Springboard for the Arts
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Springboard for the Arts is a creative and economic community development organization run by and for artists. Our mission is to cultivate vibrant communities by connecting artists with the skills, resources, and services they need to make a living and a life. We do this work intensively from our offices in St. Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and nationally through trainings, workshops, consultations, and shared toolkits throughout the country. Through this work, we help communities build economic power and stability by training artist-entrepreneurs and through arts-based development projects.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Artist Resources
Springboard for the Arts' Artist Resources program encompasses its Work of Art professional development workshops series, one-on-one consultations, Resource Centers in Saint Paul, MN and Fergus Falls, MN, and healthcare and legal resources for artists.
Community Development
Springboard for the Arts' Community Development Program organizes and empowers artists to build reciprocal relationships with their communities, resulting in vibrant, creative, equitable places. We provide catalytic workshops, trainings and project management in partnership with city governments, neighborhood organizations, private institutions and other groups that wish to engage artists in community building, economic development, creative placemaking and innovative problem-solving. By addressing opportunities and challenges associated with change locally in Minnesota, we also create customizable modes for community communities nationally.
National
Springboard for the Arts' national program is Creative Exchange, an online network of support for artists and arts organizations through replication toolkits and artist project profiles. Replication toolkits include Springboard programs such as Work of Art, Community Supported Art, Artists' Health Fair and Artist-led Community Development, as well as partner toolkits around creative use of vacant retail space, artist-engaged community planning, running galleries, public art, and artist-led community projects.
Incubator
Springboard for the Arts' Incubator Program provides fiscal sponsorship for arts groups and individual artist projects that do not want (or are not ready) to become tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.
Fergus Falls/Rural
Our Fergus Falls office provided professional training and consultations, a resource center, legal and healthcare resources to artists in Otter Tail County and surrounding regions. Our Fergus Falls office is also a launchpad for community development presentations and workshops to rural community leaders and residents throughout Minnesota (including the Rural Arts and Culture Summit).
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Springboard for the Arts works at the intersection of arts and economic and community development, helping artists and communities thrive together. The core of our mission is to connect artists with the skills and services they need to make a living and a life. We also help communities connect with and recognize artists as the assets they are and for the tools they bring to help communities develop, grow, and sustain local economies.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We do this work through a comprehensive suite of services that includes the following:
(1) Artist Resources: career coaching, entrepreneurship training, Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists curriculum, partnership with Kiva micro lending platform, 20/20 Artist Fellowships, and Artist Career Consultants roster of 25 consultants available to guide artists at all career stages
(2) Community Development: partnerships around engaging artists to address community issues and creative placemaking opportunities, leadership training and development in partnership with local and national organizations
(3) Health Programs: We support community health through insurance navigation, community clinic vouchers, Emergency Relief Funds for individual artist, and Community Emergency Relief Funds for artists seeking to engage community to respond to broad, systemic problems
(4) Incubator: We serve 200+ artist led projects through fiscal sponsorship, donor management, fundraising support, and technical assistance
(5) National Programs: We share stories and toolkits for practical, artist driven projects via our online platform, Creative Exchange, and offer training and consultation on our professional community development practices across the country
(6) Rural Programs: Through our office in Fergus Falls, MN, we provide our full range of Springboard services, as well as host a biennial Rural Arts & Culture Summit, bringing in over 500 attendees from 22 states; we also host the Hinge Residency Program for artists and partner with small towns around MN through Artists on Main Street, using public art to revitalize downtown areas
We serve on average 24,000 artists and community members both locally and. nationally each year.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Springboard’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and The Guardian, and directly impact thousands of artists each year in Minnesota alone. In 2017, we served 24,504 Minnesota artists, connected with 19,477 local community members, and hosted 28 leaders from 11 states for our national workshops and consulting. Our programs have been replicated in over 80 U.S. cities.
We are at a key inflection point due to acquisition and development of our new space and growing demand for our searches. This increased profile positions the Twin Cities as a national leader in arts-centered community development. Further, in 2019 Springboard absorbed the services formerly offered by Very Special Arts (VSA) MN, with a commitment to continue existing services for artists with disabilities while exploring new possibilities. This continues and expands on our commitment to serve under-resourced communities, including artists identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), LGBT+, and those hailing from rural areas. We will continue to provide targeted outreach to under-resourced artists so that all artists have access to what they need to make a living and a life.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Springboard for the Arts
Board of directorsas of 09/30/2022