chris Cowan and Karen Fischer, Managing Director (now President & CEO, 808-242-2787, karen@mauiarts.org), to develop a case for support that outlined the long-term facility and endowment needs of The Center. The Norths helped set the criteria for who would be interviewed, helped identify prospective leadership donors who might be cultivated during the interview process, and subsequently conducted 45 confidential face-to-face interviews with 61 community leaders. They then wrote a 74-page report that outlined their findings of donor perceptions about The Center, its staff, board, programs, and the case for support. The report outlined how much the Center could raise at that time and what the Center could do to increase its fundraising capacity.

April 2003 Third set of staff/board retreats and strategic planning. Building on the success of the first two 3-year plans (each implemented in less than 3 years!), the Norths helped plan for and facilitate staff/board retreats focused on strengthening the staff, presenting, and programs.

2001-2005 Capital and endowment campaign. In November 2001, the $15,852,983 capital and endowment campaign was launched. The Norths helped: structure and recruit the Campaign Leadership Team, develop systems for prospect identification and research, strengthen staff and board fundraising focus and efforts, conceptualize and create campaign materials, conduct volunteer leadership training, facilitate meetings, write a successful application for a $750,000 Kresge grant, and gain national recognition for the excellence of its presenting and educational programs. The Center completed the campaign successfully at the end of 2005. With the funds raised from this campaign, a Gift for Generations to Come, The Center will be better able to serve its community with enhanced facilities and services as well as strengthened support of its ongoing programs and operations.

After the Campaign Meeting December 3, 2004 (left to right): Halsey North, Susan Graham, Helen MacArthur, Anne Carter, Honey Bun Haynes, Deborah Peterson, Dorvin Leis, Chris Cowan, Kahulu Maluo-Huber, John Baldwin, Karen Fischer, Alice North, and Masaru "Pundy" Yokouchi.