Introduction

Serious academic research in the fields of non-profit, social, arts, and heritage (NSAH) marketing began less than a quarter of a century ago, stimulated in part by the large reductions in state support for the arts and for social welfare that occurred in many Western countries in the late 1980s. Today, research in these areas is voluminous, intellectually rigorous, managerially relevant, societally worthwhile, and has the potential to contribute both to general marketing theory and to helping NSAH marketing managers improve the operational performances of their organisations. Interest in NSAH marketing continues to grow rapidly, attested by the rising number of academic publications, conferences, and journal Special Issues devoted to NSAH topics.