Arts Business Collaborative
Providing access to capital, networks, and technical knowledge for BIPOC individuals and institutions in the creative economy
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?
Grassroots Action Project (GAP)
The Grassroots Action Project (GAP) is a comprehensive capacity-building ecosystem that promotes workforce development and economic growth in communities of color. Consisting of four distinct initiatives: the Arts Business Network (ABN); Fiscal Sponsorship Plus (FS+); and the 100% free technical assistance through the ABC Help Desk for which we are known. GAP ensures that nonprofits and social enterprises that are led by Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people of color (POC), serve 51% or more POC and operate with a budget less than $2 million (or fewer than 20 employees for social enterprises) are able to thrive in the creative economy.
1. ABN: a roster of 15 capacity builders of color that provide additional services like accounting, social media strategy and management, strategic planning, executive coaching and leadership development, event production, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) workshops, and Salesforce database administration, etc.
2. FS+: in addition to traditional fiscal sponsorship, ABC offers 2 hours of subsidized technical assistance and a funder introduction each quarter.
3. ABC Help Desk: teaching BPOC entrepreneurs, artists, and leaders how to raise funds, manage their finances, recruit and develop board-level leaders, and build and market their programs through free webinars, one-on-one consulting sessions, and open office hours.
Through GAP, we literally stand in the network, skills, and funding gap between communities and artists of color and their cultural institutions, and the larger economic and social landscape.
Rising Tides Research Institute (RTRI)
Rising Tides Research Institute (RTRI) is an action-oriented research department that conducts projects which contribute to progressive and radical public policies that address the enduring systems of inequalities that have impacted POC, Black people in particular, with a focus on key stakeholders in the arts: artists, business owners, and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, RTRI strategically uses research to support the development of relevant, partner-facing programming capable of adapting to change.
RTRI operates tactically and strategically from the values of integrity and innovation. This means that our systems and processes aim for a highly integrated and designed via a racial equity framework.
RTRI’s departmental vision for impact involves contributing to progressive and radical public policies and methods for advocacy. RTRI envisions its research as an avenue through which to address issues of capital access and facilitate the improvement of economic conditions of POC artists and arts businesses.
Where we work
External reviews
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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
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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.
Arts Business Collaborative
Board of directorsas of 06/08/2023
Kat Bloomfield
ABC
Term: 2022 - 2024
Akil Davis
Curnes Financial Group
Kat Bloomfield
Arts Business Collaborative
Conrhonda Baker
The Bese Saka
Phoenix Jay
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 ? 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? 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
No data
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/04/2021GuideStar 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 analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- 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 disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- 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.
- 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.