Since Day 1 of my internship at Americans for the Arts, I have toiled to digest the information detailed in the National Arts Index: The good …the bearable, and the…unsavory. This report measures the health and vitality of arts and culture in America. My status so far, is ‘processing.’ Nonetheless, the NAI exposes compelling realities. One in particular caught my eye:  “Nonprofit arts organizations are losing their ‘market share’ of philanthropy to other charitable areas.” The share of corporate and foundation funding directed toward the arts has decreased from 10.3 to 4.6 percent and 14.8 to 10.6 percent between 1998 and 2007 respectively. I would hate to acknowledge the existence of even a tinge of competition among nonprofit organizations for planned giving. But if there was a competition for funding in the cause world, we would be losing. We spend hours upon end explaining why the arts are important. The Private Sector Blog Salon, held March 8-12, offered tools to strengthen your case for arts funding among private contributors. But for some reason, the arts are still overlooked as a legitimate cause. The arts do not build houses, feed the poor, dig for wells, etc. Right? Wrong.

The arts have always been a vehicle to support other charitable foundations. Recent illustrations are the numerous arts events held locally and nationally in support of Haiti relief efforts. Millions were raised partly due to the power of the arts. The arts have an innate ability to remind us of our humanity and motivate us to care.  Many organizations have ventured into collaborating in support of other causes while advancing the arts. BenefitArtShow.com sponsors art exhibitions to raise money for underprivileged children in partnership with World Vision and The Smile Train.  Broadway Cares collaborates with Equity Fight AIDS to hold benefit concerts in support of the battle against AIDS. These partnerships are both inspiring and a model for some to consider emulating in this drought of private funding. Collaborating with other causes will not diminish ours, but enforce what art has always done: fortify communities.