services for your community
Program Development
Whether you are interested in launching a local arts agency, developing a new service, or evaluating an existing program, Americans for the Arts staff is here to provide in-depth guidance and relevant research.
Start a Local Arts Agency
A local arts agency is a nonprofit organization or a local government agency that presents programming to the public, provides services to artists and arts organizations, manages cultural facilities, awards grants, and/or participates in community cultural planning. Through these activities, a local arts agency promotes the arts, making them part of the daily fabric of community living. Each local arts agency is as unique as the community it serves, and each changes with community needs, trends, and priorities. Contact the Community Development Manager for more information on starting a local arts agency.
Start a United Arts Fund
A United Arts Fund is a combined appeal for arts funding conducted annually to raise unrestricted money on behalf of three or more arts, culture, and/or science organizations. Loosely based on the United Way model, more than 100 communities across the country have established United Arts Funds over the past 54 years. Contact the Private-Sector Affairs Coordinator for more information on starting a United Arts Fund.
Start an Arts & Business Council Chapter
An Arts & Business Council Chapter is an organization or suite of programs dedicated to bringing arts organizations and business together to mutually benefit each other. An Arts & Business Council can exist as a free-standing organization or within another existing organization. Arts & Business Councils operate programs such as Business Volunteers for the Arts, Creativity Connection, National Arts Forums Series, National Arts Marketing Project, Cultural Tourism Programs, Business-Arts Circles, real estate programs, board training and placement services, and more. Business has more to give to the arts than just money, and the arts have more to offer than just a philanthropy opportunity. Contact the Private-Sector Programs Manager for more information on starting and Arts & Business Council Chapter.
Start a Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA) Program
Since 1975, thousands of business professionals have helped nonprofit arts organizations by sharing their expertise and talents on a wide range of consulting projects through BVA. Goals of a BVA program are:
- To help nonprofit arts organizations improve their business practices.
- To provide rewarding opportunities for business professionals who wish to contribute to their community and become involved directly with the arts.
- To increase business leadership on behalf of the arts.
Contact the Private-Sector Programs Manager for more information on starting a BVA Program.
Start an Animating Democracy Initiative
Through Local Synergy, Animating Democracy offers consultation and services to help local and regional funders design and implement art-based civic engagement funding and technical assistance initiatives modeled upon Animating Democracy and tailored to serve cultural and civic interests in their own geographic areas.
Local Synergy program could be based within a private or community foundation that might engage a local arts agency serving as advisor or partner to ensure the viability of a program within the arts community. Contact the Animating Democracy Program Manager for more information about an Animating Democracy Local Synergy Initiative.
Start a Local or Regional Emerging Leaders, Public Art, or Arts Education Network
The strength of the Americans for the Arts national network resides in cultivating strong, sustainable groups of professionals in communities like yours. Staff at Americans for the Arts will walk you through the steps to start a local or regional network—for emerging leaders, public art, or arts education—that fosters professional growth, higher achievement, and stronger advocacy. Each local network operates differently to reflect the unique nuances of a community or region. They connect nationally to each other through the Emerging Leader Network, the Public Art Network, and the Arts Education Network of Americans for the Arts. Contact the Manager of Professional Development for Emerging Leaders, the Manager of Public Art for Public Art, and the Arts Education Manager for Arts Education.
