Grantmakers in the Arts | Supporting a Creative America

Abigail Disney on Preserving the Estate Tax

(9-1-10) In an opinion piece for USA Today, Abigail Disney, great-niece of Walt, argues for the preservation of the estate tax, citing both financial and social benefits, including this statement on the charitable impulse:

...the estate tax incentivizes people like me to do good with our wealth because there is no estate tax on donations to charity.

Guardian 'Directors' Debate' is a Good Read for Arts Funders Everywhere

(8-27-10) In yesterday's Guardian, British theater directors Adrian Jackson (Cardboard Citizens) and David Parrish (Creation Theatre) present the pros and cons of Arts Council spending cuts.

CERF+ Launches 25th Anniversary On-Line Auction

(8-25-10) In honor of CERF+’s first quarter century, an on-line anniversary auction has been launched with 25+ art works donated by long time friends of the organization. Bidding opens today, Wednesday, August 25, 3:00pm, and closes September 25, 10:00pm. Proceeds from the auction will support the...

Who Decides Capacity? (Janet's Blog)

(08-24-10) There is a lot of talk these days about “capacity”… capacity building, capacity funding etc. At a meeting of funders in Seattle that included grantmakers from every sector, everyone was talking about building capacity for nonprofit organizations as part of their funding programs from human services to the arts. It certainly is at the core of effective organizational management....

Pew Awards $960,000 in Philadelphia Theatre Initiative Grants

(8-24-10) On August 16, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage announced more than $960,000 in project grants from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative (PTI) to thirteen theater companies, presenters, and independent theater artists. PTI grants, which support innovative theater programming in the Philadelphia area, are awarded annually on a competitive basis through panel selection. On the 2010...

(8-22-10) 49 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education have been selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants to the US Department of Education for potential funding under the Investing in Innovation (i3) program. Three of the applicants were identified as arts-related by the USDOE. To receive a share of the $650 million in i3 grants, the winning...

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Grants $1.2 Million

(8-18-10) Last week, Piper Trust announced $1.2 million in Arts Restructuring and Transformation Fund grants. These "ART Fund" grants, comprising remaining funds from the wind-down of Metro Phoenix Partnership for Arts and Culture (plus $200,000 in uncommitted Trust funds), were awarded to eleven organizations to "develop new business models, streamline internal processes and create strategic...

The Clarinet Section Needs to Play Louder (Janet's Blog)

(08-17-10) I just finished teaching a two-week (five hour a day) course in public policy and the arts to 10 very bright non-trad students getting their Masters of Arts in Arts Administration from Goucher College, Baltimore.

Council on Foundations Response to the Flooding in Pakistan

(8-17-10) To assist its members, colleagues, and the field with leadership and guidance on global disasters, the Council on Foundations compiles timely, crisis-specific resources, available at www.cof.org/disasterresponse, including links to eight principles for disaster management, legal FAQs, and templates for your foundation’s disaster...

John Kay on Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Arts

(8-17-10) In a recent Financial Times column, John Kay outlines the sometimes overlooked (or skewed) factors in determining the economic benefit of the arts. An excerpt:

But bad economics has been allowed to drive out good. I am sympathetic to the well-intentioned people...

Foundation Center Details 2008 Giving Trends in Annual Trends Report

(8-16-10) The 2010 Edition of Foundation Giving Trends: Update on Funding Priorities shows a decline in support for half of the major funding areas. Arts & Culture registered 13% of grant dollars in 2008, 14% of the number of grants given. Other key findings:

Foundations awarded a record 214 grants of $10 million or more in 2008. Of the 10 largest, six were made by the...

Council on Foundations Planning 2011 Conference

(8-16-10) Council on Foundations is actively planning the 2011 Annual Conference, which takes place in Philadelphia. A "session idea form" is available to fill out which CoF will take as input for the planning process. The form and other information is available on the CoF website at www.cof.org/events/conferences/2011Annual...

Dinner's Served

(8-16-10) After two weeks of meal prep and showing dinner companions to their seats (i.e. a thoroughly engaging back-and-forth discussion on individual artists and grantmaking), GIA guest bloggers Ute Zimmermann and Theaster Gates have sat down at the table to cut into the meat of this matter. Pull up your own seat and share your thoughts here...

The Chronicle of Philanthropy Surveys Corporate Giving

(8-10-10) On August 7, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on its survey of philanthropic programs at 162 of the largest U.S. corporations. In summary:

Seventy-three percent of businesses polled said they expect their cash and product giving to be about the same as in 2009, reflecting a 7.5 percent reduction from 2008 giving.
With less money to give, some...

Bob Booker Welcomes Attendees to the Southwest Arts Conference

(8-10-10) Bob Booker, Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, (and former president of NASAA) welcome attendees on July 29 to the Southwest Arts Conference. Jonathan Katz passes along the text of Bob's introduction:

The arts hold the ability to shed the “light of truth and understanding” across America in these challenging times. The arts have always taken...

NEFA Accepting Applications to National Theater Pilot

(8-10-10) New England Foundation for the Arts has announced the National Theater Pilot. Applications became available on August 6 and the deadline for submitting the application is Wednesday, September 1:

Ute Zimmermann and Theaster Gates Strike Up Great “Dinner Conversation”

(8-6-10) The GIA Guest Blog, “A Movable Feast: Conversations About the Artist-Grantmaker Relationship around a Virtual Dinner Table” is happening now. The subject of the relationship between artist and grantmaker is looking to make for a rich discussion. Join in at blogs.giarts.org/uteandtheaster.

New Online Resource for Nonprofit Accounting Basics

(8-3-10) A new website created by the Greater Washington Society of CPAs' Nonprofit Financial Accountability Task Force provides in-depth information on finance and accounting for small and mid-sized nonprofits. The site's creation was funded in part by the Meyer Foundation. Featured topics include:

Internal reporting requirements...

2010 Community Arts Partnership Awards Now Accepting Nominations

(8-3-10) Deadline is Sunday, August 15 to submit nominations to the Greater Columbus Arts Council 2010 Community Arts Partnership Awards. The Community Arts Partnership Awards recognize the Ohio community's crucial contributions to the arts, including financial support, non-cash contributions, volunteer involvement, leadership and board participation. An online form for nominations...

Investing in Innovation (i3) Update from Richard Kessler

(8-3-10) Richard Kessler brings us up to date on the U.S. Department of Educations i3 program:

As word is starting to make its way around the country regarding approvals and declinations for the 2010 USDOE Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination program (I am extremely happy to say the The Center for Arts Education was awarded a 2010 AEMDD grant!), I've been...