Getting a tax initiative passed and implemented in your community are not the only steps
to securing dedicated funding for the arts in your city. Because these initiatives
use public money, people will want to see benefits created from the funding. Whether due
to a sunset clause, economic downturn, or a change in public sentiment, a policy needs
constant maintenance to ensure its longevity.
Evaluation can be a valuable tool in demonstrating public benefit. The following pages will outline the merits of solid evaluation and the process of reauthorization.
Alarming evaluation facts
- On average, arts-related tax policies made up 9 percent of an organizations yearly budget
- Only a third of the organizations who benefit from these policies have specific measures in place to evaluate the impact of the monies received through the policy
- Of the nearly 70 percent of those who do not formally evaluate, their satisfaction with the effectiveness of the policy declined by more than 10 percent compared to those who did evaluate
- Among those who do not formally evaluate: the number of people who did not know how the policy came about increases 12 percent, the number of people unaware of the public's perception of the policy rises 13 percent, the number of people unaware of efforts to promote policy increases 5 percent,
and finally the number of people unaware of any efforts to challenge the policy jumps 8 percent
Why evaluate
Evaluation shows an investment in the policy, which requires organizations to be,
at least, aware of the political process. When an organization is not doing this,
they are in a dangerous position especially if almost 10 percent of their budget is at
stake. Nearly half of the organizations (45 percent) who do not evaluate but receive
support from the policy:
- Do not know how the policy came about
- Do not know what the public thinks about the policy
- Are either unaware of the efforts of their local advocacy groups or don't have such groups
- Have no idea if the policy has been challenged either publicly or politically
If satisfaction is tied to getting the most out of
the policy, getting the most out of the policy can be tied to evaluation.
How to make evaluation work for you
There are a myriad of evaluation theories and techniques all with varying costs in
terms of financial resources and work hours. The following pages will offer a brief
guide of options to consider when maintaining a policy.
more on evaluation techniques>>>
and
more on reauthorization>>>
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