The National Center for Arts Research Findings Generator

In December 2013, the National Center for Arts Research presented the first NCAR Report, which shares evidence-based insights into the health of arts and cultural organizations in America. The full, interactive report can be seen at smu.edu/artsresearch. The second report and interactive IBM dashboard will be released in summer 2014. The above generator displays highlights from the first report.

• The larger the organization, the higher the percentage of its operating revenue that goes to pay for artistic and program personnel compensation.
• The smaller the organization, the higher the level of expenses it covers with contributed revenue.
• The larger the organization, the more it spends on marketing to bring in each attendee.
• The smaller the organization, the more likely it is to run an operating surplus.
• Organizations of all sizes averaged positive working capital, with medium organizations having the lowest level and small organizations the highest.
• San Francisco had the highest arts and culture dollar activity per capita – $895 – followed by New York and D.C. at roughly $610 each.
• San Francisco also had the most arts organizations per 100,000 people.
• Washington D.C.’s arts organizations have the largest average operating budget and the highest proportional level of federal arts funding.
• Los Angeles spends more in marketing expenses to bring in each attendee than other area clusters.
• Chicago organizations spend the lowest amount to bring in every attendee, followed by New York.
• Los Angeles and Chicago organizations spend a low of 38% of their operating revenue on program personnel compensation while New York and Small markets spend a relatively high ratio of 47%.
• Organizations in Very Small markets averaged the highest levels of working capital, followed by those in San Francisco.
• Organizational age and size (total expenses) boost performance in every case.
• World premieres lead to higher total expenses while local and national premieres drive higher marketing expenses.
• More local, national, or world premieres all lead to higher attendance and higher levels of total engagement in theaters.
• More working capital led to higher program salaries but fewer total offerings.
• Organizations that target either young adults or African Americans tend to have a smaller footprint. They have higher levels of contributed revenue but lower program revenue, lower program personnel compensation levels and marketing expenses, lower attendance and engagement levels, and fewer total offerings.
• Organizations that target kids (preK-12) have a larger footprint.
• Organizations that spend more on fundraising (including personnel) and marketing (excluding personnel) have higher current assets.
• Population has a positive effect on operating revenue, expenses, and total offerings.
• Population size has a negative relationship with attendance and total engagement and it drives down current assets and increases current liabilities, leading to limited working capital.
• Longer commute times in a community bring down performance on nearly every outcome.
• Communities with a high concentration of Asian Americans tend to have arts organizations with a smaller footprint on numerous outcome measures.
• Communities with high concentration of hispanics tend to have higher attendance, total engagement, and budget size.
• A higher percentage of single-mother households tend to boost performance outcomes whereas more single-father households tend to negatively influence performance.
• Younger people drive attendance at arts and cultural events. Attendance is lower when there is a high proportion of the population under 25. It also is lower as median age in the market increases.
• Performance on most outcomes is lower when there is a higher concentration of people in the community with a graduate degree.
• A higher percentage of single-mother households tend to boost performance outcomes whereas more single-father households tend to negatively influence performance.
• Having more hotels in the market led to higher performance on nearly every measure. Hotels bring in visitors to the city and a stronger arts scene may be part of the draw.
• Cities with more parks are fertile ground for fostering arts and cultural organizations with more total expenses, operating revenue, program revenue and total offerings.
• Sports teams and zoos in a community negatively affect arts and cultural organizations
• Cinemas negatively affect arts and cultural organizations, except in cases when they add more program offerings to compete.
• Higher concentrations of larger corporations in the community boost marketing expenses, physical attendance, total expenses, and program salaries. There is a “big company” effect that impacts arts and culture.
• Higher numbers of public radio and television stations drive lower attendance and fewer program offerings.
• The number of NEA and/or IMLS grants an organization receives has a positive effect on every performance outcome.
• Local funding as a portion of an organization’s budget has the same relationship with outcomes as state funding with one exception: they differ in that local funding boosts attendance and total engagement.