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Funding · California · Arts and culture

Who funds arts and culture in California

Arts and culture funding in California is unusually spread out: no single organization draws even 12%, though Lucas Museum of Narrative Art leads, and the money reaches 3,889 groups.

$3.9B
granted
3,889
organizations
56%
from in-state

The short version

Largest funders of arts and culture in California

The funders giving the most to arts and culture organizations in California, in-state and out. Pick one for its dossier.

Arts and culture organizations in California that draw the most

Sized by grant dollars received. Pick one to see exactly who funds it.

How to find arts and culture funders in California

  1. 1
    Start with the funders already active in California

    The funders giving the most to arts and culture in California are Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc, National Philanthropic Trust, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. A funder already writing arts and culture checks in your state is the warmest place to begin.

  2. 2
    See who funds organizations like yours

    Open the arts and culture organizations on this page that resemble yours in size or work, and look at who funds them. Shared funders are the strongest signal of fit.

  3. 3
    Add the out-of-state funders reaching in

    44% of arts and culture money in California comes from funders elsewhere, so national arts and culture funders are worth approaching even if they are not based in California.

Questions and answers

How do I find funders for a arts and culture nonprofit in California?
Start with the funders already giving to arts and culture in California, currently Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc, National Philanthropic Trust, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. Then look at who funds the arts and culture organizations on this page that resemble yours, and add the national funders reaching into California from out of state.
Who is the largest arts and culture funder in California?
Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc gives the most to arts and culture organizations in California, $365M across the 2022 and 2023 filings.
How much grant money goes to arts and culture in California?
$3.9B reached 3,889 arts and culture organizations in California, from 6,010 funders. 56% came from funders also based in California.
How recent is this data?
It is read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file filings for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the two years with complete coverage. US charity filings lag 12 to 24 months.

More from the funding graph

Cause is the recipient's NTEE classification in the IRS Business Master File; location is the recipient's state on its most recent filing. Grant figures are read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file XML for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, among recipients resolved by EIN. Source: IRS Form 990 downloads.