Cheri Jamison Consulting

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Cheri Jamison Consulting Open to consulting and collaboration. Cheri is a passionate advocate for the arts and still finds great joy in singing.

Helping arts organizations, cultural leaders, and communities thrive through nonprofit strategy, creative economy initiatives, fundraising readiness, and cross-sector partnerships. Cheri Jamison is an Arts & Nonprofit Management Professional with over 10 years of experience in strategic planning, streamlining operations and community outreach. As a Renaissance woman with a diverse skill-set, Cheri is known for her ability to spearhead new initiatives and bring visionary projects to life. She is a lifelong learner, personal development enthusiast, and enjoys music, travel, and creative writing. Cheri leads a healthy, balanced lifestyle and loves hiking to waterfalls!

I recently spent four very full days learning the fundamentals of economic development through the Northwest Economic De...
09/17/2026

I recently spent four very full days learning the fundamentals of economic development through the Northwest Economic Development Course, hosted by Business Oregon and the Washington State Department of Commerce.

We covered everything from workforce development and business retention to entrepreneurship, small business, tourism, and the tools communities use to build stronger local economies.

And somewhere along the way, I had a realization that was both new and strangely obvious:

A lot of the work I’ve been doing to support the music industry in Oregon and Washington is economic development work.

I just haven’t always called it that.

Here’s how I connected the dots.

Music is culture, but it’s also an industry. Explore how music policy connects to economic development, small business, workforce, tourism, and thriving local communities.

Does every great community idea need its own nonprofit? I don't think so.One of my favorite nonprofit tools is fiscal sp...
08/06/2026

Does every great community idea need its own nonprofit? I don't think so.

One of my favorite nonprofit tools is fiscal sponsorship.

It allows artists, community leaders, and mission-driven projects to partner with an established nonprofit instead of starting a new organization from scratch.

When done well, it's a powerful example of shared infrastructure: projects can focus on their mission, nonprofits expand their impact, and communities benefit from stronger collaboration.

I just published a new article covering what fiscal sponsorship is, when it makes sense, and how it can benefit both community projects and nonprofits.

📖 Read the full article at the link below: https://www.cherijamison.com/thoughts/fiscal-sponsorship-basics

Have you ever worked with a fiscal sponsor? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Know the saying, "The best boat is your friend's boat"? The same can be said of nonprofits. Instead of starting your own nonprofit, you may be better off partnering with an established one to support your community-based project. That partnership is calle

Last month, I spent a week traveling across Oregon as part of MusicOregon's statewide listening tour.We met with musicia...
06/18/2026

Last month, I spent a week traveling across Oregon as part of MusicOregon's statewide listening tour.

We met with musicians, venue operators, educators, festival organizers, and community leaders in communities large and small. While every region had its own unique strengths and challenges, one theme emerged again and again:

People want connection.

Not just funding or resources, but ways to find one another, share information, collaborate, and feel less isolated.

MusicOregon's full listening tour report will be released in July, but in my latest article I share a personal reflection that stayed with me long after the conversations ended: connection as infrastructure.

I'd love to hear what resonates with you.

After a statewide listening tour, one lesson stood out: connection may be the most important infrastructure in Oregon's music ecosystem.

I recently wrote about what surprised me most when I started running a music venue.I thought I understood the fundamenta...
05/14/2026

I recently wrote about what surprised me most when I started running a music venue.

I thought I understood the fundamentals after years as a working artist. What I didn’t fully understand yet was the business model.

One realization kept coming into focus: live music isn’t the product. Attention is.

That shift changed how I think about programming, audience behavior, artist opportunities, and public funding. If both earned revenue and grants are unstable, then public investment becomes part of the core infrastructure that helps keep cultural spaces alive.

I share more reflections in the full article below.

If you work in music or the arts, I’d be curious what has surprised you most in your experience.

I thought I understood the fundamentals. I had been a working artist for years. I believed that if you programmed great work and built strong relationships, the rest would follow. What I didn’t fully understand yet was the business model. One realizatio

If you’ve tried to buy a concert ticket lately, you know how frustrating it’s become. Oregon is stepping in with new law...
04/27/2026

If you’ve tried to buy a concert ticket lately, you know how frustrating it’s become. Oregon is stepping in with new laws aimed at bots, deceptive practices, and speculative ticketing—but will they actually change the experience for fans, artists, and venues?

Host Anthony Messano is joined by Jimi Biron (McMenamins) and Kevin Erickson (Future of Music Coalition) to explore what these reforms get right, where they fall short, and what it might really take to fix the system.

https://p.ftur.io/prpfm/3245

Stumptown Soundcheck is a co-op podcast between MusicPortland and Portland Radio Project.

This podcast in collaboration with Music Portland‘s Policy Council will provide a comprehensive examination of Portland’s music community, addressing the challenges faced by local musicians, venue owners, and other stakeholders.

I’ve been reflecting on what my Executive Director experience revealed about how arts organizations actually function da...
04/16/2026

I’ve been reflecting on what my Executive Director experience revealed about how arts organizations actually function day to day. The gap between strategy and operational reality is larger than many funders and leaders realize.

In this month’s article, I share several lessons that reshaped how I think about sustainability in the arts.

After my time leading Alberta Abbey, I’ve been taking a step back to reflect on what it actually takes to sustain an arts organization right now. Not in theory, but in practice.

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