Aaron Dworkin | Rosetta Thurman

Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow and Member of the Obama National Arts Policy Committee, Aaron P. Dworkin is the Founder and President of the Sphinx Organization, the leading national arts organization that focuses on youth development and diversity in classical music. An author, social entrepreneur, artist-citizen and an avid youth education advocate, he has received extensive national recognition for his vast accomplishments. He has been featured in People Magazine, on NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News with Brian Williams, CNN’s Airport Network-Innovator Series and Anderson Cooper 360°, named one of Newsweek’s 15 People Who Make America Great , NPR’s The Story and Performance Today (over 2 million listenership), in addition to articles in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Detroit News and Free Press, Washington Post, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Emerge and Jet Magazines and many other media outlets. He is the recipient of the National Governors Association 2005 Distinguished Service to State Government Award, Detroit Symphony’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, 2003 Michiganian of the Year, Crain’s 40 Under 40 and Who’s Who Awards, BET’s History Makers in the Making Award, AT&T Excellence in Education Award, University of Michigan’s African-American Alumni Council’s 5 Under 10 Award, “Entrepreneur Of The Year” award by the National Black MBA Association-Detroit Chapter, and Interlochen Arts Academy’s 2003 Path of Inspiration Award.

Mr. Dworkin authored and self-published an autobiographical poetry collection entitled “They Said I Wasn’t Really Black” as well as a children’s book entitled “The 1st Adventure of Chilli Pepperz”. His writings have been featured in Symphony Magazine, Polyphonic.org, Andante, an on-line music industry magazine and others. He has contributed to the first English edition of Superior Bowing Technique, a treatise by legendary violinist Lucien Capet, and authored the foreword to William Grant Still’s Violin Collection published by WGS Music. Mr. Dworkin founded and served as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Bard, a literary magazine with a readership of over 40,000 throughout southeast Michigan

A passionate advocate for excellence in music education and diversity in the performing arts, Mr. Dworkin has been a frequent keynote speaker and lecturer at numerous national conferences including The League of American Orchestras, National Association for Schools of Music, National Guild for Community School of the Arts, National Association of Music Merchants, Chautaqua Institution, National Suzuki Association, Americans for the Arts, American String Teachers Association, and the National Association for Negro Musicians. Mr. Dworkin served as commencement speaker at the University of Michigan, Longy Conservatory as well as the Bowling Green State University. He has served as a panelist on various arts committees, including the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the MetLife Awards for Excellence in Community Engagement, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the National Association of Arts Presenters, Chamber Music America, The National Endowment for the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Surdna Foundation Arts Teachers Fellowship Program, as well as serving as a member of the University of Michigan School of Music Dean Search Committee.

He has produced and recorded two CDs entitled Ebony Rhythm and Bar-Talk, in addition to and producing and directing the independent film entitled Deliberation. He has also transcribed works for electric strings and developed Electric String 201, a college-level preparatory course in electric string performance.

An accomplished electric and acoustic violinist, Mr. Dworkin received his Bachelors of Music and Masters of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, graduating with high honors. He attended the Peabody Institute, the Philadelphia New School and the Interlochen Arts Academy, studying with Vladimir Graffman, Berl Senofsky, Jascha Brodsky, John Eaken, Renata Knific, Donald Hopkins and Stephen Shipps.

In his role as a visionary leader, Mr. Dworkin has led two phases of strategic planning with The Sphinx Organization. He also served as the Co-Chair of the Arts and Cultural Education Task Force for the State of Michigan designing the required arts curriculum for Michigan schools and serves as Co-Chair of the Planning Task Force which oversees the strategic merger of ArtServe Michigan (statewide arts advocacy organization) and MACAA (MI Assoc. of Community Arts Agencies). In addition, Dworkin serves on other strategic planning committees including the American Symphony Orchestra League.

Mr. Dworkin currently serves on the Board of Directors of Michigan’s highly esteemed University Musical Society, Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, National Society for the Gifted and Talented, Artserve Michigan, Walnut Hill School, WRCJ 90.9 Detroit Classical and Jazz Radio and the NEW (Non-Profit Enterprise at Work) Center. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of ASTA Alternative Strings Awards, National Association of Arts Presenters, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Rachel Barton Pine Foundation and the Avery Fisher Artist Program.

Mr. Dworkin offers a uniquely strong organizational, fundraising and administrative background combined with an unwavering passion for music and its role in society. As Founder and President of The Sphinx Organization, he has built an infrastructure and led fundraising efforts totaling over 14 million dollars overseeing a staff and faculty of more than 40. With over $150,000 in prizes and scholarships awarded annually, the Sphinx Competition showcases the top young musicians of color of the highest artistic caliber and features top professional minority musicians through the all Black and Latino Sphinx Symphony. The organization also impacts groups underrepresented in classical music through its educational and community programming including the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute and Sphinx Performance Academy which reach over 35,000 youth each year.

A lifelong musician, Mr. Dworkin is an accomplished acoustic and electric violinist, a spoken-word and visual artist. He has strong interests in politics, world history and issues of economic and social injustice. In addition to various genres of music, he enjoys travel and culinary arts

Aaron Dworkin

Aaron Dworkin is the Founder and President of the Sphinx Organization. A violinist himself, he founded the organization to help overcome the cultural stereotype of classical music, and to encourage the participation of Blacks and Latinos in the field. Aaron is also a poet and a writer.

From the Sphinx organization website:

Photo credit: Sphinx Organization

The opening plenary for Independent Sector’s 2009 Annual Conference begins with the lovely sounds of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s youth jazz ensemble. The unique location for this gathering is underscored by the woman who steps up to the microphone to welcome us: Debbie Dingell, Vice Chair of the General Motors Foundation. Only in Detroit. And, a brief welcome message from newly re-elected Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. He takes a moment to recognize the Knight Foundation’s recent $5 million investment in the city’s economic development.

Melody Barnes from the White House Domestic Policy Council reinforced the White House’s commitment to social innovation. The new White House Office of Social Innovation is under her purview and is looking for ways to invest in “what works,” focusing on several areas. According to the official press release, it will:

Catalyze partnerships between the government and nonprofits, businesses and philanthropists in order to make progress on the President’s policy agenda
Identify and support the rigorous evaluation and scaling of innovative, promising ideas that are transforming communities like, for example, Harlem Children’s Zone, YouthVillages, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Citizen Schools.
Support greater civic participation through new media tools
Promote national service.

Melody said that “somewhere out there, we believe there is the next Teach for America, the next Harlem Children’s Zone.” She emphasized the fact that government can’t do it all alone. For the most part, Melody reiterated the messages that have already been shared with the nonprofit community around the country by Sonal Shah, Jackie Norris, and Joshua DuBois. Collaboration, partnerships, innovation, leverage what’s already working. Joshua DuBois shared a special email address nonprofits should use to contact the White House to engage them in partnerships: whpartnerships@who.eop.gov. He said that they would also be launching a brand new website next week to make this process easier: www.whitehouse.gov/partnerships

Jim Canales, President of James Irvine Foundation moderates a discussion on envisioning the future of the nonprofit sector. He announces a new report from his foundation called Convergence: How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector

Gail McGovern, American Red Cross: We’re going to have to evolve into a partnership with government. We need to coordinate better as a sector. We have to be really careful to be coordinated on the ground so as not to waste resources. It’s not relevant to talk about whether we should partner with goverment, but how we should partner with government.

Michelle Nunn, Points of Light Institute: $50 million is a relatively small amount for the Social Innovation Fund. But how can it inform policy and how to influence government on the ways to provide social services? How can it ensure that innovation is scaled to truly solve social problems?

Aaron Dworkin, CEO of Sphinx Organization: Innovation does not happen in a void. It must be a part of an everyday process. There also shouldn’t be this idea that it’s less to work in our sector. In ten years, our organizations could be in different situations. Are our future leaders being provided the skill sets to take over? That’s our responsibility to prepare for 10-20 years from now.

Janet Murguia, President of National Council of La Raza: How do we take the same type of energy from the 2008 election of Obama and transform it into moving agendas forward for our communities? Important to build and invest in advocacy for social movements. I’d like foundations to look at what can be scalable. There are always common goals. For instance, we joined efforts for both the Black and Latino demographic to move the healthcare debate forward. We have to work on a collective spectrum to get our voices heard and see change happen in an impactful way. We have to make it so that people can raise a family and still work in the nonprofit sector.

Jim Wallis, Jr. President of Sojourners: People voted for change they could believe in. But Washington, DC is wired to block real change from happening. Philanthropy has to be rewired with a focus on not only supporting programs and advocacy, but also social movements. We have think movement in creative ways cross-sectors. We may have strange bedfellows based on moral imperatives. Don’t go left, don’t go right, go deeper. Religion does not have a monopoly on morality. We’ve got to put the things that block partnerships on the table. We have to talk to people who don’t agree with us. The nonprofit and foundation world has often behaved like rival gangs Crips and Bloods. We have to drop our gang colors.

Brian Gallagher, President of United Way Worldwide: We need to commit to a collective goal, and put that objective above our institutional ones. We have to look at what we’ve done historically and how to do it better? How do we move away from UW’s role in workplace giving to helping to mobilize people for social change? I am fearful that we’re going to go from institutional silos to collaborative silos. Until we really start to pool resources – talent and money – we won’t succeed. Are we going to start sharing volunteers or start hoarding them?

Margaret McKenna, President of Wal-Mart Foundation: I’m not committed to any organizations, but to social change. I don’t think it’s bad that organizations change and go away. I’m astounded by the number of people who don’t know who else is working in the same space. We’ve given grants for collaborative work to four organizations, then after we leave, they just split up the money. We have to train volunteers. We put the least paid people in the most challenging jobs. We’re not using the most talented people in the most challenging places.

Benjamin Jealous, President of NAACP: Hopes are higher, but difficulty of solving problems is higher. This president doesn’t get us to where we want to go unless we’re out in front. The only way the President gets to be “progressive” is if we’re out there fighting with folks with whom we might be “friends.” Allow yourself to be outraged by the issues.

All in all, this conversation about the need for more collaboration and advocacy is great, but here’s my nagging question. Are nonprofits really ready to do this? Short of facing closure, what is going to finally motivate more nonprofits to work together more deeply?