As traditional sources of government funding, including direct federal grants, re-granting through NEA and NEH, and state appropriations, continue to stay flat (at best), museums are turning to alternative revenue sources that require local, rather than national support, such as Lodgers Tax, tax increment financing districts, income tax check-offs, and municipal, county, state, and higher education bonds. This session examines the ways that museums and museum coalitions can work with local governments and their communities to create and implement these types of funding.

1. Changing the Government
Funding Dynamic
Alternative Revenue Sources
Western Museums Association Annual Meeting
Phoenix AZ, September 2016

2. Deb Twersky
4Culture
debra.twersky@4culture.org

3. ADVANCING COMMUNITY THROUGH CULTURE
WWW.4CULTURE.ORG
ARTS + HERITAGE + PRESERVATION + PUBLIC ART
• ALA CARTE GOVERNMENT – GOODBYE GENERAL FUND – DESIGNATED REVENUE STREAMS
• NEXUS of SOURCE AND USE MAKES SUPPORT EASIER
• Political Champions Make Funding Happen – Let Them Find the Solution
• FUNDING FROM MULTIPLE GOVERNMENT SOURCES IS IDEAL – No Dependence on any single source

4. 1. CAPITAL
• Building for the Arts: $10 mil each biennium
• $81 million for 194 projects state-wide since 1991
• Heritage Capital: $10 mil each biennium
• State Historical Society manages
• THE HOOK: FACILITIES = construction = jobs
WASHINGTON STATE SUPPORT FOR CULTURE
HOW DID IT EVOLVE?
Charismatic Cultural leaders
STATE SENATORS KEY
Boeing and ArtsFund
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TODAY?
Capital Projects Still Attractive
2. FILING FEES
• $3 add’l filing fee on property transactions
• Available for archives/museums/preservation
• In King County, provides over $750K to fund County’s OHP

5. LODGING TAX: Used across America for tourism
• IN WASHINGTON: ACTUALLY A STATE SALES TAX GIVE BACK:
1967 state authorized give back of 2% of the 5% state sales tax on
hotel rooms to sell bonds for the King Dome sports arena – Every
county in the state has the ability to use this revenue stream and
most do – for convention centers and sports.
• IN KING COUNTY: Excess collected over what needed for bond
payments on stadium designated for cultural uses
• 1988 – 2012: 25 years of benefit/$100million
• 4Culture spun out of government in 2003; given the lodging tax
stream , but NO general fund support by KC government
• $6 mil a year now; will be more like $10+ in 2021
IT TOOK 6 YEARS for 4Culture to get use of lodging taxes extended
for culture again beginning in 2021
Airbnb strikes deal with L.A. to
collect millions in lodging taxes
to use for homeless programs
HOW DID IT EVOLVE?:
State Legislator Champion + Key Constituents
Made their problem known
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TODAY?
So much new competition:
Social Service Crisis + Environment
KING COUNTY SUPPORT FOR CULTURE:

6. LOCAL dedicated revenue streams at work in WA
ADMISSIONS TAX
• City of Seattle: over $5.5 M
• City of Issaquah: over $400K
LOCAL LODGING TAX
• Add-on 1%
HOW DID IT EVOLVE? – LOCAL POLITICAL WILL
KEYS to Success in these communities:
• No charge on non-profit cultural activities
• Impose the tax before theater or sports arena is built!
• Local champions of your organizations influence committees

7. The Big Prize – Sales Tax??
Become a Member of Cultural Access Washington
Cultural Organizations may become Members of Cultural
Access Washington. Their member dues fund activities to
create a Cultural Access Program in their County.
Cultural, Science and Heritage organizations help make
Washington State a great place to live, work and play.
.1% SALES TAX MEASURE ($57 M Annually) MAY BE ON THE BALLOT IN 2017– STAY TUNED!

8. Lisa Anderson
Mesa Historical Museum
lisa@mesamuseum.org

9. Mesa Historical Museum
LEHI SCHOOL
National register site, built in 1913
FEDERAL BUILDING
5.7 million dollar bond 2012

10. Celeste DeWald
California Association of Museums
cal@cammuseums.org

14. Janice Klein
Museum Association of Arizona
jkhm116@gmail.com

15. Ohio History Fund Tax Check-Off
Andy Verhoff
Ohio History Connection
localhistory@ohiohistory.org