When the Trump administration threatened to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this year, the move sent a wave of panic rolling through arts and culture nonprofits.
“To dismantle the NEA could have a domino effect on arts funding across the board for all types of arts groups,” said Traci Lester, executive director of the National Dance Institute.
Arts and culture groups have dodged that bullet for now: On April 30 Congress rejected the proposed cuts. The two agencies are now set to receive increases of $2 million apiece when the president signs the stopgap spending bill for the remainder of the 2017 federal budget, which he is scheduled to do on May 5.
The Trump administration’s hostility toward the endowments, however, has galvanized arts leaders, who have vowed to find smarter ways to make the case to lawmakers that their work matters and to explain why any future plans to dissolve or cut the federal endowments would be disastrous for many local arts nonprofits and the people and neighborhoods they serve.
The legendary New York City Ballet dancer Jacques d’Amboise started National Dance institute in 1976 to teach schoolchildren teamwork and how to strive for excellence in their studies and in their lives.
The group maintains close partnerships with public schools, something Ms. Lester emphasizes when trying to show policy makers the organization’s value.
Experts say no matter what kind of programs you run, it is most important to show elected officials how your organization has a positive economic and social impact on its constituents.
The best way to do that is through a combination of data and storytelling.
Data Speaks Volumes
Showing the number of jobs your group creates, and how it benefits the local or national economy, is a smart tactic to illustrate your organization’s value. For example, one jaw-dropping figure is how much performances, exhibits, and other arts and culture programs contribute to the national economy: $730 billion in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“In today’s world, economy and jobs data is at the top of what lawmakers care about, but other data matters, too,” says Bob Lynch, who leads the national advocacy group, Americans for the Arts.
Mr. Lynch cites a few statistics: About 87 percent of Americans think arts and culture are important to quality of life, and 82 percent think they are important to local businesses and the economy.
Americans for the Arts collects data on the economic impact of arts and culture organizations, and DataArts offers free data, analysis, and other insights for and about arts and culture organizations.
Beth Tuttle, who leads DataArts, echoes the assertion that arts leaders need to do more than simply show economic impact.
Arts and culture groups are being asked to do much more for society than in the past, she says. So, if applicable, it’s smart to remind policy makers that your nonprofit supports underserved populations, such as immigrants or veteran populations, and participates in neighborhood redevelopment.
“All those areas of connections are where artists and arts groups are really advancing the spokes of public good,” says Ms. Tuttle.
She advises arts leaders and their staffs to build their data skills so they will know how to share the information with busy legislators. (Her organization offers classes and other resources on that topic and others).
Powerful Storytelling
Ms. Tuttle and Mr. Lynch caution that data alone won’t tell the whole story. Numbers and analysis must be paired with powerful human stories or personal testimonials to impress upon lawmakers the full range of ways in which arts and culture groups help those they serve.
Ms. Tuttle offers some tips:
- Tell heartfelt, human stories and back them up with data to show how those stories apply more broadly.
- Make complex data easier to understand by creating visual depictions (such as charts and graphs) to tell those stories.
- Keep data analysis simple and concrete by reducing the information to its essence so it can act as a foundation for the personal story or testimonial.
Deborah Cullinan, chief executive of Yerba Buena Arts Center, says stories are the most important thing to put in front of lawmakers. Nonprofits should include stories in their printed materials, on their websites, and during events.
Regardless of where your organization presents those narratives, Ms. Cullinan says leaders should remember to get out of the way: “Let them see and hear from the people in your district. It’s one thing to hear from the arts leader; it’s much more powerful to hear from the people themselves, the people who benefit; the kids, the artists, the audience, the parents.”
Do Your Homework
Before you craft those stories, find out which issues your local lawmakers care about most and why so you can tailor your data and the stories accordingly, says Ms. Cullinan.
People assume all lawmakers are cut from the same cloth, but that is not the case, says Mr. Lynch.
“They could be liberal or conservative, but their passion is economic development or programs for kids, or they have a big military population in their area,” says Mr. Lynch. “To really be effective, you are in it for the long game, and you’re trying to get to know them over time.”
Mr. Lynch suggests researching an elected official’s voting record to discover what proposals that person has backed and use that information to start a conversation.
It is also smart to comb through the campaign literature lawmakers send their constituents, says Margaret Ferguson, a trustee at the Walters Art Museum. That can provide a starting point as you try to learn which issues occupy a policy maker’s thoughts, she says.
Once you’ve done the homework, say Mr. Lynch and Ms. Ferguson, you will be ready to employ your arsenal of data and stories to show lawmakers how your work intersects with their concerns and those of their constituents.
Correction: A previous version of this article said the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities are set receive $2 billion more in the stopgap spending bill rather than $2 million more.
