Arts Intranet

In Part 2 of the collection, participants will take the foundational knowledge gained and basic activations from the first series and expand beyond their role as arts leaders into the role of community and economic development partner. Participants will learn about how to identify their own work and assets within their full community and creative ecosystem and begin to leverage new connections and relationships inside the chamber to address social impact, equity, and community issues. Participants will gain fluency in the Arts & Economic Prosperity studies, as well as learn how to use

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, empathy, and beauty. The arts also strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even during a pandemic that has been devastating to the arts. The following 10 reasons show why an investment in artists, creative workers, and arts organizations is vital to the nation’s post-pandemic healing and recovery.

This packet of fact sheets contains all 8 fact sheets representing each of the 8 Reasons for Businesses and the Arts to Partner. They can be downloaded here as one document, or individually. These fact sheets provide research and examples on leveraging the arts to strengthen arts and business partnerships; and can  be used to make the case for such partnerships.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, empathy, and beauty. The arts also strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even during a pandemic that has been devastating to the arts. The following ten reasons show why an investment in artists and arts organizations is vital to the nation’s post-pandemic healing and recovery. 

Giving to the arts by individuals, foundations, and corporations grew 12.6% to $21.64 billion in 2019 (+10.6% when adjusted for inflation) and represented 4.8% of all charitable giving.

With billions in arts funding, businesses play a key role in ensuring the health and vitality of the nation’s arts sector.  Business support for the arts is driven less by a charitable focus than it is targeted on how the arts impact the communities in which their employees live and work.

Local arts agencies—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments—are an essential tool for community leaders as they rebuild their economies and promote social cohesion. The nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs) support, present, and promote the dynamic value of the arts. Through their partnerships and leadership, LAAs are building healthier communities through the arts.

In partnership with Americans for the Arts, The Conference Board conducts an annual survey that seeks information regarding businesses’ support for the arts. This edition, fittingly laid out in infographic form for a more visually appealing read, demonstrates that 83 percent of participants expect their support for the arts to remain the same or increase and that their contributions constitute 39 percent of their total charitable giving. Further indicators of the value respondents place on arts contributions include 67 percent indicating that they enable employees to volunteer with

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.

Businesses large and small use the arts to foster creativity, innovation, and a culture of trust. These six approaches can be used to bring the arts into a workplace and boost employee engagement and morale. 

This fact sheet provides data and examples of how the arts offer meaningful, enjoyable experiences and valuable benefits to employees and their families which keeps employees engaged.

This fact sheet provides data and examples on how the arts are essential to the development of a vibrant and diverse community in which the best employees want to live, work, shop, create, and contribute.

This fact sheet provides data and examples of how the arts stimulate positive company culture and conversation, foster employee well-being, and inspire a healthier work environment through unique and meaningful experiences for human connection.

This fact sheet provides data and examples of how the arts foster inspiration, empathy, and leadership - all which establish a platform to innovate in an ever-evolving economy.

This fact sheet provides research and examples on how leveraging a partnership with an artist/arts organization will help you communicate your company’s story by engaging customers and clients, conveying your unique values.

This fact sheet explores how partnering with the arts allows your employees, company and community to gain better understanding of diverse cultures and ideas and helps build an inclusive workforce.

This fact sheet provides data and examples of how the arts reveal and enhance the breadth of talent and creativity among employees and teams, cultivating the creative thinking skills your business needs.

This briefing paper provides data and examples of how partnering with the arts fuels the economy, promotes health, wellness and safety, creates social cohesion and connectivity, and fosters civic engagement.

Business Contributions to the Arts: 2018 Edition is the second edition of the annual report published by The Conference Board and Americans for the Arts. Conducted in the summer of 2018, this year’s survey garnered 132 responses from small, midsize, and large US businesses, 123 of which made a philanthropic contribution of some description in 2017 and are therefore included in this report. The survey asked for information based on corporate practices at the time of the survey completion.

This national study, conducted every five years by American for the Arts, is the most comprehensive look at the economic impact of the nonprofit arts sector in the country, and is accompanied by trainings and resources to translate data into change.

This compendium of case studies provides business and chamber leaders the perspective to further Lumina’s Goal 2025: to increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025.

This Issue Brief provides examples of arts-based education as a money-and time-saving option for states looking to build skills, increase academic success, heighten standardized test scores, and lower the incidence of crime among general and at-risk populations.

This report is about how non-formal learning and especially youth work can enhance the creative and innovative capacities of young people in ways that are relevant to employability. It goes beyond identifying the skills and competences involved, to present illustrative examples of practice and cross-sectoral cooperation.

This fact sheet prepared in 2018 by Americans for the arts highlihts that arts and cultural goods and services trade surpluses reached $26.4 billion in 2014. The arts are consistently outperform the overall U.S. Balance of Trade.

This one pager prepared in 2017 shows trends in private sector charitable gifts to the arts, culture, and humanities from 2005-2016. The data is from The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Giving USA 2016 with analysis by Americans for the Arts.

This one pager prepared in 2016 shows trends in private sector charitable gifts to the arts, culture, and humanities from 2005-2015. The data is from The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Giving USA 2012 with analysis by Americans for the Arts.

This Monograph will consider the changes in United Arts Funds as they are being thrust into a larger community leadership role, their causes, and the ways in which the field is adapting.

In 1998 the Arts & Business Council Inc., with support from MetLife Foundation, began offering a series of arts issue forums in New York City. In 2002, with increased support from the foundation, nine cities were added to the roster, bringing the total number to 10, and the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series was created.

In 2002, the MetLife Foundation partnered with the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts to create a five-year National Arts Forum Series. The goal of the series was to bring together nonprofit and private-sector professionals at sites across the country to examine some of the pressing issues facing their communities, including generational and demographic shifts, workforce development, leadership, and private-sector giving to the arts. In its multi-year run, the National Arts Forum Series offered more than 115 forum meetings in 22 cities from coast to coast.

In October 2006, Americans for the Arts’ National Arts Policy Roundtable was inaugurated. Co-convened with the Sundance Preserve, the topic of the roundtable was The Future of Private Giving to the Arts in America. To better understand this phenomenon, Americans for the Arts commissioned a pilot research study by Prescott & Associates that targeted a small number of good corporate arts citizens.