August 1, 2009
Filed under: BVA, Volunteerism
A&BC owes much of the Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA) program’s success to its high-caliber, committed volunteers. We currently have over 90 active volunteers who donate their time, insight, and expertise to our valued arts clients. Our BVAs make a huge difference in the sustainability of our clients, but why do they do it?
Beyond being able to positively impact the arts community in Chicago, A&BC’s BVAs volunteer in order to enrich their own skills and build their professional network. Toby Sachs, a BVA for more than seven years, explains:
“Being a BVA gives people a chance to practice their craft in a different field, or to play a different role on the team than they do at the office. Applying your training to the arts often forces you to consider and explain the underlying principles, which is a great discipline. You can't get away with too much jargon and are forced to think and express yourself clearly.”
Toby has an impressive background with more than thirty years of professional experience working in top-tier advertising agencies, having managed accounts ranging from Kellogg’s to Boeing to Prozac. Now retired, he is pleased to put his experience to good use. Plus, Toby enjoys meeting new arts organizations and other equally qualified business professionals—and most important, he always has fun.
“I loved my latest project, which is to help write a marketing plan for the Chicago International Film Festival. They were doing a ton of great promotional activity already, and just needed a hand pulling it all together into one overall strategy. I made some smashing new friends, both with my fellow BVAs and the clients, and it opened my eyes to cinema beyond the realm of Hollywood,” said Toby.
Since he started volunteering in 2001, Toby has been an asset to our BVA program, often stepping up to the plate as the Team Lead for projects. He is a wonderful listener and makes sure to engage the client and his fellow team members throughout the process. With the Chicago International Film Festival project just completed, Toby has already volunteered to lead an e-marketing project for Lookingglass Theatre, which will launch in the next couple of weeks.
Although Toby is a shining example of a BVA, he is not unique. A&BC’s BVA program is filled with dedicated and accomplished business professionals. They come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from finance to human resources to strategic planning and more. We are pleased to announce that our devoted BVAs have helped over 25 arts organizations in 2009 so far, with four more projects in the pipeline. However, as described, the program is not just about our BVAs giving; it is also about them gaining something else in return.
If you are interested in participating in our BVA program or for more information, please contact Katie Kurcz, (312) 372-1876 x229. A special thanks to the Polk Bros. Foundation for supporting the BVA program.