Washington Performing Arts Society: Corporate support, institutional growth

Corporations annually contribute millions of dollars to not-for-profit United States arts organizations. To understand the nature of the corporate support programs of Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS), an independent, not-for-profit, multi-disciplinary presenting organization located in Washington, D.C., this thesis traces the organization's history and explores its fundraising operations. WPAS' corporate support programs are examined to learn what motivates corporations to support WPAS with corporate sponsorship and philanthropic contributions. Thesis research included interviews with WPAS staff and corporate sponsors, and investigation of WPAS fiscal, corporate, and archival materials, housed at WPAS, and at the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Kennedy Center Libraries, in Washington, D.C. This thesis concludes that a major incentive for corporate support of WPAS is its long history of increasing community involvement, a notable example for not-for-profit organizations seeking corporate support.