Get Active, Get Organized, and Get in Touch
Most arts leaders aren't tax policy experts, nor should they be. However, having a general knowledge of the subject is important because local arts policies come in many forms and can be found in communities all over the country. When implemented and maintained properly they can be very beneficial to an arts community. Unfortunately, research shows that the arts community, in general, lacks an understanding of these policies.

The best way for the arts community to take full advantage of these dedicated local funding streams is to get active in the local political process, get organized within the arts community and through partnerships with other social necessities, and get in touch with the voters to make sure they understand the benefits of these policies. The three sections below serve as strategies for the arts community to get active, organized, and in touch.

Every community has unique needs and resources. This site will not offer a single proven method or "recipe" for implementing and maintaining these policies. Instead, it aims to outline the issues to be aware of and the questions to ask to better prepare arts leaders working with these policies. This site offers general observations and recommendations made through research into policies all over the country. This information is supplemented with specific examples of successes and failures of communities who have worked with local arts policies.

LOCAL POLICY 101 This section explains the basics of public policy and how it can benefit the arts, including: How to find out what policies are in your community Components of policies Types of policies How to choose the right policy for your community more>>>

IMPLEMENTATION This section covers the questions and issues arts leaders should consider before attempting to enact local arts policy, including: Initial questions Tips and recommendations Red flags and warning signs "Real World" examples more>>>

MAINTANING A POLICY This section offers suggestions and resources for maintaining and renewing local arts policies, including: Using evaluation for building a case of support Evaluation techniques for individual arts organizations Evaluation techniques for the larger arts community A process for renewing and improving an existing policy more>>>

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