Federal funding for the nonprofit arts and humanities is at a critical juncture. President Trump has not just renewed efforts to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); his administration has already canceled approved grants and signaled a willingness to impound future funding. While indicating they do not necessarily support complete elimination, House Republican appropriators have already approved deep cuts to the endowments’ budgets in the next fiscal year. To confront the shared challenges facing arts unions and our employers, we must unite to safeguard federal funding for these vital agencies.
Labor unions, representing hundreds of thousands of members in the nonprofit performing arts, are steadfast in our commitment to securing annual federal arts funding for the NEA and NEH at $1 per capita—approximately $340 million for each agency. As arts workers in this sector, we want our employers to have robust financial resources to fund innovative and dynamic programming, sustain their institutions and companies, and provide our members with family-sustaining wages and benefits. Jobs that provide fair wages and benefits allow arts workers to build careers, support their families, and contribute to their communities. Federal arts and humanities funding is a vital component to a stable and thriving arts sector in our country.
The NEA and NEH directly support programs and performances that create good-paying, family-sustaining jobs across every state. This far-reaching economic impact stabilizes and revitalizes communities, from rural towns to urban centers, and strengthens small and large businesses, fostering thriving local economies. The nonprofit arts sector encompasses a vast array of organizations, from local performing arts theatres to symphonies and dance companies. Research shows that when individuals attend an arts or cultural program, they spend an average of $38.46 per person, per event, beyond the cost of their ticket on goods and services in the area.
The nonprofit creative sector is also an indispensable pillar within our nation’s broader artistic landscape that generates more than four percent of the United States’ gross domestic product, employs more than five million people, and produces a positive trade balance. Many arts workers in the for-profit arts sector started their careers working on nonprofit productions that received federal funding.
Last month I had the privilege of participating in a conference panel dedicated to envisioning a future in which creative workers can truly thrive. My presentation focused on a core tenet of my organization’s Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) union coalition: the absolute necessity of increased federal arts funding. I argued that our shared goal of increasing federal funding for the arts should form the bedrock of a coordinated, collaborative effort between unions and employers across the creative sector. Achieving our goal will involve embarking on a strategic, bipartisan campaign to build an undeniable case for significantly increased federal investment in the nonprofit arts and humanities.
This initiative will require a multi-faceted approach, combining grassroots advocacy with targeted outreach to policymakers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations. We must all work together to highlight the compelling success stories and quantifiable data to illustrate the return on investment that federal funding of the arts provides.
The path to fully funding the NEA and NEH is undoubtedly challenging, and it’s easy for advocates to feel disheartened when progress is threatened. Yet in the face of these obstacles, our collective strength lies in uniting around shared objectives. The recent conference, where I was surrounded by passionate arts advocates, underscored our common vision for a sustainable nonprofit arts sector. Now is the moment to transform that shared vision into an unyielding force in Washington, ensuring the federal support necessary for the creative sector to not just survive, but truly flourish.
Jennifer Dorning is president of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO.
