GIA News's Blog

(6-1-10) In an editorial for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Pablo Eisenberg questions the seriousness and efficacy of the federal government's Social Innovation Fund. Eisenberg writes in response to last week's announcement that 25 foundations will be contributing a total of $50 million to the Fund. After outlining several ways the initiative is failing to meet NGO and community needs, Eisenberg concludes:

(6-1-10) "But that doesn’t change sectoral realities, which reinforce the antidemocratic spirit of these giver-receiver relationships, where potential receivers are expected to expose themselves to unbounded scrutiny and givers are entitled to ask without being required to answer. If truth in giving were mandated for foundation guidelines the way health warnings are required on cigarette packs, many of the more than 1.2 million foundations registered with the IRS as of last year would have to carry this notice..."

(5-26-10) Reinstating NEA grants to individual artists and performers is on Rocco Landesman's to-do list, just not at the top. Writing for The Denver Post, John Wenzel provides a backdrop to Landesman's sentiment by outlining the culture wars and tapping art world and government insiders for insight into how the funding initiative might unfold. About Landesman, Wenzel writes "...he is a veteran of the theater world and understands the value of timing."

Read more here.

(5-26-10) The National Endowment for the Arts has helped organize a summer-long program called Blue Star Museums that will offer free museum admission to active-duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day (May 31) through Labor Day (Sept. 6) "to show their appreciation for those who are serving this nation." The effort has been coordinated with Blue Star Families, a support organization "by military families for military families," and so far 600 U.S. museums of all kinds and in all 50 states have signed on.

(5-26-10) Knight of the Realm and stand-up comic, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

(5-24-10) A joint effort of various California arts funders, the Creative Capacity Fund and its Quick Grant Program provides reimbursement funds to arts administrators and individual artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles to enroll in workshops, attend conferences locally and nationally, and to work with consultants and coaches in order to build administrative capacity, hone their business skills, and strengthen the economic sustainability of an organization or arts practice.

(5-21-10) Robert Booker, executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, responds to requests for his position on recently enacted laws from the state of Arizona:

(5-21-10) In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, Shelly Banjo profiled two West Coast museums that have averted breaking apart collections, closure, and other forms of institutional disaster by partnering with nearby universities. Banjo sites the pandemic of strained museum finances that resulted from the boom-time building and executive pay expansions that, in 2008, were abruptly sideswiped by the recession.

(5-19-10) In a recent survey, GrantCraft shared reflections from eight foundation leaders on this question, then asked others to weigh in. Over 1,500 of you responded, including many stakeholders in philanthropy, nonprofits, and government. A report is now available outlining the results. From GrantCraft:

(5-19-10) The Tennessee Arts Commission has received numerous reports of damage caused by recent flooding in West and Middle Tennessee. The Commission will offer any assistance possible, by making information resources available to artists and arts organizations affected by this disaster. The contact person at the Commission is Hal Partlow. He will be fielding questions, collecting information about specific situations, and directing constituents to appropriate resources.