Getting Ready to Talk about the Social Impact of the Arts You Fund

Tuesday, October 15, 10:00am – 11:30am

Organized and moderated by Clayton Lord, vice president of Local Arts Advancement, Americans for the Arts.

Presented by Margy Walker, senior fellow, Topos Partnership; and Erik Takeshita, senior fellow, ArtPlace America.

To help people – regular community members, public and private sector decisionmakers, your boss or board (cough-cough) – understand the full impact and value of the arts projects you're funding, you need a full arsenal of arguments, data, and connections to what they care about most. Almost inevitably, that's not the arts – it's things like health, education, public safety, and job security. In this energizing session, use the interactive Arts + Social Impact Explorer as a jumping off point for a discussion about how local arts agencies, private foundations, and advocacy and service organizations can effectively argue for their impact, continued funding, and supportive policy through the lens of social impact. Talk through why people care about what they care about, how to lean into those value systems, and what communications strategies and tools are out there to help your case. By pairing the hundreds of datapoints and example projects from the field with solid communications strategies, we all can strengthen the connection between people in communities and the arts and culture that surround them. In the end, that helps those communities become healthier, more vibrant, and more equitable!.