Monica's Blog

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Monica

On Monday, June 26, GIA’s board of directors sent a letter to all members of Congress on behalf of GIA’s membership in support of continued funding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Monica

This bulletin from GIA’s Washington, D.C. policy firm, Penn Hill Group, provides recommendations for arts funders to conduct outreach to their members of Congress on funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). As each of … Continue reading How to Contact Congressional Appropriations Committees in Support of Arts & Culture Funding

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Monica

Americans for the Arts recently released its Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 report, which compiles national data to examine the economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences. As reported on Hyperallergic: The report, tabulated with the help of economists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, draws from detailed spending and attendance figures provided … Continue reading US Arts Nonprofits Generated $166.3 Billion in Spending in 2015, AFTA Report Shows

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Monica

In an email to colleagues, Executive Director Carlton Turner announced his decision to end his tenure at Alternate ROOTS effective February 2018.

I have spent the past thirteen years as a ROOTS' staff member, in service to the ROOTS mission of supporting artists working at the intersection of arts and social justice. In that time, I have seen the organization grow its roots deeper in its founding principles, while the coverage of its canopy stretched wider to encompass more and more creatives. All of this happening as ROOTS' profile as a regional organization with national institutional impact has expanded to be more accessible and equitable than ever. It is a great time to transition.
Posted on June 23, 2017 by Monica

Americans for the Arts recently released its Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 report, which compiles national data to examine the economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences. As reported on Hyperallergic:

The report, tabulated with the help of economists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, draws from detailed spending and attendance figures provided by 14,439 cultural organizations and a whopping 212,691 audience surveys. It offers startlingly detailed figures about US citizens’ typical cultural consumption patterns and the way cultural organizations’ spending generates even more economic activity in their communities.
Posted on June 22, 2017 by Monica

Larry Kramer, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, has recently published an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review:

No topic in philanthropy has generated as much interest and excitement in recent years as impact investing. And while talk has so far exceeded action by a wide margin, that’s starting to change as the steady drumbeat to join the party gains momentum. Yet the very one-sidedness of the discussion—and it has been entirely one-sided—gives me pause. For there are good reasons to hesitate before jumping down the for-profit rabbit hole, particularly for large grantmaking foundations like Hewlett.
Posted on June 21, 2017 by Monica

Insights, a service of Foundation Center, has announced the launch of the Columbus Survey Dashboard – the most up-to-date, comprehensive dataset reflecting the current financial state of community foundations in the United States. The research, which has been conducted annually since 1988, is available for the first time in an online, interactive format. The data show that community foundation assets reached a total of more than $76 billion in 2016, after a year of negligible growth in 2015.

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Monica

From Philanthropy News Digest:

The F.B. Heron Foundation in New York City has announced that Clara Miller will step down as president at the end of December. Miller, who has served as director and president of Heron since 2010, will assume the role of president emerita and will continue to write, speak, and undertake research aimed at advancing the foundation's mission.

The widely respected Miller launched a strategic review of the foundation's grantmaking in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis that led to the adoption of a new operating model focused on impact investments in enterprises that create reliable income streams for people striving to lift themselves out of poverty.

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Monica

From the National Endowment for the Arts: As the only funder in the country to support arts activities in all 50 states and five U.S. jurisdictions, the National Endowment for the Arts announces its second round of funding for FY 2017. This funding round includes partnerships with state, jurisdictional, and regional arts agencies. The NEA … Continue reading NEA Announces Grants to Support the Arts in Every U.S. State and Jurisdiction

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Monica

The Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) board of directors voted unanimously on June 9, 2017 to appoint Todd Stein as its new chief executive officer.

Stein will lead M-AAA, the nation’s first regional arts organization that fosters and serves artists, cultural organizations, and communities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond. He has been serving as the organization’s interim CEO since August 2016 and before that as its chief operating officer.