Remaking Arts and Culture Strategies in Response to New Realities

Sunday, October 29, 10:00am – 11:30am

Organized and moderated by Regina Smith, Managing Director, Arts and Culture, The Kresge Foundation.

Presented by Janet Sarbaugh, Vice President, Creativity, The Heinz Endowments; and San San Wong, Senior Program Officer, Barr Foundation.

Creating and adjusting foundation strategy are perhaps the most important aspects of program staff’s work. Often, the power of traditional practices, the weight of a grants workload, and limited dollars for assessment and evaluation make true attention to strategy development difficult. Strategy development is especially important for arts and culture grantmakers now, at a time when the definition and relevance of culture are contested space, when federal cultural agencies are imperiled, and when the field is especially alert to the role of the arts in a time of great national ferment. In this session, a group of arts grantmakers will present a snapshot of strategy changes they have made or are considering, including changes based on research such as the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s Fusing Arts, Culture, and Social Change, changes based on internal shifts, and changes based on the current national climate. Participants will gain insights into the challenges and the rewards of strategy change, and share their own stories about their experiences in navigating change within their own foundations.