Every year, Oregon’s Arts and Culture Program, which serves the state through the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust, supports hundreds of individuals and organizations through our grant programs and other services. We want to ensure that we’re regularly assessing our performance and serving our customers’ needs.
To that end, this year we launched a Customer Service Survey. We customized Business Oregon’s annual Customer Satisfaction Survey so we could better understand how Oregon’s artists, cultural organizations, coalitions and community partners experience our grant programs and services.
We received thoughtful, candid feedback—thank you! Your insights are helping us understand what’s working well, where friction exists and how we can make improvements.
Survey Overview
The Arts & Culture Customer Satisfaction Survey ran from early May through June 30, 2026. More than 2,260 customers were contacted, resulting in 247 responses—175 of them fully completed. Respondents included:
- Nonprofit organizations
- Individual artists
- Cultural coalitions
- Municipal and state partners
We heard from both urban and rural communities and from organizations of many fiscal sizes. Respondents also represented a range of grant programs and funding levels, giving us a broad view of the sector’s experience.
What You Told Us About Our Services
Areas of Strength
Respondents consistently praised the helpfulness and expertise of Arts & Culture staff—one of our biggest strengths. More than 90% of respondents rated staff expertise as excellent or good. Many also noted improved transparency and communication over the past year.
Respondents also told us our grants make a strong impact in Oregon communities—more than 95% agreed their funded projects created meaningful cultural benefits.
Grants also rated highly for:
- Strategic alignment
- Flexibility in spending
- Compatibility with other funding sources
- Ease of navigating the application process
Where We Can Improve
You were clear about friction points, particularly around timeliness. Respondents pointed to slow response times, delays in funding disbursement and challenges finding information when needed. When you’re planning public events, community programs, or creative projects, quick and reliable timelines matter.
In addition, about 23% of respondents found grant pacing challenging. Another 37% said award amounts met their needs only slightly or not at all. These findings will help guide future conversations about funding structures and process improvements.
VIEW THE SURVEY PRESENTATION DECK
Thank you to everyone who took time to participate in the 2026 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Your input helps us better support Oregon’s arts and culture sector. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and sharing updates as we integrate your recommendations into our work.