During my time with the Cleveland Orchestra, the patrons giving us the most money were the same generous donors who were giving the most money to most of our area’s charities. 

I have never seen a single successful capital campaign, for example, which was paid for by the dollars of the general community.  It was always the about 90% of the money coming from only about 10% of the donors.  And those 10% – level donors were the same ones supporting arts and culture organizations which were of personal benefit to them.

Following is what I learned from yet another interesting and relevant look at why the arts are so important to all of us. Dennis Alexander of TCU used the material in a successful request for an arts funding project at the University:
“It’s not surprising that arts funding takes a back seat to support for human health and welfare. What’s surprising is how little the arts are recognized as part of human welfare.
Within the poorest communities in America, the arts flourish. In the midst of hunger and joblessness and great material want, we see street murals, sidewalk music, folk art, rap, graffiti, break-dancing, urban poetry–the list goes on and on. Why? Because a human being is more than a body in need of food, clothing, shelter. A human being is a soul in need of nurture.
For the material man, there are night shelters, free clinics, food pantries, day centers, legal aid services, vocational training, and a thousand other programs. But fare for the soul is much more meager. It feeds only on spirituality, nature… and the arts.
We have always needed the arts. It’s attested from our prehistory in the form of cave paintings and carved tusks and clay figurines.
We still need the arts. Human beings are not whole without it. Even in grinding poverty, we require soul sustenance.”
Don: I think that our three approaches to provide proof and passion (logic and emotion), to be applied to support of the arts, can now be more compelling than ever. Thanks so much for your valuable contribution.

It is good to see you continue to represent the arts forthrightly and strongly. I agree with you although I have never worked in the arts, only with the hungry, the homeless, the physically, mentally and emotionally challenged and more. The arts are part of a culture that is whole and balanced. Much valuable and admired art, paintings, music, sculpture are produced by low income people, persons who are mentally and physically challenged. School children across this country take day trips to see and hear the arts. They are highly benefited by these elements of our society. Art stirs the soul and gives us all enrichment, not just the mighty few of the wealthy. It is incorrect that low income people do not visit and admire the arts available, so much for free. In some schools there are efforts to add social media and the appreciation of the arts. These enrich young people who may live on Food Stamps and free breakfasts and grow to be very influential in this country. We would be short changed without the art of jazz and the paintings and sculptures produced to honor the jazz world. That is but one piece of art that is available for enjoyment for all. It comes from the suffering of African Americans and is shared by all, although without remembering the pain jazz exemplifies from slavery. Art comes from within all of us and needs to have a balanced share of our efforts, government, foundations and corporations and every day citizens.

Don Griesmann