In 1991, the Oklahoma Arts Institute participated in a management study conducted by consultants on loan to the organization from Public Service Company of Oklahoma. National foundations and corporations are accustomed to published standards of accounting and reporting from health and welfare organizations.
Cultural groups are often at a competitive disadvantage because they have no uniform standards.
Their budget categories are sometimes confusing and may not clearly differentiate administrative costs from program expenses. Budgets from cultural organizations vary widely in presentation and often do not adequately communicate the organization' s mission. In order to enhance our development resource capabilities, the Institute determined that new accounting and reporting systems should be put in place in our own organization. We also decided to ask other organizations to join us in making changes to their financial reports for the purpose of defining the mission of their organizations more clearly. The advantages of standards are obvious to large cultural organizations.