How the Education Programs at the Fleisher Art Memorial Survived and Thrived through the Recession of 2008: A Case Study

This thesis examines the specific organizational elements that caused the Fleisher Art Memorialâs education programs to survive and thrive through the Great Recession of 2008. The methodology for the paper was to interview individuals that represented vital roles for the organization. By interviewing individuals holding different roles within Fleisher, I was able to affect a 360 degree view. Fleisher Art Memorial was an organization that stood out during the recession of 2008. Their new, strong leadership allowed them to refocus their mission to become more engaged with the community. Fleisherâs restructuring of their board and staff encouraged more productivity and renewed energy within the organization and it translated to those in the community. They not only were able to redesign their membership and programming but they improved the quality and made registration more steam lined and catered to the student body. By breaking down organization models and leadership techniques as well as education programming in this organization, I better understood the new techniques for nonprofits to sustain their educational programming for future generations through the difficult economic time.M.S., Arts Administration -- Drexel University, 201