arts, cultural, and humanities organizations
Central Valley arts support trails the other regions

Definition
Public financial support of arts, culture, and humanities organizations includes gifts, grants, and contributions from both public and private sources. This data is limited to funds contributed to registered 501(c)3 organizations with gross receipts of over $25,000 and required to file Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service. In this measure, the public support for the arts, culture, and humanities organizations is given as a percentage of funding for all public charities.

Why is this important?
The arts offer a unique means of connecting people across cultures, ages, and class. They can nurture the strengthening of friendships, help communities to understand and celebrate their heritage, and provide a safe way to discuss and solve difficult social problems. The arts provide a powerful way to express emotions and transcend the cultural and demographic boundaries that divide us.

Children who participate in arts education in school have been found to perform better in other areas. A UCLA study found that students with "high arts involvement"-that is, those who took at least two arts classes per week and participated in extracurricular arts-performed far better on standardized tests than students with "low arts involvement."

How are we doing?

• The ratio of formal public giving to Central Valley arts, culture, and humanities organizations as a portion of funding for all of the region’s public charities is less than half that of the other major regions in California.
• This data, however, is limited. The official, measurable funding level is less in the Valley; however, it does not indicate that these subject areas are not important—there are many other forms of support for arts, cultural, and humanities organizations. Rich ethnic and cultural heritages celebrated by immigrant groups are supported and given vitality by multigenerational engagement. Simply dancing traditional Folkloric dances, sharing the music of Hmong elders with younger generations, reading works of Valley poets and authors, or sharing oral histories work to bridge cultures without a great deal of funding. Many of these groups and gatherings are organized informally without an incorporated status or tax-exemption.

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Original text found in: Community Well-Being Report 2002