GIA Blog

A Community of Practice: Why We Convene
Posted on by Janet

From "Better Together," a blog by Janet Brown

As we prepare the final details for Grantmakers in the Arts’ 2012 national conference in Miami, October 14-17, “communities of practice” have been at the top of my mind.  Associations like Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) serve the valuable purpose of convening members to discuss important topics, trends, challenges and solutions.

How Social Media Has Energized Small Arts Organizations — An Interview with Diablo Ballet’s Dan Meagher
Posted on by Steve

Fromy Geri Jeter for California Literary Review:

For small performing arts companies like Diablo Ballet, social media has come into the forefront as a cost-effective vehicle to get audiences involved in the arts in a new and interactive way.
Glee and Arts Education
Posted on by Steve

From Ginger Murray for her blog “The Sweet Spot” for SF Weekly:

“Arts education can literally save lives. I work with kids that are struggling with a lot in life whether it is poverty or violence or trauma,” [writer and youth educator Carrie Leilam Love] says. “Having an outlet and a teacher to guide them to express themselves creatively as opposed to internalizing or responding to violence with violence is vital. It is, in fact, an intervention.”
How Do We Get From Collective Conversation To Action To Impact?
Posted on by Steve

Beth Kanter reflects on past weekend's Mashable #sgsGLOBAL:

A theme I heard throughout the day on multiple panels was a call to action for people in the room to serve the world by following their passion. This was particularly true in Maria Bello’s story about her work in Haiti with creating a women’s network called We Advance. What better way to see this in action is to hear it and see it from the young people themselves. The audience got a performance by J.D. Malkin, known as jdviolinboy on YouTube. In addition to being gifted musically, Malkin is also the newest youth ambassador of Save the Children, an institution that serves children in need in around the world.
NEA Report Details Research Agenda, Measurement Model
Posted on by Steve

The new report How Art Works: The National Endowment for the Arts' Five-Year Research Agenda, with a System Map and Measurement Model is now available online and was discussed in a forum held at American University on September 20 (see the live-blogging of the event from Ian David Moss). From the report's preface, by NEA Director of Research & Analysis Sunil Iyengar:

This document sets forth the National Endowment for the Arts’ five-year agenda for research, but it does more than that. It provides a conceptual frame for planning and assessing research priorities so that the NEA can improve its ability to meet a core goal: To Promote Knowledge and Understanding about the Contributions of the Arts.

Why A Love Of The Arts Will Help Your Brain Age Better
Posted on by Steve

From Gary Drevitch at Next Avenue:

We know exercise helps strengthen our minds and our bodies. We know that taking on new challenges keeps the brain sharp through middle age and beyond. But now new research — and a new public television documentary — make a strong case that engagement with music, dance and other arts may be just as powerful for preserving mental health and acuity throughout our lives.
Nation’s First School of Philanthropy Gets Approval
Posted on by Steve

From The NonProfit Times:

Indiana University has received approval to establish a School of Philanthropy on the Indiana University-Purdue University campus in Indianapolis (IUPUI). The Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved the university’s proposal to create what is believed to be the world’s first school dedicated to the study and teaching of philanthropy. The School of Philanthropy will combine under one umbrella academic and research on the philanthropic sector.
South Arts, AFTA Bring Readiness Planning to Local Arts Agencies
Posted on by Steve

South Arts and Americans for the Arts have announced a partnership to bring the ArtsReady online planning tool to local arts organizations nationwide. September is National Preparedness Month, and this collaboration marks a significant step forward in the national arts readiness movement.

ArtsReady is a Web-based emergency preparedness platform designed to provide arts organizations with customized business continuity plans for post crisis sustainability. ArtsReady guides organizations through developing (or updating an existing) customized business continuity plan via four key steps

How Troubled Orchestras Can Bounce Back – And Flourish
Posted on by Steve

A podcast from (New York Public Radio) WQXR's Conducting Business program that aired Friday, September 14, features Jesse Rosen, president and chief executive of the League of American Orchestras; Drew McManus, an orchestra consultant and blogger at Adaptistration.com; and Graydon Royce, music critic at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Recently, WQXR.org polled listeners on what's needed to help troubled orchestras in several major American cities. Focusing on major symphonies in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Paul and San Antonio — all of which face contract disputes and bulging deficits
Nine Years After Initial Grant, Carnegie Corporation Report Recounts StoryCorps Story
Posted on by Steve

A new report details how one grantmaking foundation’s early funding for StoryCorps helped initiate the project, giving it a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” which in turn attracted the support of additional funders; a second grant some years later enabled the organization to help New Yorkers reflect on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.