Full members, our core constituency, receive a comprehensive package of benefits designed to help them increase their capacity and effectiveness. These institutions interact with our national office and with one another frequently and engage in our programs and services on an ongoing basis.

A Full member is a tax-exempt organization or government agency, or division thereof, that offers arts learning opportunities and is committed to the values of quality, accessibility, and accountability. Download the Guild's Code of Best Practices (PDF).

Full member institutions include community schools of the arts, arts and cultural centers, and arts education divisions of arts centers, universities and colleges, museums, dance and theater companies, government agencies, and other organizations.

Information and Resources Provide Critical Management Tools

• Access the Communty Arts Education Resource Center, designed exclusively for staff, faculty, and trustees in the field.  Find peer-reviewed information on effective practices and download field-tested sample documents and templates directly from your desktop.
• Receive GuildNotes, our quarterly newsletter, featuring articles and interviews that offer practical guidance, insights, and research into emerging trends in community arts education.
• Receive our twice-monthly Member E-bulletin, full of time-sensitive information on grant applications, employment opportunities, professional development opportunities, and advocacy issues.
• Be eligible to participate in the Guild's biannual Field Survey, which collects critical benchmarking data on staff and faculty compensation, revenue sources, financial aid, pricing for classes and lessons, student demographics, and more.  Participants receive free access to the report.
• Access the Peer Advisory Service, which offers members the opportunity to consult with respected leaders in the field on a complimentary basis. Through half-hour phone sessions, advisors answer questions, offer guidance, and share experiences in a wide variety of areas.
• Access the National Guild Staff Helpline.
• Save on Guild publications.  Full members save up to 50 percent.  Discounts apply to staff, faculty, trustees, and volunteers at member institutions.

 
Peer Networking Keeps You Connected

• Access to the Member Forum helps you connect with your peers across the country to ask questions and to share information, advice, and ideas.
• Access to our Advanced Search Member Directory so you can search for peer organizations by budget, discipline, location, primary contact, and other characteristics and then easily export a spreadsheet that enables you to network with that group by email, phone, or mail.
• Invitations to participate in peer-group teleconferences based on artistic discipline and organizational type and size.
• Invitations to participate in regional chapter meetings and interest groups to engage with your peers and gain new skills and knowledge.

Professional Development Opportunities Enhance Skills and Inspire

• Receive discounted registration for the Conference for Community Arts Education (presented each fall in a different city).
• Receive discounted registration for regional events that address a range of administrative, programmatic, and governance issues.
• Invitations to participate in moderated webinars, designed exclusively for staff, faculty, and trustees in the field.

Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities Advance Your Programs

• Eligibility to apply for members-only grants and program funding for special initiatives.

Listings, Advertising and Guild Affiliation Increase Your National Visibility

• Receive a profile listing in the Member Directory that helps prospective students and others find you quickly and easily. 
• Recruit qualified job applicants through free employment listings on our Job Board
• Receive discounts on advertising in GuildNotes, the E-Bulletin, and website, and on exhibiting at the Arts Education Expo, held annually as part of the Conference for Community Arts Education.
• Receive deep discounts on the Guild's member mailing label service to reach key executives and staff at our member organizations
• Access to the Guild’s member decal and logo for print and web use raises awareness of the important role your organization plays in the field of community arts education. By trumpeting your Guild affiliation, you not only signal your commitment to quality, accessibility and accountability, but also strengthen your association with a national movement dedicated to ensuring the broadest possible access to arts education for all Americans.

Business Savings Help Your Organization Grow

• Receive discounts on FlexSystem, a flexible spending account program, which allows your organization to provide better benefits at a lower cost. Employees can set aside a portion of their pre-tax salary for un-reimbursed medical, dental, and transit expenses, and your organization saves by reducing overall payroll taxes. View this online presentation to learn more.
• Enroll in the Staples Business Advantage Program and receive substantial discounts on your everyday supply needs
• Receive a 5% discount on first-time purchases of StudioSchool Pro, a comprehensive, integrated management system by Dedication Technologies. Learn more here.

Advocacy Promotes the Value of Community Arts Education

• Contribute to a national voice for community arts education. The Guild represents the membership and promotes the value of community arts education to funders and policy makers through local and national media and partnerships with organizations such as Americans for the Arts, the Arts Education Partnership, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
• Exercise your corporate vote to approve or disapprove the Guild’s bylaw amendments, elect trustees, and decide Guild policy.