Sustaining the Non-Profit Performing Arts in Mexico

This essay examines the financing methods of "self-designated" non-profit performing arts organizations in Mexico (the author's term). Currently, Mexican civil society struggles to find fiscally advantageous formulas to enable its full involvement in arts promotion. This thesis reviews the philanthropic tradition of the country and the strong dependence on both government and a handful of private sources for the promotion of the administrative management and decision-making processes of five non-profit performing arts organizations that enjoy tax-exempt status. The discussion reveals a significant potential for giving to the arts, especially when innovative methods are implemented to approach individuals and corporations.