Funding and management

Each year the Arts Council of Finland awards over 30 million euros in grants and subsidies to approximately 3500 artists and communities. The Ministry of Education and Culture allocates the funds to the Arts Council of Finland. The amount represents eight percent of the total budget for the arts. The decisions regarding grants and subsidies are made by the Arts Council of Finland and its subcommittees, the national and regional arts councils, and the boards for grants.

The majority of the grants and subsidies awarded by the various bodies of the Arts Council of Finland are lottery funds. Each year the Ministry of Education and Culture decides how the nation's lottery and betting funds will be distributed for different purposes. The funds allocated to the regional arts councils for promoting the arts are used for artist and project grants and other subsidies. The regional distribution of funds is decided by the Arts Council of Finland.

Funds for national artist grants, as well as grants and subsidies for writers and translators, come from the national budget. The Arts Council of Finland's administrative costs, which amount to approximately five million euros per year, are also covered by funds allocated by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The Arts Council of Finland operates under the performance supervision of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Performance targets are set for three-year periods, and they are reviewed annually. The regional arts councils operate under the performance supervision of the Arts Council of Finland.