The purpose of this study is to gain a clearer picture of arts funding in Los Angeles in the context of the regions wider cultural economy, and to look longitudinally at how funding flows and patterns have changed over the past five years. The key finding of this report is that current and future public and private funding flows are unlikely to meet the financial needs of LAAs arts and culture nonprofit sector. Total public and private arts funding amounted to $158 million in 2004/5. Expressed in constant dollars, these funding flows are about the same as they were in 2000, even though the nonprofit arts and culture sector has expanded by 12% since then. Although there are indications that funding flows are stabilizing, they are unlikely to increase to levels that could sustain the resource requirements of LAAs growing nonprofit arts community. The key insight that emerges from the study is that of a trilemma between growing needs for arts funding, stagnating financial support, and limited accessibility to available private sources . While funding remains constant in actual dollars, it is diminishing relative to the operating budgets of a growing nonprofit arts sector in Los Angeles County. Arts organizations are doing more with less.

The purpose of this study is to gain a clearer picture of arts funding in Los Angeles in the context of the regions wider cultural economy, and to look longitudinally at how funding flows and patterns have changed over the past five years.