The blog is going away but the reviews are not. You can find them here in the online print edition.
Home > ATLarts > Archives > 2007 > November > 01 > Entry
It Pays to Be Audience-Friendly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
These are boom times for big arts & culture organizations, according to the latest issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Private giving to major arts & culture institutions rose 51 percent last year — the biggest gain for any group among the nation’s 400 largest philanthropic institutions. Overall giving to large charities rose 4.3 percent, according to this story.
Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center — the eighth biggest private fundraiser among arts & culture institutions — saw a modest 1.4 percent increase in private support last year, the report said.
One of the most stunning fundraising successes was at the San Francisco Symphony, which saw an 80 percent increase in private giving last year, to $63.5 million. The symphony attracted major gifts with a $24-million project called Keeping Score, which introduces new audiences to classical music via television, radio and an engaging, audience-friendly website.
“Using philanthropy to support something that’s innovative, that could support the art form, has real traction with our donors,” Robert W. Lasher, the symphony’s director of development, told the Chronicle.
What are the best audience-friendly initiatives you’ve seen? A great family program? A cool website? What makes you want to give to the arts?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Arts venues
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Jesse's Girl
November 1, 2007 9:02 AM | Link to this
We give to the arts…particularly theatre and music…that have a passion for children. If you can show kids how awesome listening to an orchestra can be or how innovative theatre is….you will get our money.
By Joeventures
November 1, 2007 10:17 AM | Link to this
This story makes me wonder about giving to smaller non-profits.
By Kirsten Tagami
November 1, 2007 4:54 PM | Link to this
Joeventures: Me too. I am looking for a central source for information about donations to smaller nonprofit arts groups. I suspect some of them also are seeing an increase in private support.