AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS INC
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
ADVOCACY
Americans for the Arts advocates for greater public and private support for the arts and arts education at the national level, while providing tools and training to people nationwide so that they can make the case for investment in their communities. Our aim is to trigger local, state, and federal leaders to see and understand the arts as a solution to the problems we face as a nation.
The Legislative Issue Center presents an overview of Americans for the Arts’ advocacy efforts, and provides our constituents with the tools to advocate for the arts in their own communities through the following information and services: E-advocacy through VoterVoice; issue briefs; legislative news and updates; useful research; information on advocacy events and registrations; links to State Arts Action Network members; and toolkits for individuals and organizations.
The National Arts Action Summit brings together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with nearly 500 grassroots advocates representing 45 states across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Americans for the Arts technical assistance and training programs serve a wide array of arts professionals based on where they are in their careers, the types of communities that they serve, targeted sectors within the field, and services that cross all three.
Six (6) networks allow Americans for the Arts to provide specialized resources addressing the needs of its constituencies and ensure peer-to-peer engagement. These affinity networks include the: Public Art Network, Private Sector Network, Arts Education Network, Emerging Leaders Network, United States Urban Arts Federation, and State Arts Action Network.
Two (2) main conferences offer training and networking opportunities to professionals in the field. Americans for the Arts’ Annual Convention convenes the largest gathering of arts and community leaders in the country to explore critical issues in the arts, and the annual National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP) Conference provides information, tools, and practical ideas for arts marketers and fundraisers to design high-quality, cost-effective marketing programs and strengthen arts organizations. The National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP) provides nonprofit marketing training through its annual conference, monthly webinars, quarterly E-books, regional training programs, and on-site workshops that offer must-have marketing resources to local constituencies.
Americans for the Arts also offers a series of webinars, high quality online professional development tools that are held regularly to provide online training resources for professional members.
RESEARCH & INFORMATION
Americans for the Arts champions a research-based understanding to how the arts are being used to address social, educational, and economic development issues in communities across the country. Ongoing initiatives include: Arts and Economic Prosperity, the national economic impact study on the nation’s nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences; The National Arts Index, a highly distilled annual measure of the health and vitality of the arts in the United States using 76 equal weighted, national-level indicators of arts activity; The Local Arts Index - a companion to The National Arts Index - which is designed to give communities across the nation a much needed tool to analyze the macro and micro trends impacting the health and vitality of local cultural organizations over time and to inform the collaborative work necessary to chart a course for a more sustainable future; Creative Industries, which uses Dun & Bradstreet data to map and report the number of arts-related businesses and employees in any geographic region or political jurisdiction in the country.
RECOGNITION & VISIBILITY
Through its national network and array of public and private sector partners, Americans for the Arts works to shine a spotlight on the contributions of the arts and arts education. Signature programs include: National Arts Awards, held during National Arts and Humanities Month, hosts 400 of America's top artists and philanthropic and corporate leaders to recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals and corporations who have exhibited outstanding leadership in the visual and performing arts, arts education, advocacy, and philanthropy; Arts and Business Partnership Awards (formerly known as THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America) is an annual gala that recognizes the corporate leaders who are dedicated to increasing partnerships between the private sector and the arts; National Arts and Humanities Month is a coast-to-coast collective celebration of culture in America. Coordinated by Americans for the Arts, it has become the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation. From arts center open houses to mayoral proclamations to banners and newspaper articles, over 10,000 communities across the United States make sure their citizens pay attention to the cultural gems surrounding them.
Where we work
Awards
Best Blog Mobile Website 2015
Webby
External reviews
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
At Americans for the Arts our goal is to ensure that the arts are integrated into the fabric of every American community. To ensure that every child enjoys the lifelong benefits of an education rich in the arts, we are spearheading the coalition to keep the arts as a core subject in the federal Elementary and Secondary School Act as well as part of every state's academic standards. We are working with community leaders and elected officials to show how the arts are economic engines — driving local economies, tourism, and neighborhood revitalization. Lastly, we are working with the military to investigate how the arts promote physical and psychological healing for our service members, their families, and their caregivers.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
At Americans for the Arts, we combine national leadership with local tools, connecting the right people with the right information at the right time. When the U.S. Conference for Mayors released its 10-point plan to improve America's communities, thanks to our 20-year partnership, the arts were number 9. We educate and empower individuals to be effective advocates. When public broadcasting was facing a $100 million cut, we mobilized 10,000 people, and Congress removed the threat within 24 hours. We forge strong, lasting partnerships with national organizations and key members of Congress. Our research-based tools for arts and community leaders provide hard numbers that make a powerful case for the arts and arts education. When we speak, decision makers listen.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
As an organization, Americans for the Arts is uniquely positioned to influence policy by leveraging research to produce action. Through our strategic partnerships, we build influence across the political spectrum. We employ a cooperative, bipartisan approach ensuring access to the arts for all and garnering public support for the arts. We cultivate peer-to-peer dialogue and exchange of ideas, identifying best practice models, breaking them down, and teaching others how to adapt them in their own communities. We champion a research-based understanding of the benefit of the arts and pair it with anecdotal evidence to make a compelling case for why the arts matter.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Americans for the Arts played a pivotal role in the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts and continues to champion its support, ensuring the arts are available in communities across America regardless of size. Through our grassroots advocacy efforts, we helped secure $50 million for people who work in the arts as part of the Jobs Recovery Act — 85,000 voices made the case that an investment in arts jobs is an investment in our economy. Our Arts & Economic Prosperity study is the national research model for tracking the economic impact of the arts and we brought national visibility to the benefits of the arts and arts education through 2 award-winning PSA Campaigns in partnership with the Ad Council.
Everything that we do at Americans for the Arts is to increase the availability of the arts and arts education for every American. Increased resources would enable us to expand our reach even further. We could bring Voter Voice, our technology platform that links E-Advocacy Centers at the federal, state, and local levels, to every community in the country. We would expand our work to train the next generation of arts leaders through programs like Arts U, a 21st century training academy that mixes virtual and in-person opportunities and leverages technology to train current and future arts leaders. We would bring back our popular “The Arts. Ask for More." PSA Campaign, deepening its reach while also working to create and enhance public/private partnership models to support the arts in our country.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS INC
Board of directorsas of 04/04/2023
Julie Muraco
Managing Partner, Praeditis Group LLC
Term: 2018 - 2021
Abel Lopez
Associate Producing Director, GALA Hispanic Theatre
Michael Spring
Director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
John Haworth
Senior Executive Emeritus, National Museum of the American Indian
Julie C. Muraco
Managing Partner, Praeditis Group LLC
Deborah Jordy
Executive Director, Scientific and Cultural Facilities District Denver, Co
Nancy Stephens
Actor and Activist
Ann Stock
Chair, Women in Foreign Policy
Edgar L Smith
Chairman and CEO, World Pac Paper, LLC
Sarah Arison
President, Arison Arts Foundation
Michelle T. Boone
President, Poetry Foundation
Floyd Green
Philanthropist
Debra Garcia y Griego
Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Chairman of the Board, Entertainment Community Fund
Robert Newman
Arts Advocate
Chris Cutler
President, Manager Analysis Services LLC
Kristina Newman-Scott
Executive Director, The Greene Space
Ravi Rajan
President, CalArts
Torrie Allen
President & CEO, Arts Midwest
Theo Edmonds
Co-Founder and Research Associate Professor, CU Denver's Imaginator Academy College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Marc Folk
President & CEO, The Arts Commission
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/04/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.