Welcome Michael DeWhatley, PhD, our newest Postdoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies in the Arts! In this role, Michael will help integrate gender-focused inquiry into our research and drive new insights at the intersection of arts, equity, and data.

Read more about Michael 🔗 buff.ly/dgy2kjk

Along with insights from SMU DataArts director, Jen Benoit-Bryan, Inside Philanthropy explores how arts funders can adjust practices when the "normal" funding landscape has not yet returned.

Read the full story 🔗 buff.ly/RHulYEP

#philanthropy #artsfunding #artsresearch

Joy, healing, and empowerment are among the several benefits that cultural organizations in #Queens, #NY provide, but geographic isolation, infrastructure gaps, and limited resources are preventing these vital organizations from reaching their full impact.

Read the full report 🔗 buff.ly/2ZI2pkG

The pandemic relief surge appears to be over, leaving many organizations walking a financial tightrope with less and less room for unexpected expenses or strategic pivots.

Read the full analysis on national trends for nonprofit arts and culture 🔗 buff.ly/twxdyBZ

With revenue falling 25% and expenses down 23%, the median surplus for organizations was only 1% of total expenses in 2024. More concerning: 44% of organizations ran deficits—higher than any point in the previous five years and well above the 36% who were in deficit before the pandemic.

The financial cushion created by relief funding continues to shrink for nonprofit cultural organizations.

Working capital fell to the equivalent of 4.2 months of expenses in 2024, with 42% of organizations having three months or less in savings.

Read more 🔗 buff.ly/sFExG4z

The arts sector may be recalibrating how it connects with audiences.

Our latest National Trends 2025 report shows how revenue declines and staffing changes are reshaping programming—with surprising results for community engagement.

Read more 🔗 buff.ly/exZs7yx

What do you prioritize when forced to cut your expense budget?

In 2024, the average organization cut personnel budgets by 23%, yet data shows leaders made clear choices about prioritizing artistic talent.

Read the analysis 🔗 buff.ly/exZs7yx

#nationaltrends2025 #artsresearch #artsandculture #smu

The picture that emerges is one of ongoing adaptation to pressure: organization’s funding mix has been restored to pre-2020 patterns, but new hurdles have emerged as the overall pie shrinks.

#nationaltrends2025 #artsresearch #artsandculture #supportthearts #smu #smudataarts

Arts funding is back to pre-pandemic patterns: 40% earned revenue, 59% contributed. Suggesting funding portfolios are rebalancing after years of disruption.

But here's the catch: every contributed source—individual donations, foundation grants, gov funding—fell below 2019 levels. 🔗 buff.ly/lMSQhrR

➡️ Follow us as we continue investigating which organizations were most impacted by these revenue declines.

#nationaltrends2025 #artsresearch #artsandculture #supportthearts #smu #smudataarts

Arts revenue hits a six-year low: down 25% from 2023 to 2024, and 36% since 2019 when adjusted for inflation.

The twist? 62% of organizations actually saw slight revenue increases. Indicating large revenue losses were concentrated among a subset—not a universal experience. 🔗 buff.ly/lMSQhrR

The nonprofit arts sector is walking a financial tightrope—but still drawing crowds.

@SMUDataArts releases its latest National Trends analysis, tracking data from 6,500+ arts organizations nationwide to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities of today.

Read more 🔗 buff.ly/xdR9NI5