The Opportunity:
Real and Lasting Change

This is business development.
This is community investment.
This is lasting change.

Future NIVF Programs

The National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) was formed by NIVA to further NIVA’s mission by supporting a transparent, competitive marketplace serving a diverse and inclusive community of artists, fans, and industry workers. NIVF seeks to harness this network of for-profit and non-profit venues to remove barriers for under-represented communities (BIPOC, low-income, those with disabilities, LGBTQ+, and others) to enter or advance within the music business, to become business owners, and to broaden the appreciation of traditional and contemporary music genres for under-represented youth.

 
 

Education, Artist Development & Community Partnership

With mission-driven focus and the ability to nimbly respond to their communities, independent venues can become living classrooms that create daytime programming for school groups, produce master classes for high school students, college students, and adult learners alike, and combine music and dialogue to spark conversation around current issues. This learning can spill out the doors to feature collaborative partnerships with schools and community groups as well as projects that inspire new songs and albums that come back to the venue stages for premieres that celebrate this expanded community reach.

This kind of work becomes an important investment in artists and the venue’s music community at large. By drawing on existing relationships and expanding into new genres, venues can offer artists opportunities beyond gigs, from teaching to commissions with community groups. This investment will bring local musicians needed financial support and help build stable ecosystems that encourage artists to put down roots in that community. Projects can feature:

INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES

Drawing on artists across genres, these performances can showcase ways music crosses boundaries and cultures and becomes a “universal language” that promotes connection, expression, and understanding. They become opportunities for students to experience venues they might never otherwise visit. With experiential activities laced throughout the event, students get to experience music-making directly, in an intimate exchange with the performers.

CURRICULUM-BASED SCHOOL RESIDENCIES

Artist-Teachers have the ability to offer a different creative pathway into a variety of curricula. The legacy of protest music can inspire new ideas for National History Day projects; classroom-wide songwriting process can open up themes in English Language Arts and other language or writing courses. Working closely with teachers and principals, music venues and local artists can form lasting partnerships that become valued community contributions to student learning.

STUDENT-CENTERED ALBUM PRODUCTION

A variety of digital music-making applications give students the ability to quickly become content creators. Music venues and artist-teachers / working musicians can bring their real-world experience to this process by mentoring small groups, whole classrooms and even entire schools in the process of writing, recording, and mixing/mastering original songs and albums. These projects can invite students into hands-on learning and collaboration with seasoned professionals in everything from creative writing to composition to engineering to performance to marketing and business development.

COMMUNITY-BASED SONGWRITING PROJECTS

With a goal of building community partnership and offering access to arts experiences to those who don’t readily have them, venues have the opportunity to collaborate with a host of local organizations - from groups supporting immigrant and refugee youth, to centers for adults with cognitive disabilities, to engaging individuals or groups in collaborative songwriting, all as a means of sharing new stories and giving new voices a platform.

COMMUNITY COMMISSIONS

Venues can also look to be active producers of new work, encouraging new music, investing in local artists, and opening their stages to new talent. Artist commissions featuring local musicians created in collaboration with particular communities and groups can spur new sounds and new conversations, as well as new opportunities to build audiences and celebrate community.

The pilot program is expected to launch within the next 12 months.

 
 

Business & Entrepreneurship Resource Program

 

ONLINE BUSINESS CENTER PORTAL

Establish an online resource that provides tools and templates for business planning, launch, management and future growth. This portal will be specific to the live events industry and will include business plan templates, financial proformas, and other templates to help plan, open, and grow a live events business.

  • Business Planning
    Market research and competitive analysis, business plan templates, financial proformas, equipment lists, etc.

  • Launch Business
    Resources for how to select a proper legal business entity, selecting a physical business location, insurance, licensing, accounting, etc.

  • Manage Business
    Hiring employees, business accounting, payroll, taxes, compliance, DEI practices, webinars, and trainings.

  • Grow Business
    Talent buying, creating/growing merchandising, strategic partnerships, etc.

  • Job Board
    A portal for NIVA members to post open positions with their organizations.

  • State-By-State Resources
    This portal will provide state-by-state resources connecting users to useful state agencies and funding programs while also outlining various state liquor and business licensing considerations.

 

EXECUTIVE TRAINING CENTER

The executive training center will select an annual cohort of people working in the live events industry that are interested in senior leadership positions within an existing business and/or are interested in starting their own. The program will provide visibility and experience into the various aspects of the live events business and provide the participant with a holistic view of the industry. The participants will learn best business practices, leadership skills, and participate in DEI training.

MINORITY BUSINESS FUNDING

NIVF will provide seed funding for an annual cohort of new venue operators and/or promoters with minority status (BIPOC, woman-owned, veteran, disabled, LGBTQI+, etc). Applicants will be required to submit a full business plan, financial projections, and professional history. Each participant will be mentored by a successful venue operator / promoter within NIVA and will submit to a monthly review with the funding board.