The publication details the experiences of 10  arts organizations that were 54 that received funding from The Wallace Foundation between 2006 and 2012 to develop audience-building efforts. An analysis of these efforts—each supported by evaluation data—revealed nine practices contributing to their success.  

Researchers selected 10 arts organizations  from a group of 54 that The Wallace Foundation funded for audience-building initiatives through the Wallace Excellence Awards. Across six cities, these 10 organizations were chosen for increasing attendance throughout multiple years and maintaining a commitment to audience-building after Wallace funding ended. Some of the 10 were also selected because they had valuable insights to impart, even if their audience-building results were mixed. Each organization had different target audiences and strategies for attracting audiences.  

These 10 organizations were:

• Boston Lyric Opera
• The Clay Studio, Philadelphia 
• The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco  
• Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia 
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
• Minnesota Opera, Minneapolis, 
• Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle 
• San Francisco Girls Chorus
• Seattle Opera 
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company,  Chicago.

Organizations had an operating budget ranging from $1.7 million to $23 million, and served annual audiences ranging from a few thousand to more than 250,000.