Arts and Cultural Institutions

Arts, Cultural and Humanities institutions, including the visual and performing arts, and historical societies represent nearly 11 percent of public charities that report to the IRS. The United States is blessed with a remarkably rich and varied cultural fabric. From small theater companies reinterpreting the classic American dramas to nationally acclaimed museums of art and symphony orchestras committed to be at the forefront of their fields.  America is unique in the unparalleled quality and diversity of our art and cultural institutions.  We are also unique in the philanthropic support vital to the excellence of these institutions.  Today, expansion of the arts has increasingly become a strategic focus for the economic development of cities and a measurable factor in the quality of life.

We have long found that the interrelationship between those who attend arts events and those who support arts organizations through charitable gifts is a close one.  Many organizations are now being pressured to explore administrative and operational efficiencies while also pursuing their greater purpose of enhancing our civic humanities.