NASAA provides a wide spectrum of planning resources that help improve the planning knowledge and skills of state arts agencies. We work to highlight best practices, organize what we know about successful planning, supplement it with fresh and innovative ideas, and make that synthesis systematically available to the field via practical, how-to resources. Through our professional association of the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies, members can take advantage of the following resources:

Technical assistance

• telephone and e-mail consultation
• on-site facilitation of planning-to-plan meetings and visioning sessions
• overviews of national arts trends for occasions such as statewide conferences, planning meetings and council meetings
• consultation on special planning subjects such as planning for technology or performance measurement
• professional development and training opportunities at NASAA's annual conference

Referrals

• clearinghouse of examples of state arts agency plans
• referrals to state arts agency colleagues facing similar challenges
• referrals to consultants with state-level planning experience

Online resources

During 2000, NASAA has developed a virtual planning center that provides updates to this toolkit, examples of state arts agency strategic plans, links to online planning resources and other helpful materials.

Information services

• current and historical analysis of state arts agency budget data
• current and historical analysis of state arts agency grant-making data
• current information on programs and staffing
• state-to-state comparisons and cluster analyses
• assistance with survey designs
• consultation for packaging and presenting data (tabulations, reports, maps, etc.) for planning documents, publications and budget requests

Topical publications

• Report to the Task Force on Cultural Pluralism: Summarizes policy and program strategies for cultural diversity and outlines indicators of commitment to be used in agency self-assessment.
• A State Arts Agency Performance Measurement Toolkit: A guide to systematically tracking information about activities and using it to assess and demonstrate your agency's impact and efficiency.
• Measuring Your Arts Economy: A practical guide to conducting economic impact studies.
• A State Arts Agency Public Funding Sourcebook: Contains over 25 years of historical data on SAA and NEA budgets, as well as constant-dollar calculations, population figures and regional data tables.
• The NASAA Advocate: A periodical focused on strategies to build public support for the arts at the state level.
• Research Briefs: A periodical that synthesizes current research about state arts agencies and their environments.

For information, publications or technical assistance, contact the NASAA office:

Phone: 202.347.6352
TDD: 202.347.5948
Kelly Barsdate
Jonathan Katz

About NASAA

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is the nonprofit, tax-exempt membership organization of the state arts agencies of the United States and six U.S. jurisdictions including American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NASAA's mission is to advance and promote a meaningful role for the arts in the lives of individuals, families and communities throughout the United States. NASAA empowers state arts agencies through strategic assistance that fosters leadership, enhances planning and decision making, and increases resources. NASAA's program areas include policy development, research, leadership development, communications and advocacy.