Dear all,

I hope you are all well!

I’m writing to let you know that next Monday, March 18, Americans for the Arts will begin a 1-week important survey using a short, anonymous demographic questionnaire. Understanding the full demographics of everyone receiving membership benefits with Americans for the Arts is crucial to our ongoing efforts related to cultural equity.

I very much hope you will take the time to complete this short and anonymous demographic questionnaire, which will only be open for five days.

We are seeking 100% participation from everyone in the Americans for the Arts universe, including our membership, various advisory committees, our Board of Directors, our staff, and our Artists Committee, as we attempt to see a more complete demographic portrait of our universe.

Given the close deadline, you are likely to receive a few emails from us over the next week about this survey—because of the anonymous nature of it, we must reach out to the full group each time. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Below my signature, please find some other information about the survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email Clay Lord directly at clord@artsusa.org.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Sincerely,

Clay

_______________________________

Clay Lord
Vice President of Local Arts Advancement
Americans for the Arts
1000 Vermont Avenue, NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC  20005-4940
T: 202.371.2830  ext 2022
E: clord@artsusa.org
W: www.AmericansForTheArts.org

About this survey:

• What is this survey, and what is it for?
  This survey will provide us with a baseline understanding of the demographics of those we serve, which is a picture we currently lack. We hope to be able to use this to craft and deploy more effective services, set and pursue goals and objectives around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and provide transparency about Americans for the Arts, those we serve, and the field at large.
  
  
• How will Americans for the Arts use the data gathered?
  Americans for the Arts will utilize the results of this anonymous survey to inform ongoing strategic planning, program development and design, and governance of the organization. We believe that as full and accurate an understanding of the demographics of those we serve as possible is crucial to institutional change and growth, and to serving you better.
  
  
• How frequently do you gather this information, and is it anonymous?
  This survey, first conducted in 2017 (see report here), is conducted every 2 years to take snapshots of our organization, those we serve, and the broad field. It is entirely anonymous, designed to be completed in 5-10 minutes, and the data are maintained on a secure server. While everyone’s individual responses are completely confidential, we will report the data in the aggregate.
  
  
• Haven’t I provided this demographic information to Americans for the Arts already?
  You may be familiar with other research Americans for the Arts has conducted, such as the just-released 2019 Local Arts Agency Salary Survey, which includes demographic data as well. If you filled that survey or other Americans for the Arts surveys out, we appreciate it, but request that you take the time to also complete this research. In both cases, the full anonymity required to gather open, honest information means we cannot draw on your previous responses. Thank you in advance.

• Can I adopt or adapt this survey protocol?
  Absolutely – we hope you will. The questions in this survey were developed in consultation with experts and best practices to create the most inclusive and comprehensive demographic portrait possible. Please visit our Tools and Templates page in the Cultural Equity section of our website for this and other templates, which you are free to adapt or adopt. If you find language you think is outdated, please email Clay Lord at clord@artsusa.org. We go farther together! Thank you!