GIA Blog

Ute, we have been responsible to say the least in using this slow building format that allows us a seemingly neutral place on the matter or funding relationships but I think it would be irresponsible if we didn’t spend a … Continue reading →

(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. Does the organization have the capacity to implement the project? Is capacity strong in human resources, fund development, operating reserves, program management and technical expertise?

(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 selections, PTI director Pam Kumin notes, "This year's PTI grants support a diverse array of imaginative and ambitious projects aimed at varied tastes and ages.

(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 applicants must secure a commitment for a 20 percent private sector match by Sept. 8.

(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 alliances—all intended to help organizations increase revenue or reduce costs." Selected projects were prepared by Phoenix-area visual art, performance, and botanical garden venues.

(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.

(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 preparedness and recovery plans.

In addition, below are resources specific to the Pakistan floods:

(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 who commission studies of economic benefit, though not to those who take money for carrying them out. They are responding to a climate in which philistine businessmen assert that the private sector company that manufactures pills is a wealth creator, but the public sector doctor who prescribes them is not.

(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 Gates Foundation mainly for health-related activities and international development.

(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.