Forging Paths Forward with a First-Time Executive Director

Every organization eventually faces a moment of transition.

A change in leadership, a shift in strategy, or a gap where institutional knowledge used to be. 

For Vibe Arts—a charity dedicated to providing arts education and artistic mentorship to the next generation of creatives—that moment came when a first-time Executive Director, Golshan, stepped into the role and inherited not just a mandate, but a long list of funder relationships, a Board of Directors, and incredible programs built over years that were about to complete multi-year funding.

So what made the difference? 

Forward Avenue's relationship with Vibe Arts spans more than six years, predating Forward Avenue itself. And from the beginning, what set the partnership apart wasn't just fundraising expertise, but how “Betty and her team knew the funders, knew the board, and knew which flags to raise before they became fires.” 

Together, it wasn’t just a transition, but a building on the momentum already there. 

Over the course of Golshan’s first year, Forward Avenue helped Vibe secure some of its most significant funding wins, sustained multi-year corporate funding, and deepened relationships with new foundations. Forward Avenue's strength in stewarding  a large portfolio of corporate and foundation funding relationships  made it easy for Vibe's new leadership to walk into high-stakes meetings with confidence. Meanwhile, a collaborative approach to growing fee-for-service revenue has helped the organization diversify and strengthen its strategic foundation for the future.

To get to this point wasn't without its challenges. Questions arose about how to fill funding gaps and staff roles, how to navigate a board of directors as a first-time ED, and how to keep funding momentum alive through so much organizational change. Forward Avenue met each of these moments with what Golshan described as "patience, reciprocity, and grace… Space to be confused, make mistakes, and learn." 

When asked what she'd say to a leader considering Forward Avenue, Golshan didn't hesitate: "Do it. Sign up now. But [Forward Avenue] don't grow too big and leave us!" She also reflected that hiring a consultant can make staff nervous. Through Golshan’s eyes, “it provides a layer of entrepreneurial spirit that is driven for us both to succeed.”

Together, with Golshan and the team, we secured multiyear funding for Indigenous artist mentorship, partnerships for school arts education and summer programs, and launched a 30th anniversary monthly giving program.

For growth oriented leaders who are excited by the possibilities of change, our team at Forward Avenue is ready to work with you and your organizations to transform fundraising from an afterthought to an embodied, sustained practice.

Looking to make a transformation with your organization's fundraising? Book a discovery call here

Learn more about VIBE Arts at https://vibearts.ca/