History

The national Business Committee for the Arts was established in 1967 by David Rockefeller, then president of Chase Manhattan Bank.  In the 1980’s the first affiliate was founded in Montgomery, Alabama. This satellite was followed shortly by Orange County, California.  Other affiliates soon followed including those in Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; New Hampshire; northern Virginia; Missoula, Montana; Fairbanks, Alaska; Portland, Oregon and Kansas City, Missouri.

The local Business Committee for the Arts was founded in 1989.  Soon after, the board decided to widen the purview of the BCA to include Pinellas, as well as Hillsborough County and thus became the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts. The Tampa Bay BCA is the only Florida affiliate of the national Business Committee for the Arts. In 2008 The Tampa Bay BCA become an affiliate of Americans for the Arts and in 2009 changed its name to Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts. 

Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA) is a not-for-profit organization that encourages corporate support for the arts. It aims to educate, motivate, develop and recognize business support of the arts. This is achieved through business/arts partnerships, volunteerism, in-kind donations and leadership development.

Funding

Operating costs are supported primarily by annual membership fees, sponsorships and in-kind contributions. The TBBCA is not related to or in competition with the Arts Councils of Hillsborough or Pinellas County, which is funded by governmental agencies.