This report presents the key findings of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Giving and Sponsorship Survey 2012, which asked cultural organisations about the funding they received from main sources over the 2011/12 tax year. We invited around 2,000 cultural organisations to take part in the survey and received 801 valid responses (a response rate of 40 percent).
The findings in this report summarise:
- how much and what kind of funding and non-cash support cultural organisations participating in the survey received
- what sources of funding those organisations applied for and how successful their applications were
- what fundraising activities the organisations conducted
- how many organisations had registered for charitable status and how aware they were of their donee status.
This report also provides analysis according to sector (the main type of cultural activity undertaken by organisations), organisation size (respondents ranged in size from small and voluntarily-run organisations to large and professionally-run organisations) and regional area.
Methodology
The survey builds on a previous survey of cultural organisations undertaken in 2007/2008 and provides a new benchmark for going forward. While many questions are similar in both surveys, more detailed information on the categories of government and sponsorship and philanthropic giving was collected in the 2012 survey. The survey aimed to collect information on the following:
• characteristics of the organisation (eg cultural activities undertaken, and regional focus within New Zealand)
• source and nature of funding and in-kind support
• fundraising activities undertaken by the organisation.
Survey design and administration
The Ministry worked in collaboration with Creative New Zealand and the Department of Internal Affairs to identify cultural organisations to participate in the study. Potential respondents included a range of small- to large-sized registered charities and other cultural organisations. Approximately 2,000 cultural organisations were invited to participate in the research.
The survey was administered online. Participants were sent an email invitation with a link to the survey. Follow-up telephone and email reminders were used to increase the response rate.
To complement the information received from respondents, the Ministry checked the approved donee and registered charitable status of all respondents.
Sample and response rate
A total of 801 valid responses were received, giving a response rate of 40 per cent. This is higher than the 25 per cent response rate received in 2008 (with 480 valid responses).
Additional
We note:
• funding information reported in the snapshot is based on the 801 organisations that responded to the survey and is not an estimate of the total amount of funding received by all cultural organisations.
• information presented here does not include income received from general revenue. Cultural organisations may receive income from a number of other sources including box office earnings, hire or fee revenue, bar sales, programme or merchandise sales, asset sales, and interest received on investments. These are not included in the survey results.