Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) is a not-for-profit organization that encourages corporate support for the arts. It aims to educate, motivate, develop and recognize business support of the arts. This is achieved through business/arts partnerships, volunteerism, in-kind donations and leadership development.

The most visible event is the annual awards gala, held every fall. This evening of excitement focuses on those corporations and individuals in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties who have given in some outstanding way to arts and cultural institutions. They are recognized for their generosity and support. Some of our local winners have gone on to win national BCA awards!

Tampa Bay BCA also is actively involved in setting up partnering relationships between businesses and cultural groups. Such partnerships often involve a corporation providing in-kind services or supplies to the non-profit or giving monetary support. An example is the sculpture garden built by King Engineering at Artists Unlimited several years ago. A partnership may also include taking a seat on the board of the arts institution.

Another important program is the leadership development seminar, Get on Board for the Arts. Representatives from the corporate world are brought together with those from arts organizations for a series of workshops on how to build an effective board. Issues include the responsibilities of a good board member, the appropriate relationship between board members and staff and the legal and fiduciary concerns of non-profit boards.

Of course, one of the outstanding services provided by Tampa Bay BCA is its periodic publication of economic impact studies. These reports translate the very real value of the arts into economic figures, thus speaking the language of the corporate world and encouraging the business world to see contributions to the arts as investments rather than gifts.

An additional concern of the BCA is advocacy. Because of the many issues with government funding of the arts, the development of the cultural arts district in downtown Tampa and ongoing challenges and opportunities for cultural institutions, the Tampa Bay BCA recognizes that it has an important role in supporting the interests and concerns of arts in the bay area.

In sum, TBBCA addresses many issues of import to the cultural world of the Tampa Bay area and contributes effectively to the health and welfare of the arts community.