516 Ways is a list, by arbitrary categories, of ways in which a group of companies, represented by executives on the membership list of the Business Committee for the Arts, supported the arts in 1973 and in the first quarter of 1974.

When the Business Committee for the Arts was created in 1968, its members were convinced the most persuasive arguments for increasing business support of the arts by the business sector were actual examples of business involvement. Some businesses had been participating in arts programs, but effective channels through which other companies might profit from their experience had not been available. As a result, much of the Committee's extensive communications program was designed to make such examples widely known.

Business support of the arts has taken many forms. Financial contributions head the list, of course, but there are also examples of the contribution of marketing skills for use in audience development; assistance in improving arts organizations' administrative and fiscal practices; the donation of equipment and space, including the loan of computer services; help in development and promotion of programs that will reach new or broader publics...the list can be stretched as far as the proven ingenuity of American business.

BCA is proud of the fact that the companies represented by its membership have been among the most prominent in forming fruitful alliances with arts organizations and individual artists. Although its membership represents widely diverse kinds of businesses, the nature of their business activities has not inhibited their involvement in the arts in any way. Many of the companies do not regard their activities in the arts as particularly novel or striking. Many of them have had long records of arts support and regard what they are doing as the routine fulfillment of a steadfast commitment to serve an aspect of life that enriches the company, the artist and the community. On the chance that what they may consider routine may be new or suggestive to others, we have briefly summarized the arts support programs conducted by some of our member companies during 1973 and the first quarter of 1974. They total 516. No effort is made either to cover all of the programs in which these companies are involved or to report on the programs of each and every company represented by a member of the Business Committee for the Arts.

We wish this list included all BCA companies and all other companies in the United States and Canada that supported the arts in 1973 and 1974. The list would be longer than we could.tor practical reasons, publish and still make it available to anyone in business or the arts who is interested in having a copy.[Introduction Letter]

516 Ways is a list, by arbitrary categories, of ways in which a group of companies, represented by executives on the membership list of the Business Committee for the Arts, supported the arts in 1973 and in the first quarter of 1974.