USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

First Advisor

Stephen Diasio, Ph.D.

Publisher

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2024

Date Issued

May 2024

Abstract

St. Petersburg, Florida is well known for its plentiful murals, museums, and local music. As the city grows and develops in a Post-COVID world, the arts and culture community continues to make an impact. In 2022, arts and culture nonprofits in St. Petersburg generated over $132 million in economic activity. Despite the city’s growth, local arts and culture nonprofits struggle to secure consistent funding. Currently, many arts nonprofits pursue fundraising from major donors and corporate sponsors. With this current system, ordinary community members do not typically have the capacity or incentive to donate, especially in times of economic downturn. Crowdfunding may be a potential avenue to create community buy-in, namely when the donor experience is well-developed. However, building a cross-sector culture of philanthropy proposes a long-term, gradual solution with the potential for more sustainable impact. This research project explores methods of redefining conventional arts & culture fundraising, demystifying philanthropy, and changing business development through the lens of social entrepreneurship. The case study follows the development of a new business that supports arts and cultural nonprofits with every purchase, and measures its success based on the Triple Bottom Line framework.

Comments

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University Honors Program University of South Florida, St. Petersburg May 1, 2024.

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