What We Need

Over the last year, the need for a corporate-nonprofit partnership (or individual-nonprofit partnership) has become apparent. Foundations offer no grants for artists' housing, and government appears indifferent to whether artists can live in our cities. Although the National Endowment for the Arts was enthusiastic about funding our project back in 2016, they required a partnership with the city. The city government in San Francisco, under Mayor Lee, refused to even acknowledge the offer. The city under Mayor Breed did the same. 

Corporate-nonprofit partnerships, or individual-nonprofit partnerships, are a win-win for all concerned. A corporation, or individual, could lease an empty building to us at a nominal rent and deduct the value of their in-kind (non-cash) donation from their taxes—a major tax incentive while spending nothing. The IRS includes property as a viable in-kind donation.

Corporate-nonprofit partnerships are a relatively new way of doing business, and because it's a developing model, there are no strict rules for how they're constructed. Partners can decide what kind of agreement to make. It offers a creative alternative to doing business in a city where the real estate market is currently flat. We're inviting realtors, who have extensive knowledge of what properties are available, and which owners are open to original solutions, to join such a partnership as a third collaborator. A realtor may get a single large sum as a commission from a sale, but as partners they would get an ongoing percentage of all income, including rents and proceeds from on-site businesses. 

This kind of partnership offers another mutual benefit: the corporation's name appears on all the nonprofit's public documents, providing invaluable free publicity. For ArtHouse, it's a a prestigious endorsement. There are financial benefits for both sides and considerable goodwill for the partner who can make it happen, but there's another benefit shared by all—the joy of making something genuinely fantastic happen.

ArtHouse needs other things, too. We need board members who would enjoy the challenge of bringing this project to fruition and connecting us to potential partners. We need speaking engagements, because every time we speak in public, another possible opportunity comes up. We're especially interested in talking to women's organizations, but our recent engagement at the Commonwealth Club got a lot of interest, so we're happy to speak to any group that wants to hear about our project.

We need donations, of course, to carry on with the work. Since foundations won't fund us and the government ignores us, we rely on the vision and generosity of the public sector. All donations are fully tax deductible and immensely appreciated.  

Click the button to Donate, or go to the Donate Menu link at the top of the page.