DescriptionThis dissertation examines for the first time the impact of a 1999 statute that created General Operating Support (GOS) grants for historic sites and organizations in New Jersey, as well as a law passed in 2000 that created the New Jersey Cultural
Trust to help financially stabilize arts and history organizations. The research question addressed examines what effect GOS grants have had on history
organizations as a group and on those organizations that directly received GOS grants. In addition, this dissertation examines what effect the creation of the New Jersey Cultural Trust has had on the cultural community1 in New Jersey. Direct subsidies for culture have been called into question, but such research does not address cultural spending financed through a tax or fee that is specifically earmarked for that purpose, as is the case in New Jersey with the Hotel/Motel Occupancy Fee. The research method employed was a statewide survey of arts and history organizations in the state. The results indicate that history organization are in better financial condition and are better able to serve the public through increased programming and staffing than before operating grants were available to them.
Public funding did not “crowd out” private funding as some literature suggests. More dollars are out in the economy as a result of a more financially hearty history
community, but economic impact studies show that the effect per million dollars in expenditures does not have as large an economic impact as it did ten years earlier.
This finding, however, is true for many other industries, mainly because of the increasingly global economy. For the arts and history, a critical mass of funding is
necessary to create a positive economic impact, both for state agencies and for their grantees. The data show that we have not yet reached that critical mass. The research also shows that arts and history organizations have thought more about their long-term
financial future and stability since the creation of the New Jersey Cultural Trust.This finding holds even if an organization only applied for but did not receive a grant
from the Cultural Trust.