The Rutgers Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Development (CNLD) was recently represented at the European Network on Cultural Management and Policy (ENCATC) Congress 2025, where affiliated faculty member Dr. Cleopatra Charles, associate professor at Rutgers SPAA, won the Best Innovative Teaching Method Award together with her co-author Margaret F. Sloan (James Madison University) for their method “Evaluating the Intangible Value of the Arts Using FACE Metrics.”
The jury praised the approach for integrating the Performance Measurement Cycle, SMART goals, multiple evaluation types, and the FACE framework (Finance, Artistic Value, Community, Engagement) to turn evaluation into a compelling narrative of mission, impact, and accountability. By combining role-play, case analysis, and data visualization, the method builds ethical, critical, and practical competencies that learners can apply immediately.
Inaugurated this year, the Best Innovative Teaching Method Award recognizes creative, effective, and future-focused teaching that equips educators in cultural policy and management to renew curricula and methods for emerging challenges. The award highlights approaches that give students and professionals the critical thinking and practical skills needed to lead transformational change.
Dr. Charles’ award reflects CNLD’s broader mission to advance education and research on nonprofit management, leadership, and philanthropy while amplifying Rutgers SPAA’s role in shaping the field globally.
ENCATC is the European network on cultural management and policy, bringing together educators, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and artists across the cultural and creative field. CNLD’s representation at this year’s event underscores the Center’s growing contribution to cutting-edge research on fundraising, donor behavior, and nonprofit effectiveness.
About CNLD
The Rutgers Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Development (CNLD) is dedicated to strengthening New Jersey’s nonprofit sector and advancing scholarship on nonprofit management and philanthropy. Through research, education, and community partnerships, CNLD prepares students, practitioners, and organizations to lead with impact.