Posted on November 12th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Ventura County Research
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. Read more »
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Posted on October 24th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Cultural Engagement in California’s Inland Regions
A middle-schooler streams YouTube videos. A family shares its heritage through a holiday skit. A baby boomer starts a garage band. Today, many forms of cultural engagement take place off the radar of traditional nonprofit arts organizations.
How can community foundations help arts organizations better support the broad range of cultural engagement in diverse and changing communities? In particular, how can this support be provided more effectively and equitably? These questions are at the center of Cultural Engagement in California’s Inland Regions, research that explores patterns of cultural engagement in two rapidly growing, ethnically diverse areas: the San Joaquin Valley and the Inland Empire. Read more »
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Posted on October 15th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
San Diego Arts & Culture Working Group
Relevance. Responsiveness. Relationships. Any community foundation working in arts and culture wants more of each. The San Diego Foundation grows these assets through its Arts & Culture Working Group.
It’s an approach adopted in 2003 to connect community members to community foundation initiatives. Through this collaboration with volunteers, The San Diego Foundation can better address community and donor needs, be a more effective grantmaker, connect to new donors, and establish a stronger voice for local arts and culture. Read more »
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Posted on September 11th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Guest post from Jerry Yoshitomi
What’s your earliest memory of the arts?
Chances are, your recollection made you smile. That’s a testimony to the power of the personal question–and the way it can help you engage donors in community arts. Read more »
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Posted on August 27th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Planning guide
Art brings people together. So it’s natural for community foundations to place art—and artists—at the center of events intended to deepen donor engagement. The opportunities for creativity are endless. Receptions in private sculpture gardens, intimate readings by award-winning authors, road trips to major galleries, dinners celebrating up-and-coming artists, and behind-the-scenes tours are just a few ways donor events are taking place around California. Read more »
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Posted on August 7th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Assessing Fund Development Capacity in Monterey
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.
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Posted on July 24th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Mi Vida/Mi Pueblo, Greenfield, Calif.
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. Read more »
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Posted on July 17th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Sacramento Arts Blog
A bigger table means room for more people. Sacramento Region Community Foundation is expanding the table—virtually—with a blog aimed at encouraging conversation about local arts. It’s at advancesacarts.blogspot.com, and it supports multiple gatherings that are taking place around a single question: What’s the best way to bring new, long-term resources to arts organizations in Sacramento? Read more »
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Posted on June 26th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Sonoma County
Emerging Artist Awards 2008
It’s one program with two benefits. The Sonoma County Artist Awards boost the reputations of working artists early in their careers, and raise public awareness of local arts. The awards are a collaboration of the arts community, with leadership from the county’s Arts Council and Community Foundation. Read more »
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Posted on June 6th, 2008 by Advance the Arts Admin
Why Support the Arts?
It’s a communications conundrum. Community arts leaders have plenty to say about why donors should invest in this arena, but it can be challenging to find the best ways to express these messages.
There’s the question of what to state first. Some professionals say lead with instrumental benefits—the role arts play in boosting economic development or helping kids learn, for example—and establish these bottom-line societal advantages right up front. Others say it’s better to promote intrinsic benefits—the ways arts evoke an emotive response—and get started by making a more intimate human connection. Read more »
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