The Arts Toolbox Award is a program of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund operated in partnership with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. The purpose of the Toolbox is to provide arts organizations with tools to strengthen their management, governance and operations. Toolbox Awards are not financial grants; they are custom-designed packages of professional management consulting to help solve a key organizational challenge or problem. Arts organizations selected to receive a Toolbox Award will work with a specialist at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits who will construct a package of appropriate organizational assistance. The specialist will oversee the award and delivery of professional services to ensure the organization’s stated outcome is reached within the designated time frame. The Arts Fund will pay all Toolbox expenses.

The services delivered to Toolbox Award recipients may take a variety of forms, each tailored specifically to the organization receiving the award. A variety of resources may be used to deliver these services, including field experts, professional management consultants, peer mentors, resource information and/or training opportunities.

In 2009, the Arts Toolbox Award will focus on assisting organizations with the types of projects below. Although requests for all types of awards will be accepted, priority will be given to strong requests for the following “Primary Areas of Focus.”

2009 PRIMARY AREAS OF FOCUS

• Organizational collaboration or efficiencies*
• Financial management
• Scenario planning
• Updates of strategic plans
• Board development

2009 SECONDARY AREAS OF FOCUS

• Strategic planning (3 year plans)
• Resource development planning
• Evaluation

For details on these areas of focus, please read the Toolbox Award Guidelines. *Organizations applying for collaborations may apply in teams as detailed in the Guidelines.

Special Thanks
The Arts Toolbox program is operated with major funding from The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and from the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.