SMU DataArts is committed to advancing policies and practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion across the arts, culture, and humanities sector. Having reliable information on the demographics of the boards, staff, volunteers, and artistic personnel that power cultural nonprofits will help the sector reflect and respond by identifying trends, opportunities, and gaps in ways that inspire action and change when needed. DataArts developed its workforce demographics survey and methodology to address this growing information need.
The initiative is a collaborative venture that engages grantmakers, cultural professionals and the volunteers and contracted personnel that power nonprofits. Developed by a group of sector stakeholders, the survey has proven to be a culturally relevant measurement tool and the methodology delivers statistically valid results. Each employee, contractor, board member or volunteer in a participating organization is asked to complete a brief online survey, identifying themselves in terms of heritage, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, and disability status. Respondents provide their home zip code, to allow us to map the results to U.S. Bureau of the Census data. We also ask respondents to rate their level of well-being at their workplace in order to measure the effect workplace diversity has on employee and organizational success.
The survey methodology is secure and confidential. No organizational representative is involved in receiving or analyzing the data. Survey responses are sent directly from the individual to DataArts, where they are aggregated to protect individual identity. Reports on aggregated data are provided at the community level. Organization level reports may be produced if a sufficient participation threshold is achieved. Researchers may receive anonymized datasets.
Following a 2015 pilot by the Jerome and McKnight Foundations in Minnesota, and a multi-year regional study for the Los Angeles County Commission on the Arts and a group of California municipal funders, the DataArts workforce demographics data collection process is now being implemented in select communities. More information can be found
here. 
