Arts United Of Greater Fort Wayne

Community development: au coordinates partnerships that support arts advocacy, cultural planning, community events, and grant administration. Direct support is provided to partnering organizations through grant programs. -in 2024, au administered 3 grant programs, awarding 43 grants totaling 260,161 to support local artists and nonprofits. In 2025, au will continue to administer these grants to support creative initiatives. -au is the region 3 arts partner for the indiana arts commission (iac). In this capacity, au facilitates grant making for iac's arts organization support and arts project support (aps). In 2024, au facilitated 45 awards totaling 333,227. New in 2025, aps will include a 2nd fall cycle. -au provides indirect support by generating visibility and attendance for arts and culture activities. -events like taste of the arts and the arts united awards provide opportunities to feature and celebrate the artistry and accomplishments of local creatives. -the weekly arts and culture forecast email and calendar are free resources that share information about upcoming arts and culture events. -the arts campus fort wayne (acfw) season brochure is a free, annual resource highlighting the missions, programs, and seasons of organizations that present performances in acfw venues. This is shared with local retail shops, hotels, and restaurants, as well as regional visitor bureaus, to highlight arts and culture in fort wayne. -arts and culture are valued in economic development initiatives and community planning. Visit fort wayne launched its music economy taskforce in support of the allen county together plan (act), which includes support for the growth and development of acfw. The northeast indiana regional development authority launched its lei arts creativity economy study to examine how to strengthen the creative sector as an economic cluster supporting regional growth. -au identifies and fills gaps that are not addressed by local nonprofits or government agencies. Au partners with the city of fort wayne to coordinate the public art commission, which governs the city's public art program. -au has a subsidiary llc that provides fiscal agency for bold, new programs and is exploring a potential program to utilize this resource in the future.

Member services: au facilitates administrative services for member organizations, creating a connected, collaborative, and sustainable sector. -member services includes the regional arts council (rac), business services council, and audience development council, which are member-led and driven, each with a chair elected annually by members. -44 rac members benefit from networking and professional development opportunities. Planned 2025 activities include sessions on 401k offerings, planned giving strategies, idea, and emergency response for events, among other topics. -23 business services council members utilize collective purchasing power to access affordable health, dental, and life insurance, health screenings/vaccinations, an employee assistance program, worker's compensation, general liability insurance, payroll processing, and retirement planning. As a result, members can offer high-quality employee benefits that support promotion and retention. -20 artstix community box office members benefit from a centralized physical and virtual one-stop shop for ticketing with box office staff who manage ticket sales 7 days a week and travel to venues throughout the community. New this year, au will implement and train members on new ticketing software.