Otis College Releases Latest Report on the Creative Economy Focused on Los Angeles Nonprofits

The College and its partner, Westwood Economics, also launched a new interactive Creative Nonprofit Dashboard.

Otis College of Art and Design unveiled its latest Otis College Report on the Creative Economy and a first-of-its-kind Creative Nonprofit Dashboard highlighting the performance of the creative nonprofit sector in California at a launch event at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The Report and new dashboard are part of its nationally recognized creative economy research program. 

The new findings and interactive dashboard provide real-time insights into the scope, impact, and challenges facing California’s nonprofit arts sector, offering policymakers, journalists, funders, cultural leaders, and the general public the ability to explore revenue and key trends across regions. 

The Getty event featured remarks by Joan Weinstein, Director of the Getty Foundation, and renowned artist and Otis alum Kohshin Finley (’12 BFA Communication Arts). Westwood Economics and Planning Associates presented the new nonprofit arts dashboard and key findings from its latest research.  

The launch event also featured an engaging panel discussion, “Creative Capital: Fueling the Next Wave of L.A.’s Nonprofit Arts Growth,” moderated by Mandalit del Barco from NPR West. Panelists included: 

• Jason Foster, President and CEO, Destination Crenshaw
• Gustavo Herrera, CEO, Arts for LA
• Naima Keith, VP of Education and Public Programs, LACMA 
• Thor Steingraber, Executive and Artistic Director, The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts 

Key Trends Shaping California’s Nonprofit Arts Sector

• The number of creative nonprofits in Los Angeles County increased by 21 percent between 2018 and 2023; L.A. County is now home to more than 900 creative nonprofits, accounting for roughly 30 percent of California’s creative nonprofit ecosystem.
• Half of the nonprofits stated that private donations have decreased and 66 percent reported that their governmental funding has also been lower in the last year.

Developed in partnership with Westwood Economics and Planning Associates, the fall Report maps the size and scope of L.A.’s nonprofit arts industry, explores current trends and challenges, and offers insights to help inform policy that supports creative nonprofits. The interactive Creative Nonprofit Dashboard, a new feature of the Otis Creative Economy Dashboard, provides detailed, county-level data on the size, financial health, and growth of California’s creative nonprofit sector across seven key service categories. 

Now in its nineteenth year, the Otis College Report on the Creative Economy is a vital resource that explores the economic impact of creative industries in Los Angeles and California. This ongoing research program is centered around an interactive digital dashboard and complemented by timely research examining creative industries and emerging trends.

Generous funding for the Otis College Report on the Creative Economy has been provided by: California Community Foundation; City National Bank; Councilwoman Traci Park; The Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; Gallagher; Getty; Marsh; Moss Adams; The Music Man Foundation; The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; The Snap Foundation; and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Explore the Otis College Report on the Creative Economy

Watch the Livestream

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