Arts Funding Not Keeping Pace with Demographic and Cultural Changes
Anne Eigeman
The Nonprofit Quarterly
October 13, 2011
Current arts grantmaking overlooks large segment of cultural practice, and as a result, large segments of the American public according to a new report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. Highlighting the fact that about 11 about percent of total foundation giving, $2.3 billion in 2009, goes to arts and cultural organizations, the report “Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy” indicates that “distribution of these funds is demonstrably out of balance with our evolving cultural landscape and with the changing demographics of our communities.” Although the report asserts that innovative work is being done in the arts that gives voice to new artistic traditions, it concludes that only 10 percent of grant support with “a primary or secondary purpose of supporting the arts explicitly benefit underserved communities, including lower-income populations, communities of color and other disadvantaged groups.”
