Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville

What Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville does

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville (ABC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered at 1900 Belmont Blvd in Nashville, Tennessee, with 13 employees. The organization's stated mission is to bridge Nashville's arts and business communities, operating as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product line. Its primary beneficiaries are individual artists (visual artists, musicians, performers, filmmakers, dancers), arts and cultural nonprofits, emerging arts organizations that lack tax-exempt status, and business professionals seeking to engage with the creative sector.

ABC's core offerings include the Periscope suite of artist entrepreneur training programs — Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training (an 8-week intensive followed by 3 months of one-on-one mentorship for ~25 artists per cohort), Periscope: Rural Artist Development (launched 2022), and the annual Periscope Pitch showcase awarding $7,500+ in cash and prizes. Adjacent programs include Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) providing pro bono legal services, Fiscal Sponsorship that grants tax-exempt status to emerging arts projects, Arts Board Matching training approximately 15 business professionals per year, and Creative Advantage corporate training. Revenue derives from charitable donations and foundation grants (Ingram Charities, Metro Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Morgan Wallen Foundation, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, HCA Foundation, AllianceBernstein, Bradley, CMA, Fifth Third Bank), an annual membership program, event ticket sales ($20/ticket for Periscope Pitch events), and fiscal sponsorship administrative fees. The organization is independently governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Lucia Folk (VP of Public Affairs, CMT), with no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional ownership.

The organization is a nonprofit-in-residence on Belmont University's campus since 2013 and partners strategically with Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor's Office of Economic & Community Development, Southwest Airlines (prize provider), OZ Arts Nashville, Vanderbilt's Curb Center, Northwestern University, NORC at the University of Chicago, Nashville Soccer Club, and the Tennessee Department of Health. Leadership transitioned from Casey Summar (Executive Director for over a decade, until summer 2017) to Jill McMillan (joined June 28, 2017), with subsequent additions of Jesse Harbison as Director of Legal Services (August 2018) and Jonathan Harwell-Dye as Program Manager (August 2018). The organization assumed management of Artober Nashville in September 2023 and expanded Fiscal Sponsorship to independent filmmakers and documentarians across Tennessee in October 2023.

Name

Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville

Legal name

Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville

Website

https://abcnashville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that bridges Nashville's arts and business communities through artist entrepreneur training (Periscope), pro bono legal services, fiscal sponsorship, and nonprofit board matching programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The website prominently features a 'GIVE' donation option and the organization has received grants from various foundations including Ingram Charities, Metro Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, CFMT, Morgan Wallen Foundation, and others.
2. Membership Program: The organization offers a membership program for individuals and businesses interested in supporting the arts community and accessing member benefits such as discounts at partner organizations.
3. Event Revenue: Periscope Pitch events generate revenue through ticket sales ($20 per ticket), with proceeds going directly to winning artists.
4. Fiscal Sponsorship Administration: The organization provides fiscal sponsorship services to arts projects and emerging organizations, enabling them to receive tax-deductible grants while taking a programmatic fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a portfolio of programs supporting Nashville's creative community, including the Periscope artist entrepreneur training program (eight weeks of intensive training plus three months of mentorship), the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) pro bono legal services, Fiscal Sponsorship for emerging arts projects without tax-exempt status, and Arts Board Matching which trains business professionals to serve on nonprofit arts boards.

Product overview

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs and services rather than a single product. Its core offerings include the Periscope suite of artist entrepreneur training programs (Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training, Periscope: Rural Artist Development, and the annual Periscope Pitch showcase event), the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) providing free legal services, Fiscal Sponsorship for arts projects, Arts Board Matching for nonprofit governance training, Creative Advantage corporate training, the Opportunities Hub for resource sharing, Arts Immersion events, and Artober Nashville celebrations. The organization also manages special initiatives like the ABC x NSC Soundwaves Gallery at GEODIS Park. These programs collectively aim to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville by bridging the arts and business communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Periscope: Artist entrepreneur training program helping accomplished artists take their careers to the next level of sustainability and growth
• VLPA
• Arts Board Matching
• Fiscal Sponsorship

Products and services

• Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training An annual professional development program for accomplished visual artists, musicians, performers, filmmakers, and dancers seeking to take their creative careers to the next level of sustainability and growth through an entrepreneurial lens.
• Periscope: Rural Artist Development An extension of the Periscope program providing entrepreneurial training and resources to rural Tennessee artists outside major urban centers.
• Periscope Pitch An annual showcase event where Periscope training graduates pitch their arts businesses to the community, competing for cash prizes totaling more than $7,500 per year.
• Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) A program providing free legal and professional services to artists and arts organizations, including contract review, intellectual property advice, and nonprofit formation assistance.
• Fiscal Sponsorship An incubator program providing tax-exempt status to arts groups and individual artist projects that do not hold tax-exempt status, helping them qualify for charitable funding.
• Arts Board Matching A program that equips business professionals with skills to serve effectively on arts nonprofit boards through four half-day workshops covering governance, fiduciary responsibilities, fundraising, and strategic planning.
• Creative Advantage: Corporate Training Suite Corporate training services that bring arts-based approaches to business professional development for partner companies.
• Workshops for Artists Educational workshops covering arts nonprofit management topics including audit and tax basics, financial management, and other professional development topics for artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual awards of $7,500+ in cash and prizes to artist-entrepreneurs through Periscope Pitch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and minor.

• ArtsBuildkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2023Partnership on Periscope CHA: Artist Entrepreneur Training to strengthen the local creative economy.
• Nashville Soccer ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2021Partnership to activate GEODIS Park with local art experiences through the Soundwaves Gallery program.
• Tennessee Department of HealthkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2021Partnership on Calls for Art for Public Health Awareness Campaigns, connecting artists with public health messaging opportunities.
• Bradley (law firm)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2021Partnership on Black-Owned Small Business and Nonprofit Clinic providing educational resources.
• Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, & Public Policy at Vanderbilt UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2017Partner on inaugural National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab studying the connection between arts-based creativity and other forms of creativity.
• Northwestern UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2017Research partner on NEA Research Lab investigating connections between arts-based creativity and other forms of creativity.
• NORC at the University of ChicagokeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2017Research partner on NEA Research Lab conducting national survey and mixed-methods study of Nashville artists.
• Nashville Entrepreneur CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and host partner for Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training program. Provides venue for training sessions and Periscope Pitch events.
• Metro Nashville Arts CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist mentorship partner for Periscope program, providing guidance and support for participating artists.
• Nashville Area Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromotional partner for Periscope program, helping raise awareness and support for Nashville's creative economy.
• Mayor’s Office of Economic & Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpportunity partner providing support and resources for Periscope program and creative economy initiatives.
• Southwest AirlineskeyGTM or Marketing PartnerOpportunity partner providing round-trip flights as prizes for Periscope Pitch winners.
• OZ Arts NashvillekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Periscope Pitch events and other programming. Worked with Strategic Hospitality on artist mini-golf project.
• Belmont UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit-in-residence on Belmont campus since 2013. Partnership advances educational and charitable purposes of both organizations.
• Frothy MonkeyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides scholarship support and judge for Periscope Pitch events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council: Regional nonprofit arts service organization providing grants, board training, professional development, and advocacy for the Pittsburgh arts community. Closely analogous to ABC Nashville's portfolio of programs.
• Mid-America Arts Alliance: Regional nonprofit arts service organization serving multiple states with grantmaking, professional development, and artist services. Comparable mid-scale model with state-level programmatic footprint overlapping ABC's Tennessee focus.
• Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU): Cleveland-based nonprofit that matches business professionals with nonprofit board and volunteer opportunities. Closely analogous to ABC Nashville's Arts Board Matching program and cross-sector volunteer ethos.
• Arts Council of Indianapolis: Indianapolis-based arts council that funds, advocates for, and develops the local creative sector. Comparable cross-sector model with similar programming, including fiscal services and capacity-building.
• Fractured Atlas: National nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship, business tools, and education to artists and arts organizations. Directly comparable to ABC's fiscal sponsorship and Periscope-style professional development offerings, though at much larger national scale.
• ArtsWave: Cincinnati-based regional arts council and community campaign that raises and allocates funds to arts organizations while running arts engagement programs. Highly comparable regional arts-council model to ABC Nashville, including board matching and corporate engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit that advocates for the arts, conducts research, and provides resources to local arts organizations. Operates one tier above ABC with overlapping program themes and could be considered a parent-tier or umbrella peer.

Others

• Tennessee Arts Commission: State government agency that grants public funds to Tennessee arts organizations, including ABC. Functions as both a peer (in arts development) and a funder/grantor of ABC's programming.
• OZ Arts Nashville: Nashville contemporary arts venue that is a documented partner of ABC for Periscope Pitch and other programming. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but operates in the same local arts ecosystem.

Regional players

• Create Nashville (Nashville Creative Group): Local Nashville nonprofit advocating for and supporting the city's creative economy through research, convening, and policy. Same geography as ABC with overlapping mission around creative-economy development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-&-business-council-of-greater-nashville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville