Behind the Nonprofit Nomad

Nonprofit Nomad owner Erin Tatum sits in the door of her RV trailer with her dog Chewie in her lap. She is laughing, wearing a black shirt and jeans, has long light brown hair and white skin. Photo by Dan Cannon.

Meet the Real Erin Tatum

In my management days, I thought I had to check the real me at the door. But if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that the lines between professional and personal are blurred at best and that we are complex and multidimensional people—just like the people we serve. In fact, I believe we do each other a disservice by not bringing our full selves to everything we do.

So when I launched my business and hit the road full-time with my husband and dog, I chucked that old way of thinking (and a whole lot of stuff) out the window.

Nonprofit Nomad was built to be inclusive of both my nomadic lifestyle and my mission to equip busy arts nonprofits to get the resources they need to bring art to the world.

Image of Erin Tatum, owner of Nonprofit Nomad, speaking on stage during the Savannah Music Festival. There is a blue curtain behind her and instruments surrounding her. She is wearing a black blazer and jeans. Photo taken by Elizabeth Leitzell.

I know what happens in front of (and behind) the curtain

I’ve spent over a dozen years learning the ins and outs of the arts nonprofit space, most recently serving as the Interim Executive Director of the Savannah Music Festival. Prior to that, I was the Managing Director and Director of Artist Relations at the same organization, with responsibilities during my tenure encompassing artistic, development, strategic planning, and cross-organizational project management.

My experience also extends to the University space, where I was the General Manager of the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center (the school where I received my undergraduate and master’s degrees and marched in the Redcoat Marching Band).

I’m process-oriented, timeline-driven, and have a bit of a love affair with systems.

 

I’m a great conversationalist

If you are looking for someone to speak on a panel, podcast, or at a conference on any of the following topics, I’d be thrilled!

 

  • Project management & organization

  • Technical writing & grants

  • Artist advance

  • Festival logistics

  • Proofreading

  • The ongoing process of starting a nomadic business

Now for the fun stuff

I live in an RV full time with my husband, Doug, and dog, Chewbacca

I’m an avid cyclist, runner, and yogi: I collect Strava friends all over the country

I’m proud to have officiated the first same-sex wedding at the UGA Chapel

Typos and grammatical mistakes give me hives

I am a member of Leadership Savannah’s 2017 class

I’ve never met a spreadsheet I didn’t love (did someone say pivot table?!)

Before you hit the road…