Do you believe in the power of music and performance to shape the lives of young people? Do you want to support stronger ties between community members? Do you have research, outreach, and data synthesis skills? The National Independent Venue Foundation’s Social Impact Fellowship position is designed to develop resources and opportunities for NIVF’s Education & Community Engagement program.

Independent venues can be living classrooms, creating programming and partnerships that engage underserved populations in music-making and performance education. They can invest in local artists, providing new streams of revenue, helping artists diversify their work and gain stability. And they can commit to building the workforce and create needed pathways for BIPOC individuals to join the music and hospitality industries.

Much of this work is already occurring at a local level, led by individual artists, venues, nonprofits, and community groups. As the Foundation builds towards funded cohorts supporting education and community engagement programming, the Social Impact Fellow will research existing programs across the country, compile a database of opportunities for cross-pollination and shared learning, highlight success stories and best practices, and lay the groundwork for future program development.