It's easy to form a partnership with the arts that will produce returns for your company, the arts and your community.
These partnerships with the arts can take many forms:

• Products and Services
  
• Volunteer Initiatives
  
• Marketing, Advertising, Employee and Community Relations Tie-Ins
  
• Financial Assistance

Here are eight easy steps to help you get started:

1. Determine why your company wants to invest in the arts.
   • To help the arts acheive their goals and better sserve the community.
   • Network with others in your community.
   • Heighten awareness of your company and its products and services.
   • Attract employees and increase job satisfaction.
   • Enhance relationships with existing and new customers.
   • Set your company apart from competitors.
   • Increase the bottom line.
   
   
2. Get to know the arts in your community.
   • Read about the arts in your local newspapers and magazines.
   • Talk with your local arts council and individuals who are involved with the arts to learn about visual and performing arts organizations in your community.
   • Attend performances and exhibitions to learn which organizations interest you and fit your business interests.
   • Ask your employees and customers what arts organizations are of interest to them.
   
   
3. Determine which arts organizations are right for your business.
   • Identify arts organizations that reach your present and future customers.
   • Identify those that will enhance your relationship with customers, employees, community and government leaders, educators and other business people.
   
   
4. Meet with arts organizations that meet your business objectives.
   • Discuss your company's objectives and ask about the objectives of the arts organization.
   • Explore creative ways that your company and the arts organization might work together to achieve mutual goals.
   
   
5. Make business decisions.
   • Determine how your company wants to structure its partnership with the arts - donated services and products, volunteer initiatives, advertising, marketing and public relations, employee and community relations collaboration or financial assistance.
   • Designate a person in the company to manage the partnership.
   • Develop ways to incorporate employees, customers and clients in the partnership.
   • If a long term partnership, structure the goals, scope, budget and schedule, and assign responsibilities for organizing and maintaining the partnership.
   
   
6. Spread the word.
   • Make customers, clients and the community aware of your company's involvement with the arts with media releases, point of sale and promotional materials and by hosting special events in connection with the arts organization or project.
   • Incorporate information about your involvement with the arts in company advertisements
   • Develop customer promotions such as ticket give-aways, contests and special incentives.
   
   
7. Measure your success.
   • Determine the reactions of employees, customers, clients and the community to the arts organization or project your company supported.
   • Track increases in new business and sales leads resulting from your involvement with the arts.
   
   
8. Think about doing it again.
   • Consider continuing your partnership with the arts by undertaking another project.
   • Get other non-competitive businesses to join your company in a partnership with the arts.
   • Become a spokesperson in your community for business partnerships with the arts.
     

Products and Services

By donating products and services to the arts, your company can broaden awareness of what it offers, develop networking and generate sales opportunities. At the same time, this will strengthen the operations of the arts by providing professional expertise and items that arts organizations may not have the financial resources to obtain.
For example:

• Host lectures, workshops and meetings organized by arts organizations in your company's facilities.
• Provide space in your lobby, parking facilities and other public areas for arts events and exhibitions
• Provide office, meeting and special events space within your company's offices and real estate properties for meetings and special gatherings of arts organizations.
  

Volunteer Initiatives

By encouraging your employees to volunteer their services to the arts, your company can develop networking and new business opportunities; meet opinion-makers and community leaders; and offer your employees and their families opportunities to become more engaged in community activities. At the same time, your company will help the arts augment their management and professional skills and reduce their operating expenses. Employee volunteers can:

• Assist with fundraising events, phonathons, auctions, dinners, press briefings and other events.
• Design, write and print brochures, invitations, programs, posters and press materials for performances, exhibitions and events.
• Undertake the leadership of a special fundraising project, such as a capital campaign or an endowment fund.
• Serve on the boards of arts organizations.
  

Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, and Employee and Community Relation Collaboration.

By creating advertising, marketing and public relations tie-ins, your company and the arts can maximize resources and reach new markets. For example:

• Incorporate artists, arts organizations and works of art as graphic elements and themes in your company's advertising campaign.
• Underwrite the cost of printing an arts organization's tickets for a season and place your company's name on the back of each ticket.
• Develop point-of-sales items, bill inserts, product tags and labels, and Web site banners featuring and promoting the arts.
• Develop an on-site promotion such as special shopping hours during which the arts and other community organizations are showcased. Designate a percentage of sales to donate to an arts organization.
• Use tickets to performances and arts events as premiums to promote products and services.
  

Financial Assistance

By providing financial assistance to the arts, your company can enhance its presence in its operating areas, increase awareness of its products and services and strengthen its position as a concerned member of the community. At the same time your company will enable the arts to achieve their missions and undertake special projects. For example:

• Purchase tickets for performances and exhibitions and distribute them to your employees, schoolchildren and underserved individuals in the community.
• Encourage your employees to support the arts by offering to match their personal gifts with financial support from your company.
• Assume the sponsorship of a performance, an exhibition or an arts organization's fundraising event, such as a gala, dinner or summer outdoor performance series.
• Sponsor a K-12 arts education program in public schools.

Would your company like guidance in developing a partnership with the arts? Order "Invest A Little. Get A Lot", call 718.482.9900 or e-mail Emily Peck at epeck@bcainc.org.