With our ongoing economic crisis, where do the arts stack up in terms of community needs? In my view, we need the arts—like much of the rest of the nonprofit sector—more than ever during these times.

The increased need for homeless shelters, job-training programs and food banks is painfully and immediately clear. If we pull back the lens a bit, it’s also clear how important it is that we maintain a vital cultural life. The future of the economy in our region is firmly linked to the vision and creativity of our businesses.

Fellow ArtsFund trustees who are leaders in high tech, bio-science, aerospace, finance or any field you can name tell us that they can only attract and retain the kind of bright, creative talent they need if this region has an attractive cultural life for employees and employees’ families.

One thing that has helped shelter us somewhat from the economic storm is having so many businesses here engaged in creative industries. It’s those same industries that will lead us back to prosperity. This just one reason the arts are important now. Probably even more important are the experiences the nonprofit arts organizations provide our children, particularly when students have so few options to learn about the arts in many of our schools. Pulling back on those opportunities now would dim future prospects for many students—especially those at the lower end of the income scale.

Most fundamental of all, the arts help us understand our common humanity with others throughout our community, which in these times is rapidly stretching around the world.

ArtsFund provides businesses and individuals a responsible way to support the nonprofit arts organizations. Yes, we know it’s a tough economy. But we can’t let go of the remarkable cultural life this region has built. Our future depends on it.