Following the CEO-CFO Roundtable Live meeting, February 2025

Current Landscape Analysis

Federal Level Impacts

• Executive Order Changes: Recent federal executive orders limiting DEI initiatives in federally funded organizations
• NEA Funding Risk: Organizations receiving NEA funding (directly or through state arts councils) facing scrutiny
• Kennedy Center Implications: Federal status of Kennedy Center affecting its partner organizations

State-Level Variations

• High-Risk States:
  • Florida: Complete elimination of state arts funding ($70M) with website review process for future funding
  • Texas: Increased scrutiny with potential for funding challenges
  • Arizona: Monitoring of public-facing language and programming
• Moderate-Risk States:
  • Illinois: 40% of state arts funding tied to NEA, which is now reviewing DEI compliance
  • North Carolina: Mixed environment with less immediate risk but ongoing monitoring
• Low-Risk States (not specifically mentioned in discussion)

Organizational Risk Factors

1. Funding Dependency: Percentage of budget from federal/state sources
2. Public-Facing Language: Prominence of DEI terminology on websites and publications
3. Programming Choices: Potentially controversial productions (examples mentioned: Dixie's Tupperware Party, Some Like It Hot, Aladdin)
4. Staff Demographics: Concern for staff members, especially those identifying as LGBTQ+

Strategic Response Options

Language & Terminology Approaches