August 21, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
A survey conducted by the City University of London takes a look at why British donors give to arts and culture.
Conducted in behalf of Arts & Business, a group in London that encourages philanthropy to the arts, the survey finds that 90 percent of donors to the arts in the United Kingdom give relatively small amounts (less than $1,000).
Donors tend to be frequent visitors to the institutions they support. Ninety percent of people in the study said they attended three or more events at the organizations they gave to in the past two years, while many said they had visited “a lot more.”
The vast majority said that having to purchase tickets to see events at the organizations they supported did not affect their charitable contributions.
Ninety-six percent contributed to other causes, according to the survey, which was based on interviews with 51 donors and information from cultural institutions. It was conducted between November and March.
Most people said they gave because they wanted to support the art itself, including its preservation and development.
Survey respondents also said their top reasons for giving were a special connection to the organization and social or civic obligation.
