FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Texas Cultural Trust?

The Texas Cultural Trust, incorporated in 1995, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization charged with augmenting the Texas Cultural Endowment Fund via private sector support.

The Texas Cultural Endowment Fund, established by the State of Texas Legislature in 1993, exists to provide a stable funding source for the arts in Texas. The Texas Cultural Endowment Fund is a fund outside the state treasury, and the Legislature may not appropriate money from the Texas Cultural Endowment Fund.

Why was the Texas Cultural Trust created?

The Texas Cultural Trust was established to provide stability and increase funding for the Texas Cultural Endowment Fund.

According to the 2021 National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Revenues Report, Texas ranks 46th among America’s fifty states and its six territories in public funding of the arts, with public investment currently at $.40 per citizen. The national median for state funding is nearly 4 times this amount at $1.45 per citizen. As a result, many communities in Texas cannot provide their constituencies adequate primary/secondary arts education or funding for the arts. TXCT supplements the deficiency in public funding by raising additional support from the private sector. 

Do other states have Trust Funds for the arts?

To date, at least fifteen other states have established trust funds including Missouri, Delaware, Arizona, Connecticut, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kentucky, and Puerto Rico. Texas was the first state to take this creative approach and we are viewed as an innovator in state arts funding.

How can people give to the Trust?

The Texas Cultural Trust accepts donations of cash, stocks, bonds, other commercial paper, and “real property”. Donations may be in-kind contributions, one-time offerings, or long-term pledges. They may be designated to a specific region of the state, any creative discipline(s), or made in honor or memory of someone. Donations may also be earmarked for specific programs (e.g. Texas Young Masters or the Texas Medal of Arts Awards) or allocated to general operational support for the Texas Cultural TrustAll gifts are tax deductible, as allowed by law.