GIA Blog

(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.

(5-18-10) Further to our April 28 post, "Nonprofit 'Doomsday'", based on a New York Times story on the 2006 Pension Protection Act, the new filing requirements for charitable organizations, and the impending loss of nonprofit status to the thousands of charities who are not in compliance:

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that it will help small charities keep their tax-exempt status even if they missed the May 17 deadline for filing a new online form...

(5-18-10) The Cincinnati Museum Center is suing A Good Neighbor Foundation over a dispute that amounts to a he-said-she-said of good nonprofit-granting protocol. The Center alleges receipt of both verbal and written gift confirmations, while the Foundation argues that the funds in question—a $1 million grant to restore the dining room of Union Terminal, the historic building that is home to the Museum Center—were not subject to the requisite application and board approval process and are therefore not committed.

(5-17-10) Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his proposed 2011 fiscal year budget on May 6, and on May 14, Robin Pogrebin reported in The New York Times that "arts institutions insist they will be ruined by the cuts to their allocations."

(5-12-10) Still around, and still making people nervous.

(5-12-10) The San Francisco Foundation has announced that Moy Eng is joining the Foundation as the interim program officer for Arts and Culture. Moy has a national and local reputation for her leadership in arts and culture. She served previously as director of the performing arts program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Read More.

(5-12-10) From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Most of the last year’s business headlines have featured financial bailouts, ethical lapses, Ponzi schemes, executive bonuses and a general erosion of confidence in corporate America. Yet at the same time, corporations have shown extraordinary innovation in how they are leveraging their unique assets to generate positive change in communities...

(5-11-10) So they don’t call Tennessee the “Volunteer State” for nothing! Although the national media has already moved on to the latest stock market twist and political scandal, the artists and arts organizations of Tennessee are recuperating, rebuilding and performing. The Nashville Symphony, although their hall is damaged, has designed a “traveling” season and has already performed. But there is much work to do, artists to help and organizations that will need support rebuilding.