High Impact Philanthropy: James C. Horton Of Harlem School of the Arts On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful & Effective Nonprofit Organization
An Interview with Karen Mangia
Clear Strategic Priorities: The organization must clearly define the challenges or problems it aims to address and articulate the services provided to tackle these issues.
For someone who wants to set aside money to establish a Philanthropic Foundation or Fund, what does it take to make sure your resources are being impactful and truly effective? In this interview series, called “How To Create Philanthropy That Leaves a Lasting Legacy” we are visiting with founders and leaders of Philanthropic Foundations, Charitable Organizations, and Non-Profit Organizations, to talk about the steps they took to create sustainable success.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing James C. Horton. James is the President and CEO of Harlem School of the Arts (HSA), the organization’s seventh president. James is a dynamic, hands-on Non-Profit and Social Impact Executive with a wealth of knowledge and experience championing growth in the areas of diversity equity, inclusion, and resource access. He is the recipient of several national awards and has been an invited keynote speaker and presenter at both global and national conferences focused on education, arts, culture, and community engagement.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about a ‘top of mind’ topic. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today?
I grew up in a household where art wasn’t just a hobby; it was woven into the very fabric of our family life. Both my parents were passionate about the arts, and it wasn’t an optional extra — it was an integral part of who we were. While my dad pursued business, he also found joy in creating visual art and playing percussion. My mom, although not an artist herself, had a deep appreciation for the arts. She made sure to immerse me in museum visits, gallery trips, and even enrolled me in after-school art programs.
My grandparents, both educators at the college level, further fostered this love for creativity. My grandmother, a writer, took special pride in my artistic endeavors, often framing the pieces I crafted in those afterschool classes. In our home, creative expression held a special place of value, and that ethos has stuck with me through the years, now guiding how I raise my own children.
For us, creating art wasn’t just about the end result; it was about the act itself — the cathartic release of expressing our hearts and minds through dance, music, theater, or visual arts. It’s a practice that not only enriches our lives but also brings us closer together as a family.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? We would love to hear a few stories or examples.
I think three major characteristics that have led to my success are:
- Vision and Imagination: Understanding the present moment and its challenges is crucial, but it’s our vision and imagination that guide us through, shaping the future we’re striving to build. Vision allows us to glimpse a potential future, while imagination empowers us to design it. Every journey toward realizing that vision requires assembling a team and crafting a strategy, but it all starts with an idea — a vision of a better tomorrow.
- Passion and Connectedness: Working in the non-profit sector is more than just a job; it’s a calling. Success here hinges on understanding the deeper “why” behind our actions and fostering meaningful connections with those we serve and work alongside. Personally, the arts opened doors to worlds I’d only dreamed of, profoundly shaping my perspective. I’m driven to provide similar opportunities to the youth of Harlem, a community I’ve called home for 25 years.
- Hard Work and Grit: In any endeavor, there will always be others with more advantages or natural talents. But where I excel is in sheer determination and hard work. I firmly believe in rolling up our sleeves and doing whatever it takes to uplift our community. Surrounding ourselves with individuals who share this ethic is essential; shortcuts are never the path to lasting success. Within our team, we understand that each person’s triumphs and setbacks are shared responsibilities, motivating us all to give our absolute best.
What’s the most interesting discovery you’ve made since you started leading your organization?
One of my most interesting discoveries since joining HSA is witnessing the profound impact of HSA’s arts education model on overall child development. The HSA way is one that is rooted in joy and excellence, two words that aren’t often used together when talking about the arts. It’s been an honor to see students flourish, not just artistically, but also in their confidence, academic performance, and social interactions and having fun creating together. For example seeing young people recognize their brilliance and capacity to be great and be celebrated is inspiring to the team of teachers and administrators at the school. Watching our students thrive in their disciplines and grow in various aspects of their lives, becoming the best version of themselves has been incredibly rewarding and reaffirms the importance of our mission and the work community arts educators.
Can you please tell our readers more about how you or your organization intends to make a significant social impact?
- Last year alone, HSA served 4,806 people in the community, 1,626 of which are youth and 75% of those students receive tuition assistance or some form of financial aid.
- At our recent 60th Anniversary Gala, $200k was raised live at the event, bringing a total of $2.5M for the newly established Jacqueline and Clarence Avant Scholarship & Arts Access Fund which will allow 350 children to receive free after school activities. Additionally, our goal is to raise $10MM over the next 5 years, making it one of the most transformative arts access programs in NYC by underwriting the tuition expense for families to ensure that we eliminate all barriers to access & participation in HSA programming. The Avant Arts Access Fund will also allow us to expand our in-school outreach programs to encompass more school and young people in all five Burroughs.
What makes you feel passionate about this cause more than any other?
Art, especially theater, gave me a new outlook on life. It boosted my confidence, reinforced the importance of teamwork and trust, improved my public speaking skills, and inspired good study habits. The arts are an excellent way to teach history and share different cultures, building bridges and inspiring dialogues that might not happen otherwise. Art is one of the great unifiers of humanity!
We all want to help and to live a life of purpose. What are three actions anyone could take to help address the root cause of the problem you’re trying to solve?
- We need more advocates & supporters of arts education, that means using your voice to support the importance of arts education in schools and communities. Attend school board meetings, write to your local representatives, and spread awareness about how the arts contribute to children’s overall development and social emotional well-being.
- Volunteer your time and skills, whether it be teaching a workshop, mentoring a young person or helping with organizational tasks. We could always use more hands.
- Donating your resources, including financial contributions are vital. Consider donating to a scholarship fund or hosting a community event to generate support and resources for arts programs.
- The common thread between c-suite execs and people in corporate America is that (1) they participated in sports and (2) they all participated in the arts. This gives them the soft skills they need and will use when they become adults.
- So, taking these actions can collectively strengthen the foundation of arts education and ensure that more children have access to the transformative power of the arts.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful & Effective Nonprofit That Leaves A Lasting Legacy?”
Key Elements for a Successful Non-Profit Organization
- Leadership: Effective leadership is essential at all levels, from the board of directors to the front-line workers engaging with the community daily. Without sound and visionary leadership, progress is impossible.
- Clear Strategic Priorities: The organization must clearly define the challenges or problems it aims to address and articulate the services provided to tackle these issues.
- Solid Funding and Financial Support: A non-profit needs reliable funding, ideally from a diverse range of sources, including both contributed and earned revenue streams.
- Community Involvement: A community-based organization should work not just for the community, but also with the community. Adopting a “BY/WITH/FOR” model ensures programs are developed by the community, with the community, and for the community. Successful organizations avoid creating programs in isolation.
- Clear Evaluation and Metrics for Programs and Services: To demonstrate organizational success, it is crucial to share impact metrics. When designing programs and services, it is important to incorporate evaluation metrics, benchmarks, and performative evaluation opportunities and tools. This ensures the organization can measure its impact and tell a data-driven story about its efforts.
How has the pandemic changed your definition of success?
James to answer, mentioning how COVID impacted the students at HSA, and the importance of implementing mental health services; highlighting how those needs shifted his perspective at all.
- The pandemic had a profound impact on the Harlem community and on HSA and forced us to expand and deepen our definition of success to not only be that of inspiring joy and artistic excellence but also thinking about a more holistic definition of success when it comes to youth and community engagement and doing aspects of our work with a different type of intentionality.
- We stared a tutoring program since we saw that young people in the Harlem community fell behind during the period of remote learning since they didn’t always have access to internet and computers.
- We ae also starting work on what it might look like to include aspects of working with students to support mental health and wellness and being intentional around further developing a creative practice that speaks to that.
How do you get inspired after an inevitable setback?
Remembering why I do what I do, and in my case, making arts education accessible and affordable to all. When things aren’t going right, sometimes it’s taking that necessary step back to level set, look at the bigger picture and go back in with a renewed sense of purpose. One of our three pillars at HSA is perspective and we’re always incorporating that into everything we teach so to have those moments when I am reminded to do the same it inspires me and reinforces and that one is never told to learn from the arts.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world who you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your non-profit? He, she, or they might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
There are so many people I would like to talk about the work I am doing now and using the arts as a tool for youth and community transformation.
- Barack Obama is someone I’d like to sit down with and talk about the organization but maybe even more importantly the idea transformational leadership.
- One of my personal heroes is Bryan Stevenson ED for the Equal Justice Initiative to discuss ideas of what it means to Create Justice.
- I want to talk about business strategy w/ Caroline Wenga from ESSENCE Ventures CEO & President.
- I would love to have a site down with Geoffrey Canada, President of The Harlem Children’s Zone to talk about the phases of community transformation and systematically prioritizing youth & community needs.
You’re doing important work. How can our readers follow your progress online?
Readers can keep up with HSA by going to our website www.hsanyc.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. They can also follow me on LinkedIn at James C. Horton where I keep people updated on all things HSA.
Thank you for a meaningful conversation. We wish you continued success with your mission.
About The Interviewer: Karen Mangia is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the world, sharing her thought leadership with over 10,000 organizations during the course of her career. As Vice President of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce, she helps individuals and organizations define, design and deliver the future. Discover her proven strategies to access your own success in her fourth book Success from Anywhere and by connecting with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
High Impact Philanthropy: James C Horton Of Harlem School of the Arts On How To Leave A Lasting Leg was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.