Advocating as a Single Voice and Why It's Important
Vision
2019 Beyond the Statehouse Advocacy Summit
Arts4NH is the leading state-wide voice for arts and creativity. As a result of our efforts, every citizen recognizes the essential value of the arts and culture to NH’s economic, educational and social well-being.
Mission
Our mission is to expand awareness of the pivotal role arts and culture play in New Hampshire’s creative economy and community life.
Arts4NH advocates, educates, communicates, and connects.
● We advocate for public support for the arts as integral to a robust economy, a skilled and creative workforce, and our cultural identity as a state.
● We educate the public and policy makers about the vital importance of the arts and arts education.
● We communicate with citizens and public officials throughout the state about the value of arts and
culture.
● We connect grass-roots advocates, arts and cultural organizations, artists, creative businesses, educational institutions, educators, students and legislators to promote sustained public support for the arts.
Strategic Goals
Arts4NH is a convener. We connect the state’s arts and cultural leaders with the stakeholders and policy makers shaping the economic development and social well-being of NH communities. We nurture collaborative partnerships among business, educational, civic entities, and elected officials which promote the value of arts and culture for the state. Arts4NH serves as a single voice representing the consensus interests of all the arts – theatrical, musical, visual, literary, digital, culinary, and healing arts. We partner with the New Hampshire State Council of the Arts and the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to promote those interests.
Currently, Arts4NH is an all-volunteer, Board-driven organization with a strategic plan to move to a professionally staffed entity overseen by an active Board to support advocacy efforts, membership services, communications, community outreach and development. Our current Board members represent a cross-section of diverse arts disciplines, professional specialties and geographic regions across the state. We espouse diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion in all our endeavors.
Most recently, Arts4NH leadership has been focused on the CARES Act funding as well the New Hampshire Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund being distributed by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire Center for NonProfits, and the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority. Arts4NH, the NH State Council for the Arts, Capitol Center for the Arts, and other key business and institutional leaders have provided testimony regarding funding needs and re-opening strategies to the Advisory Board for the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) with key insights on the needs across New Hampshire communities. We worked with NH videographers to design a public service announcement to support our creative economy in this time of challenge.
Benefits of Membership
Arts4NH is committed to offering you a platform to speak together as one voice to promote the needs of the New Hampshire arts and cultural community to our legislative leaders. We will work with our organizational and individual membership base to create an annual legislative agenda based on your specific needs. We will convene with supportive legislators in the NH House and Senate to introduce and enact legislation to help preserve, protect and enhance your goals and endeavors. As over 30% of our legislative body turns over every two years, we are committed to continuously educating and re-educating our legislators on the importance of arts and culture to the economic and social well being of our communities.
Why Advocacy is Important
As you well know, NH is a small state with a tax structure that limits the ability to fund its essential needs. Coupled with that, our extra large citizens legislature is unwieldy, making it difficult for individual organizations to be heard. Many industries have effectively banded together, such as NH Restaurant and Lodging Association, NH Automobile Dealers Association, Business & Industry Association, to offer a single voice for their members. Each of the Associations mentioned has a strong membership base that provides enough financial backing to support its specific lobbying efforts. Arts4NH would love to be considered in the same league, but we cannot do this without the support of a strong and active arts membership base.
It All Comes Down To Money
Currently, Arts4NH has the infrastructure to provide legislative services to our members. However, we do not have a strong enough membership base to give us the financial support needed to be a major player. As a volunteer board with one very part time administrator, we are proud of our accomplishments to date including our efforts to convince the State Board of Education to agree to update and revise the state Arts Education Curriculum for grades K-12, our ongoing advocacy efforts in the State House and our Annual Advocacy Summit and Arts Advocacy Awards. With a united membership of arts and cultural institutions and individuals, we can so much more for you. Please Advocate With Us!
About
Arts4NH was founded in the late 1970’s as New Hampshire Citizen’s for the Arts (NHCFA) with a membership of artists, arts educators, arts leaders, and citizens from all walks of life who came together to support the budget of the NH State Council of the Arts and its initiatives.
Over the years the organization evolved and morphed under various banners (among them ARTS 1000 in 1984; and New Hampshire Campaign for the Arts and Humanities in 1997). New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts was granted IRS 501(c)(4) status in 2008, and 501(c)(3) standing in 2015. In 2018, under new leadership, a reinvigorated Board has re-focused and created Arts4NH with a new strategic plan.
I believe that creativity will be the currency of the 21st century.-Gerald Gordon, Ph.D., President/CEO
Fairfax (VA) Economic Development Authority