Prospective Volunteers

The Arts & Business Council’s volunteer opportunities are designed to connect skilled Chicagoans to volunteer opportunities with nonprofit arts, cultural, and creative organizations in the Chicago area. Our volunteers work with nonprofits on skills-based consulting projects to address the organizations’ management needs and On BOARD candidates fill critical needs in organizations’ boards of directors.

Each year, our corps of volunteers works with our Art Partner organizations in fields including dance, theater, music, performance, arts education, galleries, literary organizations, and cultural centers. Meet Our Volunteers to read about personal and professional benefits that come with getting involved.

Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA)

The BVA program recruits and trains experienced individuals and matches them to serve on pro-bono consulting projects and one-on-one consulting opportunities with small-to-medium-sized nonprofit arts organizations throughout the Chicago area. These engagements, which range from 1-2 hours to 2-6 months long, are geared towards individuals looking for shorter-term volunteer engagements.

On BOARD

The On BOARD program trains individuals for board service with small-to-medium-sized arts, cultural, & creative nonprofits in the Chicago area.

Attention Employers

BVA consultants and On BOARD candidates undergo extensive training in preparation to work with arts organizations. Encouraging your employees to volunteer with A&BC is a powerful way to develop your next generation of leaders. Our opportunities introduce them to a wide network of business professionals and allow them to build and develop professional skills they wouldn’t normally use in their day-to-day work.