1. Determine a Need

For the Americans for the Arts Board of Directors and staff, determining a need started from two points.

On the Board level, in 2014 we engaged in a strategic planning process to craft our strategic direction for 2015-2017.  During that process, the Board directed the organization to put more intentionality behind our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts—the first step of which was to revisit our Diversity Statement (which had existed in various forms since 1988).

Making Equity Explicit in Policy – Both on the public and private sector side, we have been working hard to link pro-arts policy with a pro-equity stance. This has included the creation of a set of Policy Statements about issues like healthcare, immigration, discrimination, free speech, and education that intertwine the two.

Demographic Measurement - In 2017, we created and launched a baseline demographic survey of the local arts field. The questions in this survey were developed by studying surveys used by a range of progressive associations and researchers and built a set of demographic questions that are highly inclusive and forward-thinking.

Acknowledging and Dismantling Inequities Inside Americans For The Arts
Americans for the Arts staff and board collaborate to address inequities in our policies, systems, programs, and services, and to regularly report on organization progress.

Americans for the Arts Cultural Equity Progress Report 2016-2018
This report compiles much of the work done by the Americans for the Arts staff between the adoption of the Statement on Cultural Equity in April 2016 and August 2018.

Modeling Through Action Within Americans for the Arts