Community Arts Network

What Community Arts Network does

Community Arts Network (CAN) is a Vienna-headquartered global membership platform that connects individuals and organisations working at the intersection of arts and social impact. Co-founded by Community Arts Lab-Porticus and the Hilti Foundation in response to FASresearch findings covering 2,075 organisations across 92 countries, CAN operates a website-based platform that lists more than 1,000 members spanning 80 countries and serves as both a directory and a community hub for the arts-for-social-impact sector.

The platform is built around a Network Map (geographic visualization of members), a Matchmaker tool (for discovering and contacting potential allies across map and list views), and Network Search. These are supported by a Knowledge layer comprising a Library of case studies, a curated Tools collection, and the Art Qualities framework — a cross-disciplinary methodology positioned for use in governance, business, education, and wellbeing. An Impact editorial section and an Agenda of community-submitted events round out the surface area. The technology is a self-serve web platform with no public API, no mobile apps, and no AI/ML capabilities referenced in available materials.

The business model is not commercially disclosed: no pricing, membership fees, or revenue figures are public. CAN appears to be mission-driven and grant-supported rather than revenue-generating, with a 17-person team in Vienna and horizontal, community-led go-to-market. Customer segments are individuals and organisations engaged in arts-for-social-impact work; customer logos, contract values, and segment economics are not available in the source data.

Name

Community Arts Network

Website

https://community-arts.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Arts Network is a Vienna-based global membership platform connecting 1,000+ individuals and organisations across 80 countries working in arts for social impact, via a website offering a Network Map, Matchmaker tool, and Knowledge resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Social Impact Network Platform

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Arts for social impact
• Global networking platform
• Community arts network
• Knowledge sharing resources
• Membership platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Community Arts Network (CAN) operates a global online platform connecting over 1,000 members across 80 countries who use arts as a force for social impact. The platform provides networking tools (Network Map, Matchmaker, Network Search) to help members discover and connect with potential allies, alongside Knowledge resources (Library, Tools, Art Qualities framework) for shared learning. The platform was co-founded by Community Arts Lab-Porticus and Hilti Foundation in response to FASresearch findings.

Product overview

Community Arts Network (CAN) operates as a unified global networking platform for arts and social impact professionals. The core offering consists of the CAN Platform, which encompasses networking tools including the Matchmaker (for finding potential allies), Network Map (geographic visualization), and Network Search functionality. Supporting the platform are Knowledge resources including the Library (case studies and resources), Tools collection, and Art Qualities framework. The platform serves over 1000 members across 80 countries, functioning as both a directory and community hub rather than a modular software product with separate purchaseable components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAN Platform (Community Arts Network)
• Matchmaker
• Network Map
• Network Search
• Library
• Art Qualities
• Tools

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Arts Lab-PorticuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of Community Arts Network. Community Arts Lab-Porticus joined hands with Hilti Foundation to form CAN in response to research showing that 'Community Arts is a global community of ideas but not yet a global community network'.
• Hilti FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of Community Arts Network. Hilti Foundation partnered with Community Arts Lab-Porticus to establish CAN as a global platform for arts for social impact.
• FASresearchminorOthersConducted research into how to increase social impact through the arts with 2075 organisations across 92 countries. Research findings established that 'Community Arts is a global community of ideas but not yet a global community network', which led to CAN's formation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Americans for the Arts: National arts service organization in the US that provides networking, advocacy, and resources for arts organizations and individuals. Directly comparable to CAN as a membership-based platform serving the arts-for-impact community, though operating at national rather than global scale.
• Julie's Bicycle: UK-based global nonprofit supporting arts and cultural organizations on environmental sustainability and social impact. Comparable to CAN in the arts-and-social-impact space with a similar membership and resources model, though specialized in the culture-and-environment intersection.
• Culture Action Europe: European-wide membership organization advocating for the arts and culture sector with a network of cultural organizations and individuals. Comparable to CAN as a regional membership platform supporting cross-border arts collaboration, advocacy, and knowledge exchange.
• International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA): Global network of arts councils and cultural agencies from over 70 countries, providing knowledge-sharing, research, and member services. Comparable to CAN as a global membership organization for arts policy and practice, with overlapping mandate in cross-border arts collaboration.

Emerging players

• Create London: London-based arts charity supporting artists and communities through grants, commissions, and research. Comparable to CAN's arts-and-social-impact positioning and emphasis on knowledge resources, though operating at city-scale rather than global.
• A4 Arts Foundation: South African arts foundation supporting experimental arts practice across Africa with international network connections. Comparable to CAN's arts-for-social-impact mission and global network ambition, though regionally focused on the African continent.

Broad incumbents

• European Cultural Foundation: Major pan-European foundation funding culture and arts across the continent with an extensive network of grantees and partners. Comparable to CAN's foundation-backed model and pan-regional arts focus, but operates at much larger scale and primarily as a funder rather than a membership platform.

Others

• Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE): US-based funder network supporting civic engagement and community impact through philanthropy. Comparable to CAN as a curated network of mission-aligned organizations with knowledge resources and member matchmaker-style services, though focused on civic engagement rather than arts specifically.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communityartsnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Community Arts Network