TIDEWATER ARTS OUTREACH
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
As of January 2023, the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging reported a decline in loneliness and isolation among older adults, with 34% of adults aged 50-80 experiencing isolation some of the time or often, down from 56% in June 2020. However, specific circumstances indicate more concerning figures 77% among those with fair or poor mental health, 55% with fair or poor physical health, 51% with limiting health issues or disabilities, and 51% of the unemployed. This isolation can escalate into a cycle, amplifying health issues, and worsening loneliness. Research from the Foundation for Art & Healing reveals that loneliness contributes to mortality rates by 26-32%, akin to chronic smoking. The CDC notes that loneliness increases dementia risk by 50%, heart disease by 29%, and stroke by 32%. Furthermore, loneliness is associated with higher depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Arts Outreach Programs
Our programs, usually 55-70 minutes long, are led by talented artists who specialize in interactive music, performing arts, literary arts, and visual arts (with an almost endless variety of genres and mediums represented). We've carefully chosen these disciplines based on research that shows their positive impact on the wellness of older and isolated adults. Artists undergo an application and interview process (including background check) prior to joining the roster. They receive ongoing training and continuing education in program delivery to our participants. All artists are compensated financially for their programs.
Partners include senior living (including assisted living and memory care) communities, day support providers, hospitals, shelters, volunteer-led community groups, parks and recreation departments, libraries, and healthcare providers (e.g. rehabilitation or skilled nursing).
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
National Organization for Arts in Health 2022
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Older adults, Caregivers, Widows and widowers, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Arts Outreach Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Older adults, Caregivers, Widows and widowers, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Arts Outreach Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Percentage of participants highly satisfied with program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Older adults, Caregivers, Widows and widowers, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Arts Outreach Programs
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
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?
Tidewater Arts Outreach employs group arts programs that are scientifically shown to enhance social connectedness in older adults. Studies indicate 82% of adults perceive a link between arts engagement and connectedness. Our program delivery methods, backed by research, include live performances, writing workshops, and visual arts creation.
Participatory art experiences also offer improved self-esteem, cognitive function, and communication, along with physical exertion benefits and meaningful social engagement. These programs break ageist barriers, foster positive patient-caretaker relationships, and reshape societal attitudes towards older individuals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Tidewater Arts Outreach matches local artists with opportunities to share their creativity and compassion in support of Hampton Roads residents who are in nursing homes, hospitals, shelters or are isolated from society in other ways.
TAO’s outreach programs are typically one hour in length, consisting of interactive music programs, participatory spoken word/poetry and songwriting workshops, hands-on visual arts projects and interactive performing arts presentations. Artists are recruited, trained and compensated by TAO. Participants never pay to take part in an arts outreach program.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Tidewater Arts Outreach is led by a capable staff, including an experienced fundraising and arts administrator as Executive Director and a program administrator with excellent community ties as Program Director.
Tidewater Arts Outreach also enjoys robust volunteer support from board membership and other community volunteers.
TAO has spent over 20 years cultivating this mission and the community to support it.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2023, Tidewater Arts Outreach produced 1,100 programs to over 26,000 participants with 103 different program partners. Program partner needs drive program design with each partner receiving programs curated to meet their care goals and plans.
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 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 tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people
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.
TIDEWATER ARTS OUTREACH
Board of directorsas of 01/18/2024
Dr. Stuart Goldwag
Hampton Roads Radiology Associates
Term: 2021 - 2025
Barbara Smith
Cherry Bekaert
Term: 2023 - 2025
Stuart Goldwag
Hampton Roads Radiology Associates
Barbara L. Smith
Cherry Bekaert
Ira Steingold
Steingold and Mendelson
Shaune Thomas-Blanding
Port of Virginia
J. Benjamin Unkle
Westminster-Canterbury on the Chesapeake Bay
David Jacobs
David Duck
City of Newport News
Bryan Martin
Coastal Hardware
Sandra Gail Burton
City of Portsmouth
J. Bryan Plumlee
Poole Brooke Plumlee
Harriet Reynolds
Delphine Carnes Law Group
Teresa Kraus
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Brandon Beaverse
Payday Benefits
Valerie Ryland
Sentara
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? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
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? Yes -
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
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/29/2020GuideStar 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 review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- 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 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 engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.