Current State Arts Agency Budgets

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.

• Legislative Appropriations Preview, Fiscal Year 2011 Includes projected fiscal year 2011 and updated fiscal year 2010 legislative appropriations information.
• Legislative Appropriations Annual Survey, Fiscal Year 2010 (Full Report) Includes 2010 appropriations, other state arts agency revenue sources (including ARRA funds), trends over time, and per capita funding information. Nonmembers may purchase the full report in the Publications section.
• Per Capita Spending and Rankings and FAQ
• NASAA members can visit the State Budget Center to download state-by-state tables.

Presentations and Summaries

Grantmakers in the Arts Reader

• Web Seminar: 2011 State Budget Forecast NASAA and the National Conference of State Legislatures provide an update on state fiscal conditions and how they will affect appropriations for the arts.
• Summary Report: 2010 Funding and Grant Making Updated each year, 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.
• Grantmakers in the Arts Reader The Summer 2009 edition includes a NASAA-authored article, iPublic Funding for the Artsi 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.


Californiais arts license plate, created by Wayne Thiebaud

• License Plates Twelve 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 Angela Han or Shannah Sphar.

Have more questions about something else? Ask NASAA.