Kellyn Lopes
The Wix Lounge, an impressive space for communal offices in Chelsea, Manhattan, is usually bustling with young tech entrepreneurs, artists, and freelance professionals. On Tuesday, November 18th, the Arts & Business Council of New York transformed the space into a new community: a networking event for arts organizations and business professionals interested in volunteerism. Almost twenty arts organizations, ranging from Carnegie Hall and the Bronx Museum, to TaDa! Youth Theater and ProjectArt, shared volunteer opportunities for professionals looking to get involved.
At the event, I was able to get the scoop about trends in arts volunteerism and the types of volunteer opportunities available. Here’s what I found:
The arts are a catalyst for volunteer work
Diane Conroy, Manager of Corporate Programming at Free Arts NYC, told me a fantastic story. Free Arts NYC provides arts educational and mentorship programs free of charge to underserved youth and families in New York City. One of their programs, Free Arts Days, brings children across the city into corporate offices for the day to create art projects. One day they brought a group of at-risk children into a lavish ad firm in Midtown Manhattan. Ms. Conroy observed that the children were so stunned to be in such a beautiful space that they were on their best behavior and were sheepish to engage with the firm’s employees, until they began their arts activities and had something to talk about and engage in together. She said, “The arts break the ice. So many conversations began with ‘I need more glue,’ and that was the start of a conversation and friendship. The kids started asking more questions and the employees were thrilled to teach them. It was a great experience for everyone.”
Free Arts NYC is one of the many arts organizations that utilize the arts to create social change, and foster personal development. The arts can be a strategy for many charitable interests when working in conjunction with other social causes.
The arts reveal employees’ talents and passions outside of their jobs
Laamia Islam, a consultant at Deloitte, connects her passion for dance with her volunteer work. She’s particularly pleased that Deloitte encourages her and her co-workers to volunteer outside of their consulting work and chose causes that are important to them. Every year, Deloitte hosts IMPACT Day, an opportunity for employees to take a work day to volunteer in their communities. Ms. Islam spoke about how her background in dance led her to volunteer opportunities with various arts education initiatives and organizations that connect dance with physical and emotional healing. Having an entire day dedicated to volunteerism has allowed Ms. Islam to encourage her co-workers to volunteer with her; she recounts that volunteerism has always been important to her, and Deloitte facilitates a personally and communally rewarding program. She noted, “It’s a big firm in a small field, and we have the chance to build a better community and a better field.”
Corporations volunteer together as a team-building technique
AOL Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team members Joey Blumenfeld (Director, CSR), and Sara Bennett (Senior Marketing Manager, CSR) discussed how volunteerism strengthens AOL’s corporate culture and community. Ms. Bennett stated, “AOL’s volunteer programs foster important skills such as creativity, provide networking opportunities, improve corporate culture, and help employees to feel positively about the company.” In addition to hosting and matching AOL employees with volunteer opportunities, the CSR team organizes a company-wide volunteer day for over 5,000 employees each year. The program allows employees to choose which volunteer activities and causes they are passionate about. Usually, many employees will volunteer together, as AOL constantly facilitates group volunteer opportunities.
ABCNY’s networking event is one of the many ways arts and businesses are introduced to the mutual benefits of partnering together. Volunteering is a great way for individuals and corporations to build relationships with the arts while engaging employees, honing professional skills, and giving back to their communities.
For more information about ABCNY’s events and volunteering opportunities, click here, and be sure to follow them on Twitter at @ArtsBizNY.
