How Nonprofit Arts Organizations Sustain Communities: Examining the Relationship Between Organizational Strategy and Engagement in Community Sustainability

This article investigates the relationship between several elements of organizational strategy and arts and culture nonprofits perceived contributions to community sustainability. We ask the following research question: What are the drivers of arts and culture nonprofits’ engagement in community sustainability? Drawing on data collected from a survey of 175 nonprofits in the state of Michigan, this article reports the findings about arts and culture organizations perceived engagement in community sustainability and factors that may foster or inhibit such engagement. The study advances our understanding of the role that nonprofit organizations play in fostering local sustainable development, and it also informs broader scholarly discourse on the role of arts and culture organizations in a society.