Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Honors Thesis (Open Access)
Department
Colby College. Economics Dept.
Advisor(s)
Professor Michael Donihue
Second Advisor
Professor Samara Gunter
Abstract
Through restricted donations, donors to private, independent not-for-profit US art museums are able to affect the prioritization of museum activities. Using annual data from museums’ Form 990s and AAMD survey responses, I test whether restricted giving affects a museum’s educational programming by analyzing the effect of restricted assets on education department performance indicators. I find that a percentage point increase in permanently restricted assets as a proportion of total assets is associated with a 0.1876 percentage point increase in education expenses as a share of total expenses. Through qualitative informational interviews, I recognize this impact as evidence that arts education is central to the purpose of museums in the twenty-first century.
Keywords
arts education, nonprofit management, art museum, restricted assets, museum cost structures, donor governance
Recommended Citation
Murray, Clare, "Arts Education: A Philanthropic Priority?" (2018). Honors Theses. Paper 886.https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/886
Included in
Art Education Commons, Arts Management Commons, Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons