Is there anything special arts funders can do to help nonprofits and artists deal with the continued effects of a down economy? Something beyond continued funding opportunities, capacity building, and technical support?

That’s the question The San Francisco Foundation (a participant in Irvine’s Communities Advancing the Arts) and a group of Bay Area arts funders took on halfway through 2009. And the result was a welcome relief from hard times for 700 artists and arts leaders who attended the Dynamic Adaptability conference last week at the historic Herbst Theatre.

An untypical gathering

This conference brought together creative thinkers from arts, neuroscience, business, media and philanthropy for a day of conversations. The idea was not to highlight a single strategy, emphasize a certain type of skill, or support a specific new set of relationships. To the contrary, this was a day to do something different—to be stimulated and inspired, and to turn the tide from one of cautious hope to one of genuine optimism for continued vibrancy in the Bay Area’s diverse arts ecology.

The day was keynoted by Jonah Lehrer, neuroscientist and author of How We Decide and Proust was a Neuroscientist. His rich ability to make insightful connections between art and science was catnip for the group. In the context of deep understanding of the human brain and its dual needs for focus and relaxation, he makes the persuasive point that, “Art is truth. Art teaches us something special about the mind.” In particular, he makes the case that, “Arts are deeply practical in helping us think about thinking.” In this way, arts can play a role in helping people learn new ways of thinking—including creative thinking. It’s a powerful argument.

Informative material, informal exchanges

The conference featured doses of data, including new research from Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) indicating that Bay Area artists are, when compared to their peers nationally:

• More affected financially by the recession (more declines in grant amounts, fewer sales of work, and greater declines in non-arts income)
• More likely to have second jobs in the arts (seven of ten artists nationally hold at least one job in addition to making art)
• More likely to engage in volunteer activities (in and outside of the arts) More likely to say that artists have a special role in strengthening their communities at this time
• More likely to believe that future success will require a new outlook and approach after the economy stabilizes
• More highly educated, less white and African-American, and more Asian and Latino

Brief presentations led to conversations among panels of practitioners and thought leaders on topics such as:

• How has the way that artists engage audiences and markets been affected by the recession? How can we help artists strengthen their connections with their audiences, communities and support systems?
• What inspires people to want to be involved in something beyond themselves, including arts and culture? How can artists and cultural organizations form deeper and more authentic connections with their audiences, donors and communities?
• What are the implications of the demographic and technological changes we are experiencing for arts and cultural organizations? How can we adapt effectively to the evolving environment?

Memorable lessons

The day was a juicy mix of reality check, intellectual calisthenics, and new tools and techniques. A few more highlights:

• Margaret Jenkins, who leads the dance company bearing her name, has navigated through many recessions in 35 years of choreographing community-based dance programs. Her advice spans dance and business: “The only way to keep your balance is to move forward.”
• Perry Chen, CEO of Kickstarter, an online funding platform for artists and other inventors, makes it clear that artists need to make a pointed ask. When artists ask “can you help me?” they will get some response. When they ask “can you help me do X?” they will get a better response. And when they ask “can you help me do X, for which you will get Y?” they get the best response. Donors want to invest in a particular project and outcome, and many really appreciate gaining something (even simple recognition or a pin or a free ticket) in return.
• Philip Huang, founder of Dana Street Theater, and a grantee of the East Bay Community Foundation Fund for Artists, put Perry Chen’s principles to work in a highly animated fashion, making an unexpected bid for arts funding from conference attendees. His new project is street theatre pantomime to be performed in the middle of the night, in view of people working out on the other side of the window in 24-hour exercise facilities. It’s titled Witness to Fitness. Philip’s spontaneous pitch raised nearly $200 of his $300 project funding goal. The trick behind his animated description of the project, his up-front response to questions from the crowd (Q: “Why are you doing this piece.” A: “Art doesn’t need to have a reason.”) and his unabashed request to be “showered with money” is simple. “Thrill yourself,” says Philip, “and the money will come.”

A recurring theme, brought home by several speakers, is the need to always have “faith in our stories.” Artists and arts organization leaders need to keep their stories relevant to donor interests, even if it is a small set of donors who have real interest in the art experience offered, and to make it easy for these donors to become part of the stories. As Perry Chen commented on the colorful and engaging pitch made by Philip Huang, many of those in the audience “will tell this story tonight,” and those who contributed to his art will feel they have “a special place in it.”

Visit the conference website for more information.

The San Francisco Foundation and East Bay Community Foundation are part of Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

Talk about a multiplier effect: Here’s how two community foundations leveraged private foundation dollars to seed a four-city partnership for the arts. It’s an equation worth knowing in regions where acting together is the better path for growing a vibrant, sustainable arts landscape.The action takes place in the East Bay, where the cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond have distinct art scenes. According to mayors Tom Bates, Richard Kassis, Ron Dellums and Gayle McLaughlin, “The East Bay is a region of widely diverse cultural backgrounds. Our arts and culture reflect the region’s demographics.”

By the numbers

The East Bay contains:

• More than 6,000 professional artists
• One of the nation’s largest per capita collections of public art
• A depth and variety of art styles that mirror the diversity of the region—more than 150 languages are spoken in the area; many times that number of culturally specific art forms are practiced
• Hundreds of non-profit visual arts, music, dance, theater, multi-disciplinary and arts education organizations—from established international institutions to start-up neighborhood programs

From culturally specific traditional art forms to edgy and experimental expressions, this geography yields an astonishing array of art. The new four-city collaboration is well founded in promoting “world culture in the east bay.”

Out front and online

The East Bay Cultural Corridor is being marketed as 510Arts. (510 is the telephone area code for the region.) The partner cities worked together to build 510Arts.com as a gateway to arts in Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond. The website establishes a unified identity for all East Bay arts, and provides easy pathways to information about each city’s arts sector and happenings.

Organizations and artists submit information to their respective city arts agency to get placed online. The website is off to a hot start, with artists and arts leaders throughout the East Bay wanting to make sure they are a recognized part of 510Arts.

The website and overall 510Arts brand—including posters and materials that arts organizations can incorporate in their local marketing—were publicly launched through a media event featuring the mayors of all four cities, as well as the funders who made this collaboration possible.

The back story

Arts campaigns are not always easy to make happen. The same can be said for municipal collaborations, public/private partnerships, and foundation/government alliances. Yet all these elements are in the East Bay Cultural Corridor equation.

And the catalysts are two community foundations. East Bay Community Foundation and The San Francisco Foundation are collegial program champions for Bay Area arts. With funding support from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC), and The James Irvine Foundation, and drawing on credibility developed through years of good work with local governments, these community foundations convened arts leaders from the four cities and facilitated a joint planning process.

“We believe collaborations and partnerships are not merely desirable, but are necessary in a world where limited resources must be leveraged for maximum impact,” reported Nicole Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer of the East Bay Community Foundation. “Through this collaboration, we intend to throw a spotlight on the amazing richness of arts resources in these four East Bay cities.”

The process called for equal parts patience and persistence. All players needed to determine their level of comfort with, and assess their level of responsibility in, a collaborative effort. And each needed to in turn work through its own internal processes—which included gaining inputs and support from city administrators, elected officials, and community arts groups and leaders.

Steadily, the process gained momentum. A critical step was defining and having each mayor literally sign off on a formal set of operating principles for the collaboration.

A public declaration for the arts

It’s a terrific example for use in any potential arts collaborative—and for municipal arts partnerships in particular. 

It begins with a preamble, including making a direct connect between local arts and economic progress. Some excerpts…

We, the Mayors of the cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond have come together to state our strong commitment to strengthening the regional economy through creating the East Bay Cultural Corridor.

The intention is to heighten awareness of our cultural landscape, deepen the impact of the arts on their cities, and further the sustainability of artists and arts organizations through arts marketing, economic development and cultural tourism.

The arts drive economies. Creating sustainable arts communities is good business.

From individual artists working and teaching in communities to nationally recognized theatres and museums, the East Bay provides arts experiences that make the area a regional cultural treasure. Its arts presence has contributed to urban development, has a positive impact on local businesses, and has the potential for creating more viable and sustainable communities.

The document goes on to express a purpose for the corridor; two excerpts stand out:

The arts culture in each partner city has different components, different strengths, and different ways in which it interacts with the larger community. This collaboration between these cities was created in recognition of this, and the knowledge that working together creates opportunity for a cultural presence with wider impact than each city could have individually.

We see this partnership as the beginning of a wider regional collaboration between government, arts and culture, and business in the years to come.

Next come five objectives that codify the win/win nature of this collaboration (each is further described in the full document):

1. Create a Relationship Between the Diverse Arts Communities of Each City
2. Leverage New Audiences and Resources for the Arts
3. Increase the Visibility, Accessibility and Sustainability of Arts Communities
4. Leverage New Resources for Each Partner City
5. Benefit Local Businesses Through Partnerships with the Arts, Regionally and Locally

Finally, a set of “principles of partnership” explicitly set out the expectations for each city—ranging from agreement that each has equal representation in the process to acknowledging that each has responsibility for completing its assigned activities in a joint work plan to launch and sustain the collaboration. See the full document here.

A happy beginning

Three of the mayors, as well as executive leaders for the foundations that sponsored this partnership, were center stage in a media event introducing the East Bay Cultural Corridor and 510Arts.com.

The good feeling among players, and high hopes for long-term success, were evident. “The San Francisco Foundation is honored to join forces with the East Bay Community Foundation, our sister funders, and the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville and Richmond, to lift up the importance of arts and culture in the Bay Area,” commented CEO Sandra R. Hernández. “We look forward to the diverse fruits of this creative partnership.”

Media coverage was positive, leading people to 510.arts.com and emphasizing the cities’ shared goal of increasing the visibility, accessibility and sustainability of their arts communities.

Plus, the commitment—and structure—for the long term is in place. The four-city leadership group convened by the community foundations is now meeting on a monthly basis, and developing a regional advisory group made up of artists and nonprofit arts leaders, to steer the effort into the future.

Most meetings take place at the East Bay Community Foundation—a welcoming and productive place for multiplying the impact of individual actions.

East Bay Community Foundation and The San Francisco Foundation are participants in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

This is the story of what a community—even one facing economic and social issues—can do to stake a claim for arts, and of how a community foundation can spark this public commitment.

California’s challenges are visible in its capital, where images of a tent city housing hundreds displaced by the economic downturn make international news.

Sacramento Region Community Foundation is active on many fronts to address human needs at this time of crisis, and has made a point of keeping arts very much in the mix of its local leadership agenda. The community foundation sponsored a series of high-profile spring events through its Advancing Sacramento Arts initiative, including a lively discussion with Michael Kaiser, President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In front of a packed house at a local performing arts venue, Michael was interviewed by a local arts leader.

Ten tips from an arts turnaround expert

Michael spoke to over 200 arts leaders, drawing on his experience and writing to share insights on how arts organizations can survive—even thrive—in a down economy. In a nutshell, here are his ten basic rules for every turnaround:

1. Someone must lead.
2. The leader must have a plan.
3. You cannot “save” your way to health.
4. Focus on today and tomorrow, not yesterday.
5. Extend your programming planning calendar.
6. Marketing is more than brochures and advertisements.
7. There must be only one spokesman and the message must be positive.
8. Fundraising must focus on the larger donor, but don’t aim too high.
9. The board must allow itself to be restructured.
10. The organization must have the discipline to follow each of these rules.

View the entire 90 minute event, including Michael’s complete message, by watching this video.

Connecting with public interest

One of the invitees to this event was new Sacramento mayor, Kevin Johnson. Michael Kaiser’s message immediately resonated with the mayor’s vision for the city—causing him to adjust his calendar to spend more time at this community event. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Johnson announced an initiative titled For Art’s Sake—establishing arts as a vital plank in the platform for making Sacramento a world-class city.

The mayor has proceeded to form a multi-sector coalition for the arts, to name a liaison to the arts community, and to initiate a popular and well-publicized process for creating new relationships and programs supporting the arts. He cites both the economic and cultural contributions of the arts. “Performing arts, visual arts and literary arts—we need all three to reach the potential of what Sacramento can be,” the mayor said in his speech. “Our commitment: We are going to promote the arts in a real way.”

Sacramento Region Community Foundation is at the table with the mayor and area leaders, finding ways to help strengthen For Art’s Sake while seeking ways to link it to programming and donor interests.

For the community foundation, it’s all about leverage—and leadership.

Sacramento Region Community Foundation is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

What can a community do when economic recession threatens local arts organizations and makes donors cautious about their giving? In Sonoma County, these scary circumstances led to a strategy for showcasing local arts—while helping donors reconnect to their passion for creativity in community.

If you’re looking for ways to make the case for arts in a community suffering hard times, you won’t want to miss the appeal of Dana Gioia. Dana is an internationally acclaimed poet and the recent Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. His 13-minute talk is powerful, moving and funny.

Dana’s remarks were a big part of an even bigger event that generated $130,000 in crucial arts funding.

Sonoma’s recipe for success

• Select five local arts nonprofits to feature, drawing from both proven and promising organizations. Make sure all are in tune with a spirit of cooperation—this event was about celebrating community arts, not competing for arts dollars!
• Recruit three world-class artists to perform in an intimate setting, accompanied by wonderful food, great local wine and beautiful scenery. The venue was an area winery with an impressive art collection and sweeping views of the Sonoma valley.
• Make it easy for each nonprofit, as well as the community foundation, to engage a set of its donors and prospective donors. The community foundation underwrote the event, so there was no cost to the participating nonprofits. These arts organizations were encouraged to position the event with their invitees in the manner they deemed best. Most asked attendees to make a donation as part of the invitation process—and received amounts ranging from $250 to $1,000. Others positioned this as a no-admission-fee event honoring invitees for their support.
• Announce that the community foundation is providing $50,000 as an incentive match for any attendees interested in contributing funds to the arts organizations feted at the event. This message was delivered as part of the invitation process, and reiterated at the event.
• Treat the audience to a profound artistic experience, featuring musical inspiration from baritone Rod Gilfry and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, plus Dana’s poetry.
• Deliver (via Dana) a passionate address connecting vibrant arts to community vitality, and issue a call for local philanthropists to step forward at this time of economic challenge.
• Combine this strong call with a soft ask. Attendees knew they were welcome to contribute and take advantage of community foundation matching funds (which applied to gifts made before, during or after the event), but no specific amounts were requested, and no “hard sell” was conducted. The tone for the evening was that of a thank you more so than a fundraiser. Donors responded positively, writing checks and making pledges for nearly $80,000 in new funds.

This video below documenting the development and presentation of the event performance provides a wonderfully produced example for community foundations interested in implementing similar programs locally.

Both videos referenced in this post have an ongoing life—each is being used in the context of small group donor parties.

Breaking new ground

The strategy for An Evening of Song & Poetry involved some first steps with lasting benefits. It brought about productive collaboration among five arts organizations—including the first-ever sharing of donor lists. It helped a key group of local arts donors gain a broader perspective on the arts community. And it placed the community foundation squarely in a leadership role, together with its partner, the Arts Council of Sonoma County.

Community Foundation Sonoma County is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

John Killacky is on a quest for relevance. He fears that many grantmakers will establish new priorities and initiatives regardless of what the field of dance actually needs. He calls for foundations and arts organizations alike to hone their ability to adapt to changing times—emphasizing that being dynamic is as important as building endowment when it comes to long-term success.

These views are put forward in an article in VoiceofDance.com written by Killacky, who is program officer for arts and culture at The San Francisco Foundation.

Four trends of note

Killacky examines current trends transforming how dance is supported, accessed, engaged with, and popularized. Here are the trends, and a sample of his commentary on each:

• Race and ethnicity: “As our country continues to diversify, fairness and parity issues will demand that foundations consider future grantmaking through a racial equity lens.”
• Friendraising: “If there is any potential for growth (in arts nonprofit funding), it is in expanding individual donor bases.”
• Cyberspace: “Dancemakers can learn from media colleagues, making sure choreography is conceived for multiple platforms, the stage behind the fourth wall only being one of them.”
• Mass appeal: “Ever since the early ‘90s when ‘Got Milk?’ ads appeared, dance wondered how it could similarly capture public imagination. The reality now is that it has.”

In covering these trends, Killacky provides examples of practical responses—ways The San Francisco Foundation, other funders, and nonprofits can move into the future of dance.

The San Francisco Foundation is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

Arts funders and nonprofits agree: We are in an unprecedented time of financial distress, and no one knows when we will reach bottom. This new reality is causing reactions that range from caution to crisis in arts organizations.

“We’re seeing lots of white knuckle behavior at the moment,” reports one community foundation CEO. “Arts leaders are hanging on with everything they have and trying to prepare for what may be an even scarier ride to come.”

Much is being written to help provide perspective and practical suggestions to foundations whose concern for arts nonprofits is rising at the very moment when grantmaking assets are plummeting. This post provides summaries and links to some of these resources.

Don’t assume giving will go backward

Starting with a positive, a recent report indicates that, while charitable giving is affected by a roiling economy, the impact is not nearly as much as might be expected. In fact, tracking the numbers since 1969 shows that total giving in the U.S. has risen (in current dollars) every year but 1987—including many years that represented slow or negative economic growth. Of course, the rate of increase in giving is often less in lean years. The report Giving During Recessions and Economic Slowdowns (Giving USA 2008, Giving USA Foundation™) is available for purchase at www.givingusa.org

Keep investing, and making personal asks

In hard times, arts groups should continue to invest in and publicize their art, according to Michael M. Kaiser, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. And Ronald Levy, president of Lincoln Center counsels that this is a good time to remember that “shoe leather trumps mail” when it comes to development efforts. “It is harder to turn down a request to meet face to face for 50 minutes than a written proposal for $50,000,” says Mr. Levy. And don’t let a “no” discourage you. “For great fund-raisers,” he writes, “’no’ is just the beginning of a conversation.” These excerpts are from The Nonprofit’s Guide to Surviving a Downturn, The New York Times, November 11, 2008.

www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/giving/11ARTS.html?_r=1&ref=giving&p

Stay in the know

The Foundation Center’s new online feature, Focus on the Economic Crisis, provides an array of resources to help nonprofits and foundations alike as they face the challenges of an unstable economy. Updated regularly, it contains news, interviews, research, blog posts, and podcasts about the crisis and its impact on philanthropy—as well as information on training and scholarships that will help grantseekers become better fundraisers in an increasingly competitive environment.

http://foundationcenter.org/focus/economy/

Check out additional resources

Crisis or Bad News: A Solid Crisis Plan is Your Lifeline
Crisis communications guidance; from the Communications Network

20 Emergency Funding Sources for Nonprofits
Ideas for revenue sources that can be accessed quickly; from the consulting staff at Fieldstone Alliance

Managing in Tough Times: 7 Steps
Insights and advice from experts in the field to help organizations weather the current economic storm; from the Bridgespan Group

Emergency Hardship Scholarships/Grants to Individuals
Keys for foundations to satisfy charitable purpose requirements in providing relief to persons impoverished as a result of low income or lack of financial resources; from the Council of Michigan Foundations

Changing Times Call For Foundations To Try New, Innovative Approaches To Sustain Nonprofits
Opportunities for foundations to more effectively serve nonprofits; from the Council of Michigan Foundations

Strategies for Foundations to Save Resources
Advice for coping with dwindling resources; from the Financial Times

A to Z Survival Guide for Uncertain Times
Tips for addressing financial challenges; from PhilanTopic

Making Informed Decisions in Uncertain Times [PDF]
A report on the impact of the economic downturn on community foundations, including information on grantmaking, spending policies, budget implications and communicating with stakeholders; from Community Foundation Insights

Weathering an Uncertain Economy [PDF]
Research on the impact of economic slowdowns on charitable giving; from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University

A Survival Kit for Fundraising in a Bad Economy
Tools for fundraisers, including articles, advice, books, and web and audio conferences; from the Association of Fundraising Professionals

8 Ideas for Finding New Donors in Today’s Economy
Advice for acquiring donors; from The NonProfit Times

Today’s challenges, Tomorrow’s Strength Nonprofits can Avoid Pitfalls – and Even Grow – in Tough Times [PDF]
Guidance for leading nonprofits through economic uncertainty; from Achieve

Bracing for Lean Times Ahead
Article on the impact of the economic crisis on philanthropy; from The New York Times

Hold a key thought

And keep in mind these words from George C. Ruotolo Jr. (chair of Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits)…

“Charities with a clear and compelling case and an established, loyal donor constituency will continue to succeed, even in difficult times.”

www.givingusa.org/press_releases/gusa/Giving during recessions 2008.pdf

This post is assembled in support of Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

Where is art? Thanks to SparkOC.com, that’s a question of the past for cultural consumers in Orange County. The area’s arts council and community foundation teamed to create a one-stop info source for area residents and visitors.

This website is a central element in a larger strategy to celebrate and stimulate creativity throughout Orange County—a place where 64 percent of residents say that they or their family members create or participate in arts (research report).

This comprehensive vehicle features a searchable calendar of arts events; a directory of local organizations, venues and schools; classified listings for jobs, auditions and classes; and individual artist profiles. As part of the Artsopolis Network, it’s in a growing movement to effectively promote local arts and culture via the internet.

Something for everyone

SparkOC.com is a go-to place for all performance and exhibition information. It promotes theatre, dance, music and visual arts offered by more than 140 organizations and venues in Orange County. Online users also can find activities based on their interests in youth and family activities; classes and workshops; poetry and literature; festivals; events unique to Orange County, including History and Heritage, Science and Nature; and free public shows in all categories.

In addition, the site includes listings of special events and fundraising galas offered by arts and culture organizations, as well as weekly half-price ticket offers available exclusively through SparkOC.com.

“The goal of SparkOC.com is to inspire a groundswell of creativity and imagination throughout Orange County by increasing involvement with the arts,” said Richard Stein, executive director of Arts Orange County, which, together with the Orange County Community Foundation, developed the site. “SparkOC.com allows everyone to be in the know about the Orange County arts scene.”

SparkOC.com was developed in response to a landmark 2006 Cultural Indicators study   commissioned by Arts Orange County and the Orange County Community Foundation which found that 92% of residents agree on the importance of a vibrant cultural sector in the community, and that most said they would go to more arts and cultural events if they could find the information easily.

Orange County Community Foundation is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

While everyone figured the local arts scene in this Southern California area was booming, the Ventura County Community Foundation decided to get the facts. It turns out that arts are bigger news than anyone knew. The number of nonprofit arts organizations reporting more than $25,000 in revenues nearly doubled since 1996. Plus, at a total economic contribution of $121 million, these nonprofits are a major player in the financial mix—contributing to a regional arts economy that is on par with agriculture and construction.

It’s all in Ventura County and the Arts: Impact and Opportunity for Community. The report takes a holistic look at the state of arts in the region: arts’ scale, scope, and economic significance; the nature and needs of arts organizations and artists at work locally; levels of arts participation; and programs for arts education.  Research findings are in turn fueling strategies for ArtsLIVE in Ventura County, a multi-year initiative to strengthen local arts organizations and support local artists.

Key Findings

The following facts help paint the picture of the local arts landscape—and its contribution to community vitality.

1. Arts organizations in Ventura County are growing in numbers and size. Between 1996 and 2008, the number of nonprofit arts organizations in Ventura County registered with the IRS has grown from 213 to 312, and the number of those filing 990’s (forms required for organizations reporting income of over $25,000) increased from 84 to 158. The total revenue of these organizations increased from $10.6 million in 1996 to more than $74 million in returns sampled in 2008.
2. Arts organizations employ or involve thousands of people in Ventura County. Nearly 140 arts organizations surveyed are estimated to employ more than 2,000 people and about 1,000 artists, and involve nearly 8,000 board members and volunteers.
3. The arts boost the local economy significantly. Nonprofit arts organizations in Ventura County bring more than $121 million to the regional economy, are responsible for nearly 2100 jobs in the county and contribute a total of $21 million of tax payment to various branches of government.
4. The arts span all sectors of the economy. Nearly two-thirds of the arts organizations in Ventura County are nonprofit organizations, just over a quarter are for-profit businesses, and 5% are governmental.
5. The arts represent big regional impact. Arts-related businesses in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and part of San Luis Obispo County generate nearly $2.1 billion in economic benefits, including supporting nearly 20,000 jobs. The arts sector contributes about the same amount to the regional economy as Ventura County’s agricultural production, construction or wholesale trade industries.

Ventura County Community Foundation is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

All local arts organizations seek financial sustainability. Getting there, however, can be a challenge—even for the most established nonprofits. Community foundations are working to help, and in Monterey County the process begins with a simple but strategic self-assessment tool.

”Our goal is to help arts organizations reflect on their existing strengths, resources and readiness to undertake different fund development strategies,” says Kaki Rusmore, Management Assistance Program Officer at the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

Charting success in three dimensions

Applicants to the Communities Advancing the Arts grant fund of the community foundation receive a ready-to-use tool. This single page was squeezed down from a more complex assessment used in earlier capacity-building efforts. It helps nonprofit leaders think about three essential components in their fund development work.

• Strategy: Considering the optimal mix of revenues by category (earned income, donations, grants, endowment) and by fund source (individuals, businesses, government, foundations); and identifying activities used to generate funds (campaigns, events, donor cultivation, grant proposals)
• Systems: Assessing the organization’s planning process, database management capabilities and ongoing approaches to implementing—and improving—fund development actions
• People: Taking stock of the skills and knowledge of both staff and volunteers related to the roles most essential to fund development, and measuring the extent to which all internal parties are fully on board with fund development efforts

This self-assessment is conducted as part of the application process for first-year funding within a program that spans three years overall. The assessment guides grantees in measuring their strengths and challenges as they develop a proposal for individualized capacity building in fund development. And it’s a critical first step in creating a fund development plan.

”We want to help each nonprofit group identify strategies that would fit with their organization’s mission, audience and future plans,” reports Kaki. ”Once the groups are funded, these initial assessments will be the basis for a more in-depth assessment with a consultant. Based on the full assessments, the groups hold board and staff retreats to discuss and create fund development plans that can be implemented in years two and three.”

This capacity-building program began through Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

Check back in December to learn more about how this tool worked for the groups involved.

Every work of art tells a story. In Monterey County, stories of life told through art are fueling the emotional well-being, cultural pride, and civic engagement of local groups. It’s happening through Mi Vida/Mi Pueblo (My Life/My Town).

A series of art workshops in and around the agricultural community of Greenfield brought together mothers, fathers and family members of all ages. These workshops led to exhibits of poetry, paintings, photographs, videos, books and narratives inspired by the artists’ personal experiences in this community.

Making connections

“It was an opportunity to bring the arts to an underserved region of our county,” according to Judy Sulsona, Executive VP for the Community Foundation for Monterey County. “And it was an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of arts to the health of a community, particularly as a vehicle for preserving and celebrating cultural identity, which is essential to the mental health of individuals and families within diverse groups.”

Mi Vida/Mi Pueblo was a true collaboration. It involved local libraries, governments, arts nonprofits, the Arts Council for Monterey County, First Night Monterey, and the Community Foundation through its Communities Advancing the Arts (CAA) and Poder Popular programs. The workshops engaged more than 50 people—ranging in age from 6 to 70. A summer exhibit and accompanying reception were big hits as well.

Expanded impact

The reach of the Mi Vida/Mi Pueblo project went well beyond Greenfield.

The summer exhibit, held in June, included entertainment by young musicians from the Alisal Center for the Fine Arts (a CAA grantee). County Board of Supervisors member, Simon Salinas, congratulated all participants and shared his enthusiasm for the arts as a community resource and inspiring force in the lives of local children and families.

Earlier in the year, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco had curated an exhibition of the original work created in the Mi Vida/Mi Pueblo workshops. The works were on display in January 2008 and included photography, painting, story-writing, puppetry, and poetry. Each work told the compelling story of its individual artist, reflecting her/his life experience living in Monterey County. Forty-five Greenfield workshop participants attended the opening reception of the exhibit; they were bused to San Francisco by First Night Monterey.

New levels of public visibility—and support

The power of Mi Vida/Mi Pueblo is gaining the attention and commitment of public officials.

Greenfield City administrators want to include space for an arts center and classes in local development plans, to support an arts booth at the popular weekly farmers market, and to find other ways to include arts in youth and career development programs.

This project was launched through Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation, and is now sustained through the collaborative efforts of First Night Monterey, the Arts Council for Monterey County and the Community Foundation.

Who knew? A surprising 64 percent of residents say that they or their family members create or participate in arts. It’s a fact that shows the value of research, and it came from the Orange County Cultural Indicators Report, this community’s first-ever study of arts giving and donor perceptions. The study was conducted by the Orange County Community Foundation and Arts Orange County. The attached report describes resident values and behavioral drivers related to the arts. It includes the case for investing in a creative community, a review of the research findings summarized below, and a set of recommendations for advancing the arts and culture sector.

Key findings

1. Orange County residents agree on the importance of a vibrant cultural sector in Orange County and recognize the social and personal benefits of the arts: 64 percent revealed that they or their immediate family members actively create or participate in the arts.
2. A deepening relationship with the arts leads to attendance and financial investment. Research reinforced that early or informal family involvement in the arts are the strongest drivers for future attendance.
3. The county’s nonprofit arts sector is young and undercapitalized. Seventy-five percent of local arts organizations were founded in the last 35 years.
4. Orange County residents place a high priority on the importance of the arts in the development and education of children. A remarkable 98 percent of residents agree that arts are critical for the education and development of children.
5. Orange County has a unique set of cultural assets that tells the story of the county’s cultural history and creates the cultural face it presents to the world. The County of Orange and its 34 cities have the capability to leverage these cultural assets to help create a unique sense of place for Orange County residents and visitors.
6. Leadership at all levels will be required to make Orange County a more creative community. These leaders can be bolstered by evidence of community support: 92 percent of residents agree on the importance of a vibrant cultural sector in Orange County.

This activity was conducted as part of Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

While lots of communities want to build a creative economy, too few are able to pull everyone together around a plan. Not so in Monterey County, where collaboration, research and dialogue led to a countywide blueprint for collective action. The process was led by the Community Foundation for Monterey County in tandem with the Arts Council for Monterey County. And it produced the first comprehensive approach to advancing local arts and culture.

Seeing the big picture

The attached report states the case for investing in a creative economy. It then presents goals, recommended strategies, and a timeline for implementing an action plan to advance this creative economy over a five-year period. It addresses the role of arts and culture in community life, makes a case for increased donor support to sustain arts and culture as part of a vibrant region, and describes an approach for increasing cultural patronage. It includes a review of local demographic trends pertinent to the arts.

Purpose and goals

The purpose of this planning was three-fold:

1. To guide actions of and collaborations among artists, arts agencies and arts educators regarding research, program development and public awareness
2. To guide public and private investment, including an array of short-term and long-term loans, grants and earned revenues
3. To guide the Arts Council for Monterey County in leading countywide research, planning, advocacy and support

Four goals resulted from this process:

• Develop greater participation in Monterey County’s culture and creative activities by residents and visitors
• Build and strengthen the creative industries as a major economic cluster in the region
• Make effective use of arts, culture and creative opportunities to promote vibrant and healthy communities, including education and workforce development
• Develop visible support mechanisms to nurture and promote arts, culture and creativity

This planning activity was conducted as part of Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

Less public support for arts is the trend in many communities. Monterey County has reversed the pattern. Here is a happy story of increased commitment to arts by a local government, and of collaboration between a community foundation and arts council to make it happen. It begins in the context of public sector budgets.

Monterey County, like virtually all local governments in California, has faced severe financial pressures in recent years. In response to these challenges, county funding of the Arts Council declined from a 2003/04 high of more than $500,000 to less than $95,000 in 2006/07.

Based on continued budget concerns, county staff’s recommendation for 2007/08 funding was $120,000.

A winning combination

Working in tandem, the Arts Council of Monterey County and the Community Foundation for Monterey County engaged the County Board of Supervisors to revisit this recommendation. By emphasizing the vital role of arts and culture in economic development (Monterey continues to be a hot spot for national festivals as well as a welcome home for emerging and established artists) and in quality of life (for current residents plus those considering locating to the region), these community leaders helped the Board of Supervisors rethink the emphasis given arts in the county budget.

The result: an increase in funding to more than $300,000 for 2007/08.

Even better, the Supervisors committed to restore and revitalize the historic formula (abandoned in recent years) for ensuring that arts have significant support from the county’s coffers.

According to Paulette Lynch, Executive Director of the Arts Council for Monterey County, the visible involvement of the community foundation was essential to helping county leaders understand the broad-reaching impact of the arts, as well as the value of investing in a creative economy. Following the Board of Supervisors’ action, her note to community foundation colleagues concluded, “Thanks to you all, the arts are back on track in Monterey County and poised to take a leadership role in the creative economy.”

The Community Foundation for Monterey County is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

San Diego has lots of arts and culture. But no one really knew how much the community cared about this arena… until the community foundation took a look. This research project studied who in the community is involved (or not) in the arts. It measured commitment to arts. And it examined the state of the nonprofit arts sector. The study was commissioned by The San Diego Community Foundation.

The attached report captures results of the study. It describes the role of arts and culture in community life, makes a case for increased donor support to sustain arts and culture as part of a vibrant region, and presents a plan for increasing cultural patronage. It includes an overview of the research methodology used.

Key findings

Five items headlined the results of this study.

1. Cultural participation needs to be deepened and expanded.
2. San Diego’s arts and culture community is under-funded.
3. People care about the arts: two-thirds of San Diegans would be willing to pay more taxes to support arts and culture.
4. The region places high priority on increasing arts education.
5. The San Diego Foundation should be a catalyst to help strengthen the arts and culture community.

Today, the foundation has advanced beyond this initial research to create a set of strategies for deepening the connection of arts to community throughout the San Diego area.

This research activity was conducted as part of Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.