Cultural Service Partners

Cultural Service Partnership

First established in 2013, the purpose of this partnership is to grow the collective capacity and impact of Erie’s non-profit cultural economy. To participate in this partnership, an organization must:

  • Be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3
  • Be headquartered in Erie County and understand that funding must be directed to projects that benefit Erie County

Have a mission statement that emphasizes arts and culture, with a focus on:

  • Historic preservation/restoration
  • Arts in education
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Folk arts
  • Humanities
  • Literature
  • Film/Video/Media
  • Theater and musical theater
  • Visual arts
  • Collections or exhibitions of historical, archeological, scientific, or ethnic artifacts or objects
  • Be in operation for more than three consecutive fiscal years
  • Have an annual operating budget of $400,000 or greater
  • Be voted into partnership by existing Partners and Erie Arts & Culture’s Board of Trustees

content partnerships

Cultural Service Partners

If an organization is interested in being named a Partner, they must submit a written Letter of Intent to:

Erie Arts & Culture
Board of Trustees
23 W 10th Street, Suite 200
Erie, PA 16501

Cultural Equity Commitment

To support an enriched life for all, Erie Arts & Culture and its Partners commit to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, and equitable region. We recognize that many existing systems of power grant privilege and access unequally, and that equity is crucial to the long-term viability of both the arts and culture sector and communities-at-large.  In support of this commitment, we will:

  • Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and report our progress.
  • Commit time and resources to expand more diverse representation within our board, staff, advisory bodies, volunteers, funders, and programming.
  • Progress the cultural consciousness of all our constituencies and audiences.
  • Improve the cultural professional pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that attract candidates who reflect the full breadth of Erie County’s population.
  • Collect quantitative data related to equity to make incremental, measurable progress towards cultural equity goals.

Partnership Objectives

Vision and Strategy

  • Define shared values.
  • With shared values in mind, establish a unified vision that aligns efforts.
  • Based on the shared vision, develop three-year goals that are measurable.
  • For each goal, define performance indicators and result indicators.
  • Track and communicate progress and outcomes.

Marketing and Communication

  • Build brand and mission awareness of each Partner and cross-promote between Partners.
  • Position arts and culture as an indispensable value-added sector for the region.
  • Improve stakeholder relations and enhance patron relationships.
  • Develop a dynamic marketing strategy that coordinates organizational efforts.
  • Position Downtown Erie as a cultural destination.

Fundraising and Development

  • Increase public and private funding for arts and culture in the region.
  • Identify cooperative funding opportunities.
  • Pursue new and sustainable revenue streams.
  • Grow annual United Arts Fund.

Contact us to learn more

Erie Arts & Culture

Keep in touch with the arts!

Join our mailing list to stay in the loop on culture and creativity in the region!