Bay Area Artists Raise $1.3 Million in Tough Economy through the Fund For Artists Matching Commissions

Bay Area artists raised more than $1.3 million since 2004 through the Fund For Artists Matching Commissions program. The resources and incentivizing power of the Matching Commissions bolstered local artists’ fundraising success. In addition, the announcement of Matching Commissions results coincides with the release of a study on the arts community and arts donors and a survey of how Bay Area artists are faring in the economic downturn. The study chronicles how artists and small- to mid-size arts groups found creative ways to engage new donors in supporting new work, and uncovers donors’ motivations to give. 

It’s Not About You…It’s About Them, A Research Report: What Motivates Bay Area Donors to Give to the Arts and Artists and the accompanying Field Reports from the Fund For Artists Matching Commissions Program: Unlocking the Potential of Individual Donors, released May 25th by The San Francisco Foundation and East Bay Community Foundation, reveal that despite the challenging economic environment, individual donors and local foundations jointly funded 181 Bay Area artists to support the creation of 116 new works. The study tells the stories of six artists and small to mid-size arts groups who leveraged the matching funds to generate resources for their artistic projects. The Fund For Artists Matching Commissions is a collaborative project between East Bay Community Foundation and The San Francisco Foundation that supports the development of new works by Bay Area artists and helps small- to mid-sized arts groups strengthen funding by attracting individual donors through a matching challenge grant.

Visit our Fund For Artists page for more information including:

• practical tools and tips to individual artists and small arts groups for raising funds for new artistic work;
• connection points with prospective donors that can increase the likelihood of giving; and
• links to download the reports.