Individual Giving for African American Arts Organizations: Fundraising Issues Revolving Around a Seemingly Weak Funding Stream

This thesis first references the history of African American giving and the race's current giving practices, to give context to hypotheses around the habits that may play a part in why individual support for the arts has not garnered a strong response within the African American community. This paper then discusses the common issues for arts organizations in attracting individual support. The research also cites examples of organizations in Philadelphia and other cities, and focuses on some of the issues relative to these organizations' financial struggles and lack of support from individuals in their communities. The paper concludes with suggestions for how these organizations can develop creative fundraising methods and practices to strengthen their weakest funding stream. Suggestions for these organizations may ultimately determine what fundraising methods and practices organizations of color may implement on a wider scale in order to reach sustainability.