Twenty-nine leaders from the public and private sectors (pdf, 33 KB) convened at Sundance Preserve for the Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable in October 2006 to address the serious decline of market share in philanthropy in the arts and the future of private sector giving to the arts in America.

The meeting was the culmination of a year-long investigation of this topic, involving commissioned research, 40 professional forums, and the participation of 100 philanthropy, research and arts groups, and more than 3,500 individuals across the country.

Research conducted by Americans for the Arts and presented at the Roundtable suggests that the arts are in the midst of a major shift in how nonprofit arts organizations are supported. These groups derive 43% of their revenue from private contributions, so sharp declines in philanthropy can radically alter America’s nonprofit cultural landscape. There are signs that this facet of the arts sector is at risk.

The 2006 Final Report on the National Arts Policy Roundtable (pdf, 1.14 MB) provides a summary of the research and focus group findings, along with the policy recommendations that were developed during the October, 2006 event.