Starting an arts council

RESOURCES

Interested in starting an arts council in your area? Here are some guidelines to get you on your way: Download Guidelines

Determine that your community needs an arts council.
Establish a core group to start the organization.
Plan a public meeting to explore community interest.
- Aim for community-wide participation
- Arrange for media coverage
- Invite community leaders
- Involve local artists and interested supporters
- Involve existing arts groups
Hold the public meeting, in order to:
- Assess community interests and needs
- Consider goals
- Brainstorm about what the organization can/should do
- Appoint a steering committee
The steering committee will:
- Research alternatives, consider structure
- Set forth the mission
- Draft articles of incorporation
- Appoint first board of directors
The board of directors will:
- Elect officers
- Draw up bylaws and incorporate
- Apply for Federal tax-exempt status
- Develop plan for first year
- Appoint committees

Developing a Board of Directors

The board should represent the community or area the organization will serve, and reflect the community's demographics.
The board should include a variety of people and professions.
All board members should be committed to the goals and mission of the organization.
You can draw up a list of the types of people and professions that should be represented on the board, and "shop" for prospective board members.
There should be 7 to 15 board members; they should serve rotating terms (usually 3 years) and should not serve more than 2 terms in a row.
The board is responsible for setting policy, and always has the primarily responsibility for the organization's fiscal soundness, policies, and programs.

Critical Components: What Every Arts Council Needs To Do