{"id":1611,"date":"2025-12-02T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=1611"},"modified":"2025-11-02T18:41:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T18:41:36","slug":"when-doctors-prescribe-the-arts-as-treatment-nonprofit-arts-organizations-at-long-last-prove-their-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/12\/02\/when-doctors-prescribe-the-arts-as-treatment-nonprofit-arts-organizations-at-long-last-prove-their-worth\/","title":{"rendered":"When Doctors Prescribe the Arts as Treatment, Nonprofit Arts Organizations (At Long Last) Prove Their Worth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unless, of course, they muck it up by asking for money.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
(Image by Tatyana Kazakova from Pixabay.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cMusick has Charms to soothe the savage Breast
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak\u201d<\/p>\u2015 William Congreve, \u201cThe Mourning Bride”<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

There seems to be some truth to that, and nonprofit arts organizations could prove worth (and increase their charitable value to their communities) by following specific medical advice to soothe savage breasts and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a report from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation<\/a> (CBC) last month \u2014 yes, Canada still has a public broadcasting service which Canadians are happy to support \u2014 concerning the power of the arts literally to heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social prescribing<\/a> is neither a new nor controversial kind of practice. It describes and defines a system by which non-pharmaceutical activities can solve or mitigate psychological and physical ailments caused by isolation and lack of brain stimulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt’s particularly helpful for people from communities facing health inequities and need support in accessing anything that impacts the social determinants of health \u2014 non-medical factors that influence health outcomes \u2014 such as loneliness, housing, income or discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
A real prescription: Puppies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wrote about the charitable impact that nonprofit arts organizations have the capacity to deliver in the recent article Loneliness and the Arts: If Bringing People Together is the Cure, What is the Disease?<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>Across Canada, these issues have been in play for years. In the CBC report, for example, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra has partnered with M\u00e9decins francophones du Canada to allow doctors to prescribe the symphony as medicine to \u201creduce loneliness, improve health outcomes, ease the burden on the healthcare system, and build much-needed trust between doctors and their patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhysicians will give prescriptions to patients. The patients will call us. We give each patient that calls us two tickets, free of charge. And they can select the concert they want.\u201d<\/p>\u2014M\u00e9lanie La Couture, CEO of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to lean on the doctors and scientists to make the call on the power of music to heal the body. It\u2019s important (and more impressive) to society-at-large when an arts organization chooses to bring people out of their self-imposed isolation chambers and electronic mind-control machines with activities prescribed by those same doctors and scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your arts organization can do this, too. Actually, it should. <\/strong>Regardless of your financial strengths or weakness (whether you\u2019re swimming in cash or holding a going out of business sale), this is a way to prove to your community that you can help them. To some, it will be a revelation that your company might not be a toxic luxury for the rich, but indispensable to all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One wonders if there are just too many nonprofit arts organizations that are currently addicted to the idea that ticket sales and earned revenues are the ultimate measure of their success. Too many who care about acclaim and reviews to adopt this kind of program full-time. Too many who scrounge for dollars instead of providing a cure to reduce any stigma that might occur when someone is in need\u2026at no charge at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not one of those self-centered, self-indulgent art-for-art\u2019s-sake companies (that all need to change or die) and you want to do good in your immediate community, why aren\u2019t you actively advocating for groups of folks who have been deemed invisible by the movers and shakers to get free access to your music, your art, your dance, your theater, etc.? If it\u2019s a program that heals, why not seek out the most isolated, the neediest, and the loneliest of your human beings and do everything you can to bring your art to them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then show us the outcomes, supported by science, from an external source?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forget about selling tickets to these folks. Or even worry about funding it through an external grant. Just do the right thing because it\u2019s the right thing to do. That\u2019s what nonprofits are supposed to do.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if it\u2019s more effective to go where they are instead of forcing them to come to you. Your building isn\u2019t what will cure them, after all. But your art just might.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, isn\u2019t it more important to your community that you solve a need instead of figuring out which ticketing scheme and price structure maximizes your revenue?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Doesn’t she deserve to be well? You can do something about that.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aren\u2019t they <\/em>more important than you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your answer is no, please leave the business or simply convert to a for-profit business. As a member of the nonprofit community, you\u2019re hurting everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You save the art by saving the purpose, not by just continuing to satisfy your own \u201cartistic vision,\u201d which is completely meaningless to your community. Find the connections in the medical community who prescribe wellness with your art and then show us the data and stories of success. Don\u2019t show us what you did without showing us how these people got better. Your community needs you. And it\u2019s the first step toward success as a charitable institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Scene<\/a>
If you want your nonprofit arts organization to thrive, just pick up this inexpensive trilogy. If not, I can let you know how to throw “Going Out Of Business” sales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/a>
If you want to encourage vigorous discussion on how to make the nonprofit arts industry work for you, please consider buying me a cup of coffee by clicking on the cup. It’s a small thing, I know, but I need the caffeine. And hey, if you’re in the Seattle area, let’s have a cup together and talk!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There was a report from the CBC) last month concerning the power of the arts literally to heal. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,22,100,32,29,28,23,19,18,17,99],"tags":[85,10],"class_list":{"0":"post-1611","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-board-of-trustees","10":"category-book-recommendation","11":"category-charity","12":"category-dei","13":"category-diversity-equity-inclusion","14":"category-executive-director","15":"category-leadership","16":"category-nonprofit","17":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","18":"category-scene-change","19":"tag-community","20":"tag-impact","21":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Symphony-Orchestra-Image-by-Tatyana-Kazakova-from-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1000%2C618&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1782,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/04\/02\/doing-the-right-thing-with-nonprofit-arts-organizations-like-walking-in-high-heels-through-meat\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":0},"title":"Doing the Right Thing With Nonprofit Arts Organizations: \u201cLike Walking in High Heels Through Meat\u201d","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"...while the attention to charity has evolved, the nonprofit arts behemoth class has not.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Three-women-walking-in-high-heels-through-meat.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Three-women-walking-in-high-heels-through-meat.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Three-women-walking-in-high-heels-through-meat.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Three-women-walking-in-high-heels-through-meat.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Three-women-walking-in-high-heels-through-meat.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1517,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/10\/07\/a-punchy-outspoken-argument-for-how-nonprofit-arts-organizations-should-be-run\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":1},"title":"“A PUNCHY, OUTSPOKEN ARGUMENT FOR HOW NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE RUN.”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"An example-driven new map to success in the realm of nonprofit theater.\" \u2014 Kirkus Reviews.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scene Change, Scene Change 2, and Scene Change 3 - 3 books to improve your arts organization","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":457,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2023\/06\/20\/warning-the-following-column-was-completely-written-by-a-i-as-such-it-should-terrify-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":2},"title":"Warning: The Following Column Was Completely Written by A.I. As Such, It Should Terrify You.","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"June 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"For my nonprofit arts colleagues worldwide who are agonizing over whether they might be replaced, be assured. 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