Author: Newton, Michael

Publication Year: 1978

Media Type: Report

Summary:

How many beleagured chairmen of orchestra, theatre, opera, dance and museum boards have at some stage of their annual battles with budgets toyed with the solution of a united fundraising appeal to serve all the arts? Typically, the boards of cultural organizations have first-hand experience of federated fundraising in their community's United Fund or Community Chest. This tempts them to ask why such a solution, which has evidently worked so well over the years to answer health and welfare needs, should not be equally applicable to the arts.

Abstract:

How many beleagured chairmen of orchestra, theatre, opera, dance and museum boards have at some stage of their annual battles with budgets toyed with the solution of a united fundraising appeal to serve all the arts? Typically, the boards of cultural organizations have first-hand experience of federated fundraising in their community's United Fund or Community Chest. This tempts them to ask why such a solution, which has evidently worked so well over the years to answer health and welfare needs, should not be equally applicable to the arts.

Federal fundraising for the arts is not new but it has been slow to take effect. While more than two thousand United Way health and welfare campaigns take place each year, there are still only forty-five annual, community-wide federated arts appeals. They operate in cities as varied as Los Angeles and Greensboro, Chattanooga and Milwaukee. Of the forty-five appeals, all but sixteen have been created since 1970. This suggests that the federated approach is gaining some favor. It is also abundantly clear from comparing the number of communities which have considered the united approach, as against those which have actually embarked on a united campaign, that united fundraising for the arts is difficult to implement.

Ideally, the impetus for a united fundraising campaign should come as much from the potential donors as from the beneficiary organizations. In St. Louis, for example, it was the business leadership, disenchanted with a multitude of never-ending, expensive, unsuccessful competitive appeals of support, which pressed for the creation of one drive. They believed that one consolidated campaign, under leadership that they respected, would ensure that the total burden of support was carried more equitably within the business community. (p. 1, 2)

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Private Sector