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pARTnership Movement Fact Sheets: 8 Reasons Packet

This packet of fact sheets contains all 8 fact sheets representing each of the 8 Reasons for Businesses and the Arts to Partner. They can be downloaded here as one document, or individually. These fact sheets provide research and examples on leveraging the arts to strengthen arts and business partnerships; and can  be used to make the case for such partnerships.  The 8 Reasons include:  Cultivate Diversity & Empathy: Partnering with the arts allows your employees, company and community to…

Business Contributions to the Arts, 2019 Edition 3

Past Arts + Business Partnership Award Honorees Designated Best Places to Work by HRC

Last week, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation released the latest edition of the Corporate Equality Index— “the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.” For the 2021 edition, 767 companies out of 1,142 participants scored 100%. Of those top scorers, almost 50 companies have been recognized at the Arts + Business Partnership Awards. These companies and many others have understood and…

Nominations Open for 2021 Arts and Business Partnership Awards (Virtual)!

20 Past Arts and Business Partnership Honorees Featured in Just 100

Last month, Forbes released The Just 100: Companies Leading the New Era of Responsible Capitalism. The fourth edition of the Just 100 features companies who understand the importance of how they treat five key stakeholders: workers, customers, communities, shareholders, and the environment. Many of these businesses have also been recipients of the Arts and Business Partnership Awards (formerly the BCA10) for their use of the arts as a strategy to address these five areas. From using the arts…

Kickstarter launches Lights On

Launched during and in response to Covid-19, Kickstarter’s Lights On initiative aims to alleviate the economic burdens currently placed on cultural and arts organizations. Through the Lights On program, arts organizations can now crowdfund essential operational costs, such as rent and utilities. This is a departure from the traditional Kickstarter model, where funds are raised for the creation of new projects or products only. The program has successfully attracted a slew of new users.…

Nominations Open for 2020 Arts and Business Partnership Awards!

The JUST 100 Features Over a Dozen Arts + Business Partnership Awardees

Yesterday, Forbes released The Just 100: Companies Doing Right by America, as reported by JUST Capital. JUST Capital’s rankings come after five years of research, surveying 100,000 Americans about corporate America. The shift in priorities of Americans on the corporate economy are in line with a new framework proposed by the Business Roundtable that proposes all stakeholders, rather than just shareholders must be taken into consideration with a company’s success. JUST Capital reports that the…

2019 Arts and Business Partnerships Awards Recap

On October 3, 2019 Americans for the Arts celebrated the recipients of the 2019 Arts and Business Partnerships Awards at the Loeb Boathouse Central Park. This year’s honorees exemplify the range of businesses partnering with the arts across America. David Machado Restaurants, Doyle Coffin Architecture, Erie Insurance, Grounds for Thought, Jiffy Lube of Indiana, Nokia Bell Labs, Northwestern Mutual, Omaha Steaks, The Marcus Corporation, and Warby Parker were honored. The David Rockefeller…

2019 Arts and Business Roundtable Recap

On October 2, Americans for the Arts hosted an intimate roundtable convening of business leaders to provide a unique opportunity for peer exchange, as well as deeper exploration about the myriad of ways that companies leverage their work with artists and arts organizations to achieve core business and social impact goals. Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts welcomed the group, thanking Aetna for their sponsorship and Liberty Capital Group (formerly The Han Group) for…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Gensler + Access Gallery

Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, believes that as an organization, it bears a responsibility for making communities a better place. With an understanding of its creative core, “Genslerites” are committed to supporting the unique needs of arts organizations and to giving back to the arts community. What began with a phone call in the summer of 2006, looking for graphic designers to mentor teens with disabilities in their summer program, has led to an ever-evolving…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Warby Parker

Eyewear retailer Warby Parker is changing the game. Founded in 2010, the company has grown to over 1,900 employees and nearly 100 stores. Along the way, Warby Parker has made it a goal to show that for-profit companies can do good in the world, and that having literature, art, music, and design as part of the company’s culture has been key to its growth. Its name is an amalgam of two Jack Kerouac characters (Warby Pepper and Zagg Parker) that co-CEO and co-founder Dave Gilboa came across while…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: The Marcus Corporation

The Marcus Corporation is an innovative hospitality and entertainment corporation, a creative economy leader and a long-time supporter of the arts in Milwaukee.  The company and its leaders understand the relationship between businesses, community vitality and the role the arts play in that. Marcus has promoted that collaboration through its support of museums, live performances, and everyday engagement with the arts. In 2017, Steve Marcus, chairman of The Marcus Corporation, began a…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Omaha Steaks

Founded in1917, Omaha Steaks International, Inc. has earned a reputation for its commitment to charitable causes that enhance the lives of others. This fifth-generation company owned by the Simon family has been delivering exceptional experiences that bring people together for more than 100 years. Its support of the cultural arts is a long-standing tradition built on the belief that the arts, like food, are about sharing memorable experiences with family and friends. Omaha Steaks’ support of…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Northwestern Mutual

Since 1992, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation has driven the communities it serves forward by investing in the people who stand up, tune in, and engage every day to ensure that everyone has a chance at a brighter future. Northwestern Mutual Foundation has supported arts organizations like Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, First Stage Children’s Theater, United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), and the Milwaukee Art Museum through financial contributions and board leadership…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Nokia Bell Labs

Nokia Bell Labs has a long history of fusing art and technology to better humanity. From winning Academy Awards to GRAMMYs and to helping create the storied Moon Museum, Nokia Bell Labs has played an integral role in the way technology shapes our world. As the world-renowned industrial research and development arm of Nokia, Nokia Bell Labs acknowledges that engineers and scientists are often trained to be reductionist in their thinking, which can limit their perspective of the world. The…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Grounds for Thought

Grounds for Thought is more than a coffee shop, bookstore, and gathering place—it is a business whose work is based in the belief that supporting the arts is essential for promoting creativity and building a better community. Grounds believes that by investing in the arts and simply providing a location for people to exist and create, it can provide a welcome space for all. Grounds for Thought has supported the arts since its inception in October 1989, marked by a showing of a photo exhibit by…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Jiffy Lube of Indiana

Since 1985, Jiffy Lube of Indiana has been committed to the philosophy of "Growing People Through Work" and to the reality that "Every Part Matters.” Their award-winning "Growing People Through Work” initiative is focused on uplifting team members both in their careers and in their personal lives. The “Every Part Matters” mural project began in 2016 when Indiana franchisee, Steve Sanner, was looking for a way to curb graffiti tagging at his store in Broad Ripple, an artistic and cultural hub in…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Erie Insurance

Erie Insurance understands that the arts are a vital part of a community and an important resource in building inter-community connections. Since 1925, the company has been a community leader in the arts, supporting organizations through grants, sponsorships, donations, service activities, and volunteerism. Even in the midst of industrial and population decline, Erie Insurance doubled down on its investments to make Erie a community of choice. They continue to play a critical role in the…

Arts and Business Partnership Awards Spotlight: Doyle Coffin Architecture

Doyle Coffin Architecture (DCA) is a second-generation architectural firm located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, dedicated to excellence in architectural planning, sustainable design, and their local community. Given that the fields of architecture and the arts are kindred spirits in design, creativity, and thoughtfulness, supporting the arts comes as second nature to Doyle Coffin Architecture. Partners Peter Coffin and John Doyle lead the efforts in supporting the arts and their enthusiasm…

Summa Health Connects Patients to Art and its Healing Powers

Business Spotlight: CEO Connects with the Arts to Develop Strong Teams

Taking the New pARTnership Movement on the Road

Business Spotlight: CEO Shares the Language of Music

Building Courageous Business/Arts pARTnerships