Financial planning and the Chautauqua Foundation took precedence at Wednesday morning’s Chautauqua Board of Trustees Porch Discussion, where Sebastian Baggiano and Geof Follansbee served as speakers.
Last Saturday morning, Cathy Nowosielski, co-chair of the Chautauqua Fund, urged a crowd of Chautauqua Fund volunteers at the Athenaeum Hotel parlor to “capture the Chautauqua moment.”
While the bulk of the content at the Chautauqua Corporation annual meeting centered around the president’s report, the first item of business was presenting Hugh Butler as the Chautauqua Property Owners Association’s nominee for the Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees.
Chautauqua Institution’s sustainability for future generations was at the heart of this week’s Trustees Porch Discussion, on “Chautauqua’s Financial Planning.”
One hundred Chautauqua Fund volunteers roused themselves out of bed early Saturday morning and flocked to the Athenaeum Hotel Parlor to kick the fundraising season into gear. They were joined by Chautauqua Foundation staff and various friends of Chautauqua Institution.
After catching up, the attendees settled down at tables. Yvonne McCredie, co-chair of the annual fund, welcomed veteran volunteers and newcomers alike.
Keeping Chautauqua Institution affordable for visitors while maintaining its facilities and programming is a financial challenge.
Tim Renjilian, a member of the Institution’s board of trustees, and Sebastian Baggiano, Institution treasurer and vice president for finance and community services, discussed bringing more people to the grounds, maintaining affordable prices and philanthropy to improve the sustainability of the Institution during Wednesday’s Trustee Porch Discussion on the Hultquist Center porch.
The board’s challenge is to preserve the Institution’s environment in terms of programming, facilities and affordability, Renjilian said. To ensure that, the board must look at revenues, expenses and capital.
The Chautauquan Daily 