Gaining a spot on a board for a cultural organization such as an art museum, symphony, ballet company or opera house used to mean shelling out a certain amount of money each year -- an amount that typically was unstated. But the hush-hush nature of board-member contributions is changing, The Wall Street Journal reported May 7.

In the past, when board members typically were wealthy and well-connected, it was not only unnecessary to explicitly state contribution "rules," but also considered in poor taste.

This is no longer so, says Patricia Jacoby, deputy director for external affairs at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. "For this new generation, talking about money is a given," she says. The museum's trustees' handbook is being revised to include a specific figure for trustees -- in this case, $25,000 per year.

Some people appreciate this candor because it saves them from being in the uncomfortable position of not knowing how much to give or if they even can afford to belong. The price for all programs are not prohibitive, however. Some, like Honolulu's Contemporary Museum, hold the mandatory contribution for its trustees to $2,500 so that more members of the community can become involved.

Costs are rising everywhere, and arts institutions are no exception. Barry Saunders, president of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has seen his operating budget jump 30 percent since 1994, largely a result of salary increases.

"Unlike in manufacturing, the arts cannot increase their production efficiency," he says.

Despite growing support from charitable foundations, individual contributions still account for the largest segment of funding for U.S. arts programs.