Your tax-deductible donation will help to support the programs and events of our ever-growing organization in 2016 - a critical year for arts and culture in Arizona. 

We are committed to being your eyes, ears and voice in the community - but we can only do our job if we are supported by people like YOU.

Our 2016 Agenda is ambitious

State Legislation

Arizona Commission on the Arts - After consultation with our key supporters in the Legislature, we are supporting the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ agency request of $2 million because it is extremely critical that the Commission obtain more resources to support the arts sector. Last year, the Commission received no allocation in the state budget after having received a $1 million allocation from the State’s Rainy Day Fund in each of the two previous budget years. As a result the Commission’s granting pool was the lowest it’s been in 30 years, and grants to organizations all over the state were cut on average by half.

With some recovery in revenue collections in Arizona, it is reasonable to think that $2 million for the good work of the state arts agency should be available. Nonetheless, it will require an aggressive advocacy effort to be successful.

Sales Tax Abatement - We are quietly exploring the viability of sales tax abatement for nonprofit arts and culture organizations, similar to how health care organizations are treated in Arizona. While nonprofits do not collect sales tax on their taxable activities, they must pay it. Exempting them from payment would save the 5.6% state sales tax on whatever they spent in a year on capital goods, supplies and materials. For many Arizona arts and culture organizations that could be equal to a sizable grant, especially if the organization were involved in a capital building campaign. This would not replace any effort directed at support for the Arts Commission, but it would improve the business environment of the arts and culture sector. It would also increase the value of the contributed income because a larger percentage of the donor’s gift would go to an organization’s work. However, the political viability of this initiative remains to be seen.

Arts Education

In pursuit of our three-year initiative to build support and expand access to K-12 arts education, we expect to engage in three major policy issues this year:

Revision of the Arizona School Report Card – We will explore the viability of using the availability of a standards-based arts education as an incentive to positively impact a school’s letter grade – along with the other performance metrics as the Arizona School Board revises its ratings system.

Fine Arts Credit for University Admissions – While the Arizona Board of Regents allowed an exemption to the Fine Arts credit in 2015 in favor of a Career Technical Education credit for admission, the board is undertaking a full review of admissions standards over the next year. This offers us another opportunity to make the case for the Fine Arts credit as essential to the admission standards without exemption.

State Funding - We will continue to monitor legislative activity regarding school funding, especially the recommendations from the Classrooms First working group. We will take advocacy action depending on whether the recommendations have the potential to impact classroom funding for arts education.

Local Issues

Through our network of arts organization members and individual advocates, we will monitor arts and culture issues in local cities and towns and engage local advocates as may be necessary to support the local arts and culture community.

Federal Issues

Working with the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, we will monitor federal arts and culture issues and promote advocacy action when appropriations and policy issues are in front of the Congress.

2016 Elections

We will engage in voter education activities in key state legislative races and in nine targeted school districts by distributing issue surveys to candidates, and publishing the results to our advocacy base, primarily through our Voter Voice network

General Nonprofit Support

We will support the advocacy efforts of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits on federal and local issues that impact the arts and culture organizations as members of the broader nonprofit community, e.g., charitable giving incentives, deductibility of charitable gifts, etc.

Help us make a noticeable difference in the upcoming year by offering your financial support to our cause.

Did you know that many corporations match employee giving?

As an added benefit, many employers match employee donations to nonprofit organizations – dollar for dollar! Unfortunately employees often overlook this benefit and it is easily forgotten when one thinks of donating. To obtain matching gifts from your employer should be as simple as requesting a matching gift form. Some employers will match gifts made up to 12 months prior. 

If you have already given this year, any additional donations will be factored into your annual donor level and additional benefits will be awarded.