Philanthropic practice

In a recent blog post on Nonprofit AF, Vu Le calls for important interrogation of the philanthropic field’s learned practices and how "they constantly and unconsciously affect how we think about and do everything."

A newly established philanthropy, The Lewis Prize for Music, which seeks to invest in music leaders to facilitate positive change and increase access to music education, just announced it awarded nearly $2 million to its inaugural class of awardees: leaders of music programs and organizations across the country that foster engaged citizens and support the holistic growth of young people.

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s New & Experimental Works (NEW) Program, a grant program that provides project support to small and mid-size dance, theater, and multidisciplinary arts organizations that enable Bay Area artists to produce timely, visionary projects, has rethought its application process.

"In a crisis, short-term efficiency can be a shock amplifier. Long-term efficiency comes from building resilient institutions," states Andrés Spokoiny, president of the Jewish Funders Network, in a recent article in Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Reflecting on Darren Walker's new book, “From Generosity to Justice: a New Gospel of Wealth,” Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, answered some questions posed by the Chronicle of Philanthropy that shed light on the philanthropic field.

The Tipping Point Fund (TPF), a donor collaborative geared towards scaling impact investing, was recently announced by leaders from foundation and family office communities. With $12.5 million in initial funding, the TPF seeks "to make strategic grants to support the creation and development of critical market infrastructure that is necessary to maintain the continued growth and, the integrity, of the impact investing market."

In the midst of philanthropy's self-examination and taking steps toward change, that shift is best exemplified by Ford Foundation President Darren Walker’s new book From Generosity to Justice: A New Gospel of Wealth, writes Jeff Raikes, cofounder of the Raikes Foundation, in his review of this publication.

In a recent blog post on Nonprofit AF, Vu Le reflects on how he has been seeing more signs of diverse communities "being treated like children who don’t know what’s good for them." Le writes that, even though he doesn't think that it is conscious or intentional, "it is still frustrating."

In "Who Are Land Acknowledgments Really For?," Lauren Wingenroth writes about land acknowledgments in the dance world.

The City of Seattle published recently its first Creative Economy report. According to the report, the Office of Film & Music, Office of Economic Development, and Office of Arts & Culture undertook studying the local creative economy "because we know that creativity is vital to the health of our economy, both now and in the future."