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...

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.

Findings based on 228 grantmaker survey responses and 32 interviews suggest that arts and social change philanthropy is an emerging field and therefore still very much evolving. However, there is a wider range and a larger number of grantmakers supporting arts for change in some way than has been generally recognized. Focusing on grantmaking in the United States, the report characterizes the nature of support from both private and public sectors, examining how grantmakers think about social change in the context of agency goals and what outcomes they are looking for through their support....

The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, based in Montreal and funding throughout Canada, supports what it calls socially engaged arts—arts organizations and activities that build bridges between culture and community—as a way to realize its vision of “a Canada where all people feel a sense of belonging and contribute as active citizens to improving the well-being of all.” The foundation’s most recent initiative focused on arts-based social inclusion owes much to what it learned from ArtsSmarts, an arts-infused learning program launched at...

In answer to the challenges that face corporate philanthropy in identifying a shared definition of impact measurement, the author sets out to assess current measurement practices, clarify what is needed in terms of impact evidence, and identify next steps. The article is organized into three conversations between key stakeholders engaged in corporate philanthropy. Although this piece is written specifically for those involved in corporate philanthropy, it provides useful insights for cultural agents about measurement and outcomes of key concern to corporations with which they may partner...

Representatives of the 12 small and mid-sized organizations participating in Americans for the Arts Exemplar Program convened in December 2005 in Santa Fe New Mexico. Recognized for outstanding cultural work in their communities and in the field based on their participation in Animating Democracy and the Working Capital Fund, the groups explored topic areas related to aesthetic investigation, institutional health and capacity, and civic engagement.  From the convening, a report was compiled highlighting the event from beginning to end.  With implications for the entire field, the...