Alliance for the Arts

What Alliance for the Arts does

Alliance for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 and headquartered at 330 West 42nd Street in New York City. It operates as a research, advocacy, and audience development organization serving New York City's $25 billion cultural industry. The organization's core digital footprint consists of NYC-ARTS.org and NYCkidsARTS.org — CMS-based websites that catalog more than 900 arts venues and organizations across the five boroughs and host a comprehensive cultural event calendar. Supporting products include the NYC ARTS iPhone/iPad application with GPS-based event discovery, a web-based calendar widget, the Culture Chronicle daily news digest, the Avenues of the Arts printed map series, the Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide book, and the NYC ARTS Cultural Guide for Seniors covering 300+ organizations with accessibility information.

The organization's business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. Revenue is assembled from four streams — individual donations (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3)), foundation grants (Rockefeller Foundation, Helmsley Trust, Shubert Foundation, Booth Ferris, and others), corporate sponsorships (American Express, Bloomberg, Google, HBO, MetLife Foundation, The New York Times Company Foundation), and government funding from the City of New York, NY State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Empire State Development Corporation, and US HUD. The go-to-market motion is community-led: the Alliance produces original research used by policymakers and funders, distributes free cultural guides to the public, and operates as an advocate for arts organizations with public officials and press. The Estate Project for Artists with AIDS, launched in 1991, extends the mission into estate planning and archival services for artists affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Customer segments are diversified and include cultural organizations (advocacy and audience development), the general public and visitors (cultural discovery), children, parents and teachers (arts education), government and civic leaders (policy research), and artists served by the Estate Project. The Alliance employs roughly 6-12 core staff and is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by J.P. Versace, Jr. Operating geographies are centered on NYC with incidental global digital reach (190 countries, 3 million page views).

Name

Alliance for the Arts

Legal name

Alliance for the Arts

Website

https://allianceforarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alliance for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 in New York City that operates NYC-ARTS.org and NYCkidsARTS.org, producing cultural research, advocacy, and free audience-development platforms for NYC's $25 billion arts sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Advocacy Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Arts advocacy services
• Cultural research
• Arts audience development
• Cultural event listings
• Nonprofit arts promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The Alliance is supported by both public and private funds. They receive individual donations with a prominent Donate Now button on their website. Tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code with donations tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
2. Foundation Grants: Supported by numerous foundations including Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Leona M. & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Starr Foundation, and others listed as sponsors.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including American Express, Bloomberg, Google Inc., HBO, MetLife Foundation, The New York Times Company Foundation, and others provide financial and in-kind support.
4. Government Funding: Public funders including Empire State Development Corporation, National Heritage Trust, New York City Department for the Aging, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, New York State Office of Parks & Recreation, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Alliance for the Arts is a nonprofit cultural connector and advocate that operates digital platforms—NYC-ARTS.org, NYCkidsARTS.org, and a GPS-based iPhone application—providing comprehensive listings of more than 900 New York City arts venues, cultural event calendars, and educational resources. The organization conducts research and advocacy on behalf of the cultural community, publishes economic impact studies, and delivers audience development services to nonprofit arts organizations.

Product overview

Alliance for the Arts operates a portfolio of digital platforms and publications serving the cultural community and public. The core digital products are NYC ARTS and NYCkidsARTS - comprehensive websites providing cultural listings, event calendars, and venue information for New York City. Supporting products include the NYC ARTS Cultural Guide for Seniors, a mobile iPhone/iPad application with GPS-based features, and a web-based calendar widget. The organization also produces publications including The Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide book and the Culture Chronicle daily news summary. Additional services include research reports on the economic impact of the arts, the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS, and the Arts Forum lecture series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NYC ARTS: Flagship website providing in-depth information on cultural organizations and their events, programs and activities in New York City. Selected as Webby Award Official Honoree.
• NYCkidsARTS

Products and services

• NYC ARTS Website Flagship website providing comprehensive information on New York City's cultural institutions, events, programs, and activities across all five boroughs, with profiles of more than 900 arts venues and a calendar of cultural events.
• NYCkidsARTS Website Website providing comprehensive information on cultural activities for children and arts education programs that support teaching across many subject areas, designed for educators, parents, and families.
• NYC ARTS iPhone Application GPS-based mobile application for iPhone and iPad allowing users to find cultural offerings and events nearby at any time. Available free of charge.
• NYC ARTS Cultural Guide for Seniors Free guides organized by borough providing information about senior discounts, programs, and accessibility at more than 300 cultural organizations across New York City, designed for older adults including those on fixed incomes.
• NYC ARTS Calendar Widget Web-based calendar widget that allows organizations and users to embed cultural event calendars from NYC ARTS on external websites, extending the platform's reach.
• Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide Printed cultural guide book covering performing arts centers, museums, historical homes, parks, nature sanctuaries, fairs and festivals along the Hudson River from Staten Island to Lake George.
• Estate Project for Artists with AIDS National program providing practical estate planning advice to artists living with HIV/AIDS, documenting and preserving artworks affected by AIDS, and creating online archives.
• Culture Chronicle

Quantifiable outcome

• NYC ARTS selected as Webby Award Official Honoree by International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• The New York TimescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2011Co-producer of Arts Forum lecture series with Randall Bourscheidt and Trudel | MacPherson Arts Consulting. Provides venue at TheTimesCenter and community affairs support.
• Ogilvy New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Served as launch sponsor for NYC ARTS website beta launch in November 2008.
• New York City Department of Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing funding and support for NYC ARTS programs. Commissioner Kate D. Levin participates in Alliance events including Arts Forum and NYC ARTS Cultural Guide for Seniors release.
• NYC & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial New York City tourism marketing organization, partner in promoting NYC cultural offerings to visitors and residents.
• New York State Council on the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts council providing funding and grants to arts organizations throughout New York State, partnering on advocacy efforts.
• Empire State Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic benefit corporation providing economic development funding support for the Alliance's cultural programming.
• Department of EducationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC Department of Education partnership supporting arts education resources and programming through NYCkidsARTS.
• Fund for Public SchoolssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting educational initiatives connecting arts organizations with NYC public schools.
• Fund for the City of New YorksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit supporting Alliance initiatives through funding and organizational partnerships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit that advocates for the arts at the federal level, produces research on the arts economy, and provides resources for arts organizations. Most direct comparable peer given shared mission of arts advocacy, research, and audience development.
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): New York-based nonprofit providing grants, resources, and professional development for individual artists and arts organizations. Comparable in providing support services and capacity building to the NYC arts community.
• NYC & Company: Official NYC tourism marketing organization and a stated strategic partner. Both organizations promote NYC cultural offerings to visitors and residents, though NYC & Company is broader (includes dining, hotels) and tourism-focused.
• New York State Council on the Arts: State government agency providing grants and funding for arts organizations across New York. A core funding partner and policy advocate with overlapping missions of supporting and promoting the arts in New York.

Emerging players

• Fractured Atlas: Nonprofit arts services organization providing business infrastructure, fiscal sponsorship, and technology tools to artists and cultural organizations nationwide. Comparable in providing capacity-building services to the arts community, though broader in geographic reach.
• Time Out: Global media and hospitality brand that publishes curated cultural listings, events, and reviews in major cities including New York. Comparable as a comprehensive cultural listings and event-discovery platform, though commercially operated and broader in scope (includes dining, nightlife).
• Center for an Urban Future: NYC-based nonprofit think tank producing research on the city's economy and key industries including the cultural sector. Comparable as a NYC-focused research organization informing policy on arts and culture, though broader across industries.
• Theatre Communications Group: National nonprofit providing services, advocacy, and resources for the nonprofit theatre field. Comparable in mission as a service/advocacy organization for a performing arts community, though specialized to theatre rather than broader arts.

Broad incumbents

• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): Federal agency providing grants and supporting research on the arts in the US. Compares as a larger, government-level arts support organization with research and advocacy functions, but operating at federal rather than city level.

Others

• Creative Capital: National nonprofit providing grants and career development services to innovative artists. Adjacent in the arts services nonprofit ecosystem and partially comparable in audience-development and support programs for individual artists.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nycarts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/NYCARTSorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/nycartsforallianceforthearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-the-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alliance for the Arts