Management
Issue No. 61 - October/November 2011
Value in business-arts partnerships
by Malcolm Jackman
I am no believer in just throwing money at organisations to make you feel good, so when the Australia Business Arts Foundation invited me to become a national councillor, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way, having long been a proponent of business arts partnerships.
What has been remarkable, however, is the extent of the positive flow-on effects to the Elders organisation and its staff.
As Australia’s peak organisation connecting the arts, business and donors, AbaF over the past decade has achieved significant outcomes. In the face of increasing financial pressure on the arts, AbaF with the help of more than 100 corporate partners, has played a leading role in boosting private sector support for the arts, which has doubled from $108 million in 2000 to $221 million in 2010.
Nevertheless, at a time when the impact of the global economic malaise is taking centre stage in boardrooms across Australia, it may not seem like an easy choice to invest in the arts. Surprisingly, South Australia recorded a 42% increase in arts sponsorships in 2009-10. The numbers speak for themselves — partnering with the arts when the economy is down may well be a worthwhile investment.
A key reason is value for money. Certainly there are many successful examples of businesses partnering with high-profile arts organisations to strengthen their brand equity, but AbaF also offers a number of other means to form innovative partnerships with the arts, often for a modest investment.
Elders, for example, has become involved in volunteering with the arts through an AbaF service called boardBank. Through my own experience on the Helpmann Academy Board of Governors, I f...
