Private sector funding for cultural activities

In the 2000-01 financial year, businesses gave almost $70 million to support arts and cultural activities.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Business Generosity Survey, 2000-01, businesses gave almost $1.5 billion to a range of organisations and individuals, of which 5 per cent went to arts and culture.

Business giving by type of contribution, 2000-01

Type of contribution	Arts and culture ($m)	Other activities ($m)	Total ($m)
Donations	22.8	562.8	585.7
Business to community projects(a)	6.3	176.0	182.3
Sponsorship	40.4	638.2	678.7
Total	69.6	1,377.1	1,446.6

(a) Cooperative arrangements such as the transfer of money in exchange for strategic business benefits such as improved staff expertise, wider networking, etc.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Generosity of Australian Businesses, 2000-01 (cat. no. 8157.0).

Different forms of giving were measured in the survey with about 63 per cent of the value of support to arts and cultural activities recorded as monetary contributions. Goods contributed a further 20 per cent of the value and services made up the remaining 17 per cent.

The Australian Business Arts Foundation promotes private sector support for the arts through partnering, volunteering and giving.

According to their 2009 Survey of Private Sector Support for the Arts, in the 2007-08 financial year, Australian arts and cultural organisations received over $202 million in sponsorship (cash and in-kind) and donations from the private sector. This is an 18 per cent increase from 2006-07.

Art galleries, the performing arts and arts festivals received 76 per cent (over $155 million) of all corporate and private support for the arts in Australia.

Arts organisations based in New South Wales and Victoria received 68 per cent of the national total.