Toolkits for Change

Community Heroes display

Community Heroes

Through Creative Exchange, we are always excited to share toolkits from creative community projects – especially ones created by artists, and using resources from Springboard for the Arts like the…


Work of Art and Artists Working in Community Books

Books from Springboard for the Arts

At Springboard for the Arts, we believe that more is more. We make and share tools designed to benefit as many artists as possible. By freely sharing our work and creating connections among artists…


Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists

Developed by Springboard for the Arts, Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists is based on a series of professional development and entrepreneurship workshops that have been taught at arts…


Handbook for Artists Working in Community

In this day and age of continued disparities, injustices, pandemics and systemic racism, artists are critical agents of change in our communities. More than ever, we need artists to be catalysts and…


Emergency Relief Funds Toolkit

The Personal Emergency Relief Fund is a long-standing program of Springboard for the Arts. The purpose of the Fund is to provide short-term, immediate relief to artists who are facing lost income or…


Mural Map & Community History Toolkit

Springboard for the Arts and Art of the Rural were inspired to commission a toolkit from an artist living and working in a rural place, as a way to bridge the Rural Generation Summit in May 2019,…


Write Denver Toolkit

"Write Denver ushered in a deeper level of community engagement for Lighthouse Writers Workshop. We wish the same for you! Whether you're an individual or part of a larger organization, we hope the…


Growing Up in the Arts Toolkit

“We are excited about the potential to use the toolkit for preparing other communities to host their own “Growing Up in the Arts” activities. We have found a method that facilitates collaboration…


Lightning Rod Toolkit

"Honestly? I hope people will steal Lightning Rod, make it their own and takes lots of pictures and notes and then send them to us," says Lightning Rod co-creator Kat Purcell. Lightning Rod is a…


Ready Go Toolkit

Ready Go is a resource from Springboard for the Arts that connects neighborhoods, non-profits, businesses and individuals to artist-created, mobile tools that are purpose-built to pique curiosity and…


Toolkit Toolkit

Yes, this is what you think it is. Since the launch of Creative Exchange in 2014, over 6,000 toolkits have been downloaded from the site, facilitating artist-led projects, business skills…


Guide for Business Districts to Work with Local Artists

The Guide for Business Districts to Work with Local Artists is a free guide for place managers to work with artists on creative placemaking projects. The Guide was created for International Downtown…


Mural Arts' Porch Light Toolkit

Mural Arts in Philadelphia believes that hands-on art-making provides a strong pathway for individual and community healing. Their Porch Light program, a joint collaboration with the City of…


Find An Artist Toolkit

Artists are everywhere, and have enormous capacity to shape the world around us! This toolkit was created by Springboard for the Arts as a tool to help organizations in finding, commissioning and…


Trabajo de Arte: Aptitudes de Negocios para Artistas

Gracias por su interés en Trabajo de Arte: Aptitudes de Negocios para Artistas. Esto fue hecho por Springboard for the Arts con la ayuda del Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana y las…


HE-HO: A Toolkit for Health and Housing Resources

Everyone needs a place to live, including artists. Artists may also have additional space needs for their work, adding potential barriers to seeking out effective housing and space solutions. One of…


Artist-Designed Bike Rack Toolkit

Metro Arts is a city department responsible for arts and cultural policy & programming in Nashville, TN. Since 2010, Metro Arts has commissioned artist-designed bike racks, resulting in dozens of…


500 Plates Toolkit

Food brings people together - passing dishes back and forth, pouring drinks for each other, stacking plates, the act of sharing flavors and opinions is a great social leveler. Artist-designed…


World Dance Party

Are you looking to build connections between elders and young people? Do you want to strengthen ties between neighbors of different ethnicities? Do you want people to have a space to have fun and…


Arte Apoyada por la Comunidad

Gracias por su interés en el programa modelo de mnartist.org y Springboard for the Arts Arte Apoyada por la Comunidad (CSA por sus siglas en inglés). Estamos entusiasmados con la respuesta que hemos…


The People's Creative Toolkit

Your story has to be told, and a lot of people have to listen. But how do you tell your story to get them to listen? And who is “them,” anyway? These are questions we have to address with every…


Healthcare Voucher Program and Free Healthcare Days Toolkit

Navigating healthcare and health insurance resources can be complex, and creating effective programs can take a lot of time, resources and relationships. This toolkit is great for replicating a whole…


Open-air Social Dance Series

"How come there is no public dancing in Chicago?" That was the question in 1997 that prompted the creation of the first SummerDance, an outdoor, public, free dance series in parks in Chicago. Since…


IRRIGATE: Artist-Led Community Development

Cities and neighborhoods need creative thinking. Particularly when communities are facing big challenges, artists see opportunity in challenge, beauty in chaos and have practical skills and creative…


[freespace]

[freespace] began in San Francisco in June 2013, inspired by the National Day of Civic Hacking and a landlord who gifted a 14,000 square foot warehouse to a group of organizers for $1. These…


Neighborhood Postcard Project

Perceptions of marginalized communities often form from single media sources. All you see on the news is the violence, drugs, and poverty. But, there are many positive stories that exist in these…


Pop Up Museum

We've all got fascinating things, but not everyone gets to show them off in a museum. Thanks to the Pop Up Museum, that's all about to change. The Pop Up Museum is a temporary…


Artists' Health Fair

Navigating healthcare and health insurance resources can be complex, and creating effective programs can take a lot of time, resources and relationships. This toolkit is great for replicating a…


Community Supported Art

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy seasonal food directly from local farms. With the same buy-direct, buy-local spirit in…


The Road To A Community Plan

Creating a community plan that is strategic about engagement & provides opportunities for underrepresented groups to be involved can be a daunting proposal, but is critical to effective…