Sponsored project funding: the development of the Center for the Advancement of Professional Theatre Training and Applied Research at Texas Tech University

Abstract

In the 1980s, many colleges and universities face serious funding problems. Operational and instructional costs continue to increase over fixed or decreasing allocations and revenues. Increased budget restraints and/or reductions continue to have adverse effects upon the quality of many programs including performing arts. To counteract the problems caused by budget restraints and reductions, arts administrators are being forced to find alternative methods of funding. If present trends continue, successful arts administrators will be those who become effective fund raisers. Unfortunately, for the performing arts administrator, no complete compilation of external fund-raising procedures and firsthand practical applications for securing external funding for the performing arts exists.

This study addresses the problem of external fund raising for the performing arts. It identifies basic steps in public and private-sector, non-solicited, sponsored-project fund raising and applies them to the development of a funding model for small to moderate-size theatre arts programs at state-supported institutions of higher education. Though the study is limited to fund raising specifically for theatre arts, the theories and procedures should be applicable to other fine and performing arts programs.