{"id":72831,"date":"2025-07-18T14:15:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/72831\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T14:15:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:15:26","slug":"taca-arts-accelerator-expands-focus-to-mid-size-nonprofits-on-the-cusp-of-significant-transformation-dallas-innovates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/72831\/","title":{"rendered":"TACA Arts Accelerator Expands Focus to Mid-Size Nonprofits on the Cusp of ‘Significant Transformation’ \u00bb Dallas Innovates"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Video screenshot, Bruce Wood Dance Dallas<\/p>\n

The third cohort of TACA\u2019s Arts Accelerator is taking a step up in scale.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After two years focused on small and emerging arts groups, the Dallas arts nonprofit is expanding its learning program to support mid-size organizations ready for their next phase of growth. The 2025\u20132026 cohort includes four Dallas County-based groups: Bruce Wood Dance, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, Shakespeare Dallas, and Texas Winds Musical Outreach.<\/p>\n

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Shakespeare Dallas [Photo: Linda Blase\u0301]<\/p>\n

The organizations are on the \u201cprecipice of significant transformation,\u201d said Maura Sheffler, TACA\u2019s executive director, in a statement. She called the new cohort an investment in a different corner of the arts ecosystem\u2014one with the potential to create ripple effects throughout Dallas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the Arts Accelerator matures, we look to a future where we can support a wide range of arts organizations as they chart their path forward,\u201d Sheffler said.<\/p>\n

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TACA Executive Director Maura Sheffler [Photo: Gary Donihoo]<\/p>\n

The TACA Arts Accelerator, launched in 2023, is designed to strengthen leadership and business capacity in the arts sector. Past cohorts have included nonprofits in their early years or in the midst of transitions. The newly reimagined third cohort focuses on arts groups with experienced leadership, established programs, and the kinds of challenges that come with organizations ready to scale.<\/p>\n

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Suzanne Smith, founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects [File photo]<\/p>\n

Built in collaboration with Suzanne Smith of Social Impact Architects, the program\u2019s content is grounded in the \u201cflywheel effect\u201d concept from Jim Collins\u2019 Good to Great. For nonprofits, that translates to a model of sustainable momentum\u2014tightening operations, improving performance, and boosting fundraising, audience development, and board engagement as interconnected parts of a long-term strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cTACA has cracked the code of capacity-building for emerging arts groups,\u201d Smith said. She described the Accelerator as a true learning community, designed to deliver \u201creal, sustainable growth\u201d instead of one-and-done workshops.<\/p>\n

The shift comes on the heels of the second cohort\u2019s completion in May. That group\u2014The Cedars Union, kNOwBOX dance, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Over the Bridge Arts, Representa, and The Writer\u2019s Garret\u2014created strategic plans to guide their next three to five years. Each received a $5,000 grant to support implementation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never felt more confident in meeting with potential partners and board members,\u201d said Lori Sundeen Soderbergh, executive and artistic director of Over the Bridge Arts. She credited the program with giving her a three-year roadmap and clear talking points to communicate her organization\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

TACA\u2014short for The Arts Community Alliance\u2014is a Dallas-based nonprofit that supports and funds a broad spectrum of local arts organizations. The current cohort is supported by Communities Foundation of Texas and the Sapphire Foundation.<\/p>\n

GALLERY
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The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra rehearses for their season opening concert in 2023 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas. [Photo: Jeffrey McWhorter]<\/p>\n

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Studio photograph of Bruce Wood Dance company [Photo: Kent Barker]<\/p>\n

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Texas Winds Musical Outreach [Photo via TACA]<\/p>\n

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