Grantmakers in the Arts

Member Spotlight on the Creative Work Fund

May 31, 2015 by SuJ'n

For the month of June, GIA's photo banner features work and projects sponsored by Creative Work Fund. With assistance from other generous funders, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund has managed the Creative Work Fund (CWF) for 21 years.

The CWF supports artists making new work through collaboration with nonprofit organizations of any kind, and demands payment of those artists. Over time, the ways artists and nonprofits organize themselves and make work has evolved, but they still find collaboration to be powerful and continue responding to the CWF with inspiring ideas. Since its inception, the CWF has awarded $10.1 million in grants.

May 29, 2015 by Steve in Emergency Readiness, Response, and Recovery

Record rainfalls, flooding and tornadoes continue to plague the country’s mid-section. And your GIA peers who are involved in the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response are offering expertise and assistance to artists and cultural organizations affected by the extreme weather.

Theresa Scanlan of American for the Arts has been in touch many of the local arts agencies in Texas and Oklahoma to assess how and where aid is needed.

May 28, 2015 by Janet

By Janet Brown from her blog Better Together

Grantmakers in the Arts released its Statement of Purpose for Racial Equity in Arts Philanthropy in March 2015. It did not spring from thin air. Members concerned with social justice have been active within GIA for nearly a decade. Over the past six years, members have shown an overwhelming interest in equity issues facing their communities. Racial equity was deliberately selected four years ago for a thought leader forum in order to go deeper into one area of social justice. Two years later after several convenings of the social justice forum group, the GIA board of directors adopted racial equity in arts philanthropy as “core field work” and began its own training and preparation for a public statement and actionable steps.

May 28, 2015 by Steve

The Institute of International Education has announced the launch of a program to save the lives and work of artists who face persecution in their home countries. The new Artist Protection Fund (APF), a three-year pilot program supported by a $2.79 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will make life-saving fellowship grants to threatened artists from any field of artistic endeavor, and place them at host universities and arts centers in countries where they can safely continue their work and plan for their future.

May 27, 2015 by Steve

From Craig Watson, Director of the California Arts Council:

While the actions of adults on water conservation will determine our fate, making kids aware of water and the drought is important too. At the California Arts Council, we noticed that California’s 4th and 5th grade students must meet science, history, and social science standards that require water education. Fourth grade students trace the evolution of California’s water system into a network of dams, aqueducts, and reservoirs, while 5th graders are taught the human impact on earth systems such as water. And we know from research and experience that integrating arts into subjects like science and math can engage students and increase achievement. So why not combine art and science studies in a fun and creative project?

May 27, 2015 by Steve

From Elizabeth Kramer at The Courier-Journal:

Just seven years ago, the Jefferson County Board of Education voted to create new magnet programs at more than 20 elementary schools. For Lincoln Elementary, the plan was to become Kentucky’s only public elementary arts magnet. That move set Lincoln on a path that is now a far cry from when it was under threat of closure in 2003.

Positive Aging Movement Takes Off

May 27, 2015 by Steve

From Francine Toder, Ph.D., writing for Huffington Post:

May 21, 2015 by Steve

Featured in the current Reader is Capitalization and Risk, an article from San San Wong, Laura Sherman, Susan Nelson, and Ashley Berendt that looks at how capitalization supports grantees’ ability to both take and manage risk.

Special Series: For the Love of Radical Giving Podcast

Tune into For the Love of Radical Giving podcast, a GIA Reader miniseries that deconstructs traditional philanthropy and celebrates the joy and power of giving out of love.

Each episode explores radical, innovative, community-driven approaches that challenge traditional philanthropic models, highlighting the voices and experiences of those actively working to democratize philanthropy and create equitable, impactful change.

GIA · For the Love of Radical Giving Miniseries | GIA Reader | 2024

· ALL PODCASTS

Explore the conference blog

Videos from the GIA 2024 Conference are now available for streaming.