Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, has just released its 2015-2017 strategic plan. The key focus for the strategic plan is the organization’s No. 1 priority: building recognition for the transformative power of the arts in all of our lives and communities in new ways.

“The arts transform lives, and this is at the core of our new strategic plan,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Americans for the Arts will partner with our members and stakeholders in every state and community to work toward building the leadership and the resources that will assure that all Americans have access in their daily lives to the transformative power of the arts.”

The new strategic plan has four key goals:

•   Lead and serve individuals and organizations to help build environments in which the arts and arts education thrive and contribute to more vibrant and creative communities.

•   Generate meaningful public- and private-sector policies and more resources for the arts and arts education.

•   Build individual awareness and appreciation of the value of the arts and arts education.

•   Ensure the operational stability of the organization and its ability to respond creatively to opportunities and challenges.

Americans for the Arts is going deeper than ever at the local, state and national levels. The organization will be on the ground more, drawing more visibility to the value of the arts through media and strategic partners, and combining the organization’s strengths with community members to empower people to tell their stories about how the arts have made a difference in their lives.

“The Board of Americans for the Arts is pleased to lead an organization that has adopted such a challenging strategic plan,” said Abel Lopez, president of Americans for the Arts’ Board of Directors. “With partners in the arts and culture industries and across other sectors we will focus even more on creating positive change in diverse communities across the country.”

The focus of Americans for the Arts is to help decision-makers understand the impact of the arts in building better places to live and work. Through research, professional services, advocacy, visibility and policy development, the organization has remained committed to educating decision-makers about the impact of the arts, increasing resources and policies for the arts and arts education, and generating awareness that the arts are more than a great way to spend your Saturday night—they can, in fact, change lives.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.