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Current State Arts Agency Budgets

Pie chart: Sources of State Arts Agency Revenue, showing legislative appropriations at 77%, NEA funds at 12%, and other funds the balance.

NASAA surveys state arts agencies twice yearly for updated appropriations and budget information. Current information is available here, but NASAA maintains historical information back to the 1960s.

State Arts Agency Legislative Appropriations Preview Fiscal Year 2012 A national overview of state funding for the arts in the current fiscal year. Includes state-by-state appropriations estimates and information on changes during the recession.
Major State Arts Agency Budget and Restructuring Log A short synopsis of zero-budget and restructuring proposals affecting state arts agencies in recent years.
Legislative Appropriations Annual Survey, Fiscal Year 2011 (full report) Includes 2011 appropriations, other state arts agency revenue sources, trends over time, and per capita funding information. Nonmembers may purchase the full report.
Per Capita Spending and Rankings and FAQ
NASAA members can visit the State Budget Center to download state-by-state tables.

Presentations and Summaries

Graph: Federal, State, and Local Appropriations to the Arts, Nominal and Inflation-adjusted Dollars, Fiscal Years 1985 - 2009, showing local government expenditures rising higher than state legislative appropriations in second place, followed by National Endowment for the Arts federal appropriation.

Grantmakers in the Arts Reader

Summary Report: 2011 Funding and Grant Making This overview of state arts agency funding and grant-making activities provides funding trends over time, summary grant statistics, and select state-by-state information. It is a succinct introduction to state arts agencies. Reports from previous years are available: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006.
Grantmakers in the Arts Reader The Fall 2010 edition includes a NASAA-authored article, "Public Funding for the Arts," that provides an update on public funds at the local, state and federal levels as well as a look at historical trends and the impact of past recessions.

Supplemental Funding Strategies

Policy Brief: Supplemental Funding Strategies This brief provides an overview of strategies that state arts agencies have pursued, including income tax checkoffs, license plates, cultural trusts and special taxes. It further outlines policy considerations and success factors.

California automobile license plate reading 'ART LVR'

Californiais arts license plate, created by Wayne Thiebaud

License Plates Fourteen states offer specialty license plates for the arts.
Income Tax Checkoffs Almost all states offer voluntary income tax checkoffs to fund social causes. Currently five states offer them to fund the arts.
Line Items Line items (also known as earmarks) are legislative appropriations not controlled by state arts agencies but passed through their budgets to other entities. These funds are one of the most volatile components of state arts agency appropriations.
Cultural Trusts Eighteen states have established cultural trusts (or cultural endowments) and serve a variety of purposes.

Historical Data

Public Funding Sourcebook The Sourcebook provides information on each state arts agencyis legislative appropriation from 1970 to the present day. This Excel file contains state-by-state information on appropriations including and excluding line items. Refer to the documentation for definitions. Nonmembers may purchase the Sourcebook in the Publications section.
NASAA can provide custom funding history tables, charts and graphs. Contact us for more information.

Have more questions about state arts agency funding? Contact Kelly Barsdate.

Have more questions about something else? Ask NASAA.

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