The Maryland Cultural Data Project (Maryland CDP) is a powerful online management tool designed to strengthen arts and cultural organizations.  Arts and cultural organizations enter financial, programmatic and operational data into a standardized online form and can then use the CDP to produce a variety of reports designed to help increase management capacity, identify strengths and challenges and inform decision-making. They can also generate reports to be included as part of the application processes to participating grantmakers.

This emerging national standard enables participating organizations to track trends and benchmark their progress through powerful reporting tools, empowers researchers and advocates with information to make the case for arts and culture, and equips funders with data to plan and evaluate grant-making activities more effectively.

Benefits of Participation

• Powerful reporting tools to track trends and benchmark against other organizations by discipline, budget size and geographic region;
• Streamlined grant application process to participating funders;
• Toll-free Help Desk and User Support assistance and free access (by phone) to a team of financial consultants specializing in accounting for nonprofits;
• Statewide on-location, web-based and online training.
  

After four years of planning, the CDP was first launched in Pennsylvania in 2004 and has grown to include California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio.

The Maryland CDP is a collaborative effort of the Project Task Force and the following funders:
Alex. Brown & Sons Charitable Foundation
Baltimore Community Foundation
Cooper Family Fund at BCF
Harry L. Gladding Foundation
Maryland Heritage Areas Authority
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland State Arts Council
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
T. Rowe Price Associates Fund at BCF
The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund

The Project Task Force includes:
Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County
Baltimore Clayworks
Baltimore Community Foundation
Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland State Arts Council

To learn more about the Cultural Data Project, please visit www.culturaldata.org.