Cheers to Volunteers: Spotlight on National Volunteer Week
April 14 to 20 is National Volunteer Week, when we show our gratitude to all those amazing volunteers who lend their time, talents and skills to lift up their communities.
Volunteers make an immeasurable impact year-round in many sectors, including arts and culture, and without them, so many events and programs would simply cease to be. Think of all those volunteers at festivals who take your tickets, assist you in locating your seat, clean up the venue afterwards, and help with other essential services and information. In fact, according to 2023 findings from Hill Strategies Research, "arts, heritage, and entertainment organizations rely more commonly on volunteers than any other industry sector." Volunteers make a critical contribution to the sustainability of this sector and we're truly grateful for them.
At Business & Arts NL, we're fortunate to have so many wonderful volunteers as part of our Business Volunteers for the Arts, Business Workshops for Artists, and Team Up With the Arts programs. And thanks to their help, we're making a real impact.
Over the past year, we matched 22 arts members with over $8,610 worth of pro bono support through Business Volunteers for the Arts, which aims to give artists the support they need to make their best work, all while strengthening creative networks throughout the province. The program matches volunteers from the community (who come from various fields including legal, accounting, HR, and marketing and communications) with local arts organizations or individual artists to work on everything from contract review and conflict resolution to budgeting and governance. Here's what a couple of participants had to say:
This year, our Business Workshops for Artists series was also a huge success, offering 11 sessions to 451 attendees. Participants learned about grant writing, intellectual property rights, fundraising, digital marketing, and all the things creatives need to know to run thriving, arts-based businesses. In March, we hosted a special online panel discussion, “Grow Your Impact with Volunteers," featuring the Community Sector Council of NL, Union House Arts, the NL Folk Arts Society and St. Gabriel's Hall, who shared the vital role that volunteers play in their respective organizations.
Many thanks to all our volunteer presenters for sharing their time and expertise (keep your eyes on our social media and website for upcoming BWA sessions). We'd also like to say a big thank you to the Law Foundation of Newfoundland & Labrador for supporting Business Workshops for Artists and the Business Volunteers for the Arts program.
Finally, six arts boards were trained this year through our Team Up With the Arts program, which brought together members of the creative sector with potential volunteers who want to make an impact. The four-part program, created in partnership with the Gardiner Centre, engaged participants from across sectors and provided a foundational understanding of governance and the role of boards in supporting the growth of the local arts sector. We're pleased to report that three arts organizations recruited new board members through the program this year.
Participants in the classroom for Team Up With the Arts.
You don't have to look far to see the tremendous impact that volunteers are making all across the province. We express a huge thank you to them all, especially those who have worked with us this year in helping build a strong, sustainable and resilient arts sector.