The California Arts Council has announced that Governor Brown has signed a state budget that includes a $10.8 million funding increase for programs of the Council. This investment will extend their capacity to meet the needs and demand for arts programs. The budget includes a $6.8 million one-time increase for the Arts Council and an additional $4 million ongoing allocation for the state’s Arts in Corrections program. The funding increase for the Arts Council will expand the reach of the agency’s competitive grant programs that serve California communities by funding nonprofit arts activities with a focus on arts learning and engagement; equity and access; cultural and community development; and technical support and resources for the arts field. The total fiscal year 2016-17 state support for the California Arts Council will reach approximately $21.1 million, inclusive of designated funding for Arts in Corrections.
Grantmakers in the Arts
At the League of American Orchestras conference in June, the Honorable Elijah Cummings, U.S. Representative (MD-7), delivered an inspiring keynote speech on the importance of racial equity and opportunity in arts education. The theme of the conference, “The Richness of Difference,” focused on diversity and inclusion in the sector.
By Peter Hartlaub, writing for SFGate:
Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has announced the inaugural cohort of the Rising Leaders of Color (RLC) Program. Supported by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, the RLC program will form a cohort of ten exceptionally talented earlycareer leaders of color from the DC, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia areas, and provide them with professional development and networking opportunities at the 2016 TCG National Conference and beyond.
Boston has announced its new Boston Creates ten-year cultural plan, which includes over one million dollars in new arts funding.
From Malcolm Gay, writing for the Boston Globe:
After nearly 12 years at the helm, Judith Rodin, the first female president of The Rockefeller Foundation, has announced her decision to depart the institution once a new president is identified and takes office. Rodin’s leadership ushered The Rockefeller Foundation into a new era of strategic philanthropy that emphasized partnerships with business, government, and the philanthropic community to address and solve for the complex challenges of the 21st century.
From The NonProfit Times:
During the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Fundraising Conference, Janet Brown of Grantmakers in the Arts and Brian Bonde of Advanced Certified Fundraising offered five suggestions for cultural organizations to help them find financial success, not just security, as they continue their operations.
In a recent blog post from Fractured Atlas, Jason Tseng reflects on how organizations can follow up their racial equity statements with action: