In 1998, The Pew Charitable Trusts commissioned Americans for the Arts and The Ohio State University Arts Policy and Administration Program to analyze public and private sources of support for arts and culture. The study was based on the premise that policymakers need good information in order to make effective decisions about resource allocations for culture, and that cultural advocates need reliable data to make a compelling, grounded case for support. The research was motivated in part by the Trusts' own experience that information about cultural funding patterns that might inform its own grantmaking policies was unavailable. This report is the result of that research.

Americans for the Arts’ Monograph series featured in-depth issue papers on topics that were of the greatest interest to our members and arts professionals at the time. They often still serve as excellent resources for best practices and historic reference for today’s issues. Monographs were produced from 1993–2010. Monographs from 2001-2010 are available for downloadable in PDF format our online store at a nominal fee for nonmembers but free to members. All monographs from 1993-2000 are available for free download via the National Arts Administration and Policy Publications Database.

In 1998, The Pew Charitable Trusts commissioned Americans for the Arts and The Ohio State University Arts Policy and Administration Program to analyze public and private sources of support for arts and culture. This report is the result of that research.