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NOTE: Items marked with a * will be added to the Resource Center. If you see interesting or helpful items or have a resource to share, please email me at rharper@artsusa.org. We are updating the Resource Center daily, Monday through Friday.

 

 

AFTA NEWS/UPDATES

This session will discuss fundraising and crafting a spring appeal in the age of COVID-19.  We will discuss questions like “Is it appropriate to fundraise in this time?” “What is the strategy and message?” “What can arts organizations do now to continue engaging with patrons and donors, even while most of us are unable to gather in person?” Presenters will facilitate a discussion, share best practices and highlight different approaches arts organizations can take. 

 

FIELD PROGRAMMING

The rise of anti-Asian and anti-Asian American racism during the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare deep racial inequities in the United States. In the first of a series of conversations about racism and public health, GYOPO, LACMA, and SDA invite five Asian American cultural producers to speak about the racialization of COVID-19; intersections with class and gender; the history of racism against Asian Americans; and the racist myths and stereotypes that have silenced and cleaved Asian American communities.

Community development organizations have taken up arts and culture strategies to build stronger connections with residents, create and enhance neighborhood identity and solidarity, and achieve better outcomes in local planning and policy. When these groups make arts and culture a significant part of their work, it changes them in important ways. In a time when social distancing and a massive public health crisis are forcing us to rethink how we operate nonprofit agencies and build connections among residents and stakeholders, we can learn from the experience of these organizations and the artists who are working with them.

Has your organization ever placed a big bet on a new program or strategic initiative that fell short of expectations despite careful planning and a major commitment of human and financial resources? Are you relentlessly focused on the mission but failing to make a real impact in your community? Do you have a solution to a major social challenge, just waiting for the perfect time to act? Lean Startup, born out of Lean Manufacturing as a way to reduce physical waste and inefficiency has been adapted to deal with uncertainty, not just inefficiency. Using the scientific method, LS helps teams systematically define and prioritize assumptions they are making then rigorously test them to insure they are building things that matter.

Design for rural areas often plans to bring people together in place and drive economic development for communities. What is the role of design when stay-at-home orders change the environment we live in? How can organizations who work in design respond to economic distress head-on? Join Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design for a special edition of our Rural Design Webinar Series on the coronavirus.

Join us to learn how to develop your case for support and leverage your volunteers to ensure your organization doesn’t lose focus or funding in a noisy year. Donors have a limited amount of funds and attention to give in a year - but what do you do at a time where the world feels smaller than ever, and you’re worried about your message being drowned out by the noise of everything else going on? You need to establish a solid case for support to set your organization apart. By reframing how you communicate your mission and the importance of your work, your organization’s narrative can be heard through all the noise - whether it’s COVID-19 breaking news, election campaigns, environmental emergencies, or competing causes. 

Join us for VIRTUALIZED, a special live online event designed to prepare you for our digital-first future. Kicking off with a special live keynote webinar featuring leading experts in webinar and experiential marketing, it’s followed by a 5-part on-demand webinar certification course that will teach you how to build amazing digital experiences for your audience that engage across the entire customer journey.

 

 

FIELD NEWS/COMMUNICATIONS

 

 

GENERAL NEWS

 

 

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

 

 

____________________

Ruby Lopez Harper

Senior Director of Local Arts Advancement

Americans for the Arts

1000 Vermont Ave NW 6th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-4940

202.371.2830 x2079

202.789.2830 fax

www.AmericansForTheArts.org

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Pronouns: she/her/hers