Valerie Beaman

Are you interested in learning what our business-focused affiliates have been paying attention to this year?

Respondents of the annual Private Sector Survey were asked to answer questions regarding their programs and initiatives fostering collaboration between arts and business. The survey requested detailed information regarding specific programs that support arts and business relationships.

Programs like board training are often components of local arts agencies, but many programs designed to engage the business world may be new to the wider field. We invite you to explore the survey and learn more about how your organization can expand its partnerships with the business world.

The 2011 Report surveyed eight Arts & Business Council (ABC) affiliates, 11 Business Committees for the Arts (BCA), 13 Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA) affiliates, and 56 United Arts Funds (UAF), making up a universe of 83 organizations that focus on collaboration between arts and business. Of these 83 organizations, 52 completed survey responses. (To learn more about all of our private sector affiliates, visit our Private Sector Network page.)

Here are some of the most relevant statistics collected in this year's survey:

• Nearly three-quarters of the responding organizations (71 percent) served multiple county regions or combined city and county regions. The average population size of the geographic area served by all responding organizations was more than 7.1 million.
• Responding organizations provided a total of $70.2 million in the form of grants or contracts to support arts organizations and/or individual artists during fiscal year 2011. A total of 3,028 arts organizations and individual artists were supported by this funding.
• Responding United Arts Funds raised a total of $80.9 Million in 2011.
• Total arts organizations served through responding UAF, ABC, BVA, and BCA arts and business partnership programs: 3,920.
• Total businesses served through responding UAF, ABC, BVA, and BCA arts and business partnership programs: 3,791.
• The most common programs that served arts organizations were seminar and/or workshops, advocacy resources, technical assistance, arts management training, and publicity & promotion services.
• The most common programs that served businesses were networking opportunities, board training and/or placement, ticket discounts, and seminars, forums, and workshops.
• 67 percent of the Private Sector Network affiliates hold recognition events that honor business support for the arts.
• 35 percent of responding organizations operated some type of board development programs during their fiscal year 2011. These programs made a total of 216 board placements, served approximately 702 people, and were predominantly funded by a combination of grants, fees, and sponsorships.
  

Ten out of 13 Business Volunteers for the Arts® affiliates responded to the survey. According to those organizations:

• 278 arts and cultural organizations were served by BVA volunteers during fiscal year 2011.
• 380 total businesses provided volunteers.
• According to respondents, 640 volunteers donated 9,256 hours of pro bono consulting during fiscal year 2011. At the mid-consultant rate of $120 per hour the donated amount equals $1,110,720.
• The most common types of BVA projects for which volunteers were requested to lend their expertise were marketing & PR, finance & administration, strategic planning, and information technology.
• The art disciplines that were most represented by the clients/customers of BVA programs were dance, music, presenting, and theatre.
• The dollar value of cash and in-kind resources donated by BVA volunteers and their employers was approximately $1,403,335.
• According to respondents the most common alternative ways that businesses supported the arts in their communities was by serving on the board of the organization with whom they were initially matched as a BVA, speaking at workshops/events, participating in board development programs, and attending recognition or fundraising events.
• 90 percent of respondents anticipated the number of BVA volunteers to either increase or stay at the same level during fiscal year 2012.

The report also details which businesses provide volunteers and which provide support for the BVA program. You can also find out the actions each of the respondents takes to cultivate and strengthen relationships with community leadership groups and businesses.

We have seen great growth in business and arts programs nationally and we encourage you to continue increasing your efforts in partnering with the business community in ways that benefit the entire community. I hope that the information in the 2011 Private Sector Survey will provide inspiration!

This post is one in a weekly series highlighting The pARTnership Movement, Americans for the Arts' campaign to reach business leaders with the message that partnering with the arts can build their competitive advantage. Visit our website to find out how both businesses and local arts agencies can get involved!