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Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts is the national office for the affiliate network of Arts & Business Council chapters and other local program partners that operate the Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA) program, the National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP), and the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series. The BVA program is operated in 14 locations around the United States with a mission of helping nonprofit arts organizations improve business practices, provide opportunities for business professionals to contribute to their community and become directly involved with the arts, and increase business leadership on behalf of the arts. Nationally, since the program’s inception in 1975, it has generated over $130 million in donated services, cash, and other in-kind resources.

The NAMP is made possible by a grant from American Express Company. NAMP consists of five components: Basic Marketing Workshops, that are produced by 14 Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts affiliates around the country; the Advanced Training Program, which includes competitive implementation grants; Nonprofit Marketing Training, which delivers customized skills and strategies for developing new arts audiences; ArtsMarketing.org, which is a comprehensive online marketing resource; and the National Arts Marketing Conference, which allows arts marketers to meet for a learning, sharing, and networking experience. Since its inception in 1998, NAMP has served nearly 12,000 people through workshops, trainings, and conferences.

The MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series is operated in 20 cities around the country, and involves the presentation of forums that engage the arts, business, and civic leadership of a community in a dialogue on critical issues facing the arts. The theme for the program this year is how we respond to the transformation of the environment for private sector support of the arts. Each participating local partner presents two forums during 2005.

The National Affiliate Conference brings together the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, along with BVA and NAMP sites (many of which also participate in the Forums program), to explore critical issues affecting their organizations and programs, such as trends in arts and business relationships and corporate arts voluntarism, as well as arts marketing training. Best practices and innovative programs are shared, and professional development sessions are also offered. Both board and staff are invited to attend.