Culture Chronicle

BCA Triennial Survey of Business Support to the Arts
Americans for the Arts - December 6, 2010

In the period of 2006-2009, small and mid-sized companies contributed a larger share of their philanthropic dollars to the arts than large companies did.

Business Contributions to Arts Continue to Drop in Tough Economy According to New Survey by Americans for the Arts

WASHINGTON, D.C. --Since the economic downturn and subsequent recession, fewer U.S. companies are making philanthropic contributions to the arts. Still, those companies that have continued their support actually gave a slightly greater share of their charitable dollars to the arts according to a new survey by the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), a division of Americans for the Arts, the nation's nonprofit organization for advancing the arts. Unlike most business philanthropy studies, the BCA report examines the giving habits of small- and medium-sized businesses as well as large ones. And according to the survey small and mid-sized companies are actually contributing a larger share of their philanthropic dollars to the arts than large companies. The BCA Triennial Survey of Business Support to the Arts report, which examined the giving habits of 600 small, mid-size and large U.S. companies that give philanthropically from 2006-2009, shows that the number of businesses providing charitable support for the arts fell 15 percent--from 43 percent to 28 percent--from 2006-2009. However, the percent of surveyed businesses giving to any charitable cause dropped 18 percent--from 70 percent to 52 percent during the same period. Still, the percentage the arts receive of total charitable contributions increased from 13 percent in 2006 to 15 percent in 2009.

For the full press release and a link to the report, click here.