Performed in 2003 and again in 2008, the study was first conducted because of a growing sense of urgency in the not-for profit arts sector as a generation of arts managers and leaders were leaving the workforce and the question of succession loomed large.

Recognizing that today one of the pressing issues facing arts organizations remains their ability to attract and retain top talent and leaders, in 2017, we partnered with the Department of Canadian Heritage and commissioned the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) and Mercer to conduct a third comprehensive national compensation study-compensation being one of the most critical elements of an organization’s ability to recruit and retain a talented workforce.

From October to December 2017, we invited organizations within the not-for-profit arts sector in Canada to share their feedback with us. An encouraging number of participants- just over 430 organizations- answered the call, and after carrying out a thorough analysis of this data in early 2018 we are now able to share the findings of this long-awaited research.