2004 National Survey of Business Support to the Arts
New York, NY – Nearly 90% of the record $3.32 billion that business gave to the arts in 2003 came from small (49%) and midsize (40%) companies, according to a recent national survey commissioned by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) – a national not-for-profit organization that brings business and the arts together – and conducted by Shugoll Research, Bethesda, MD. The margin of error is + or – 4 percent.
“The survey findings dispel the notion that only big businesses supports the arts,” said Judith A. Jedlicka, President, BCA. “Small companies – those with annual revenues of less than $1 million – and midsize companies – those with annual revenues ranging from $1 million to $49.9 million – support the arts because they have deep roots in their communities. They recognize that the arts improve the quality of life of a community, enhance the workplace and enrich educational opportunities for children – all of which can have a considerable impact on the success of a company.”
The majority (59%) of the 600 companies that participated in this telephone survey, conducted during July and August (2004) reported that they supported the arts because “it is a good thing to do,” while (65%) indicated that their decision to provide support to the arts was driven by a “perceived need in their operating communities.” Seventy-four percent (74%) said they might increase their contributions “if there were a proven need,” and 51% indicated that support depended on a company’s profitability. Factors most important in a company’s decision to support specific arts organizations were offering arts education initiatives (72%), offering arts programs to the underserved (72%), tying the arts to social causes such as hunger, violence or homelessness (61%), and offering a company recognition opportunities (61%). In 2005, 19% of respondents project an increase in support to the arts.
To order a copy of the Executive Summary of The BCA Report: 2004 National Surveyof Business Support to the Arts for $10 a copy, or the unabridged report for $100 a copy, send a check to: Business Committee for the Arts, Inc., 29-27 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City, NY 11101.
Underwriting for the survey was provided by: Altria Group, Inc., The First American Corporation, Meredith Corporation, Principal Financial Group, Raymond D. Nasher Company, Rockwell Automation, Starwood Foundation and Target Corporation.
The Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA), founded in 1967 by David Rockefeller, is a national not-for-profit organization that brings business and the arts together. The mission of the BCA is to ensure that the arts flourish in America by encouraging, inspiring and stimulating business to support the arts in the workplace, in education and in the community. Visit the BCA Web site, www.bcainc.org, for information about BCA and this survey.