A number of U.S. communities have been building citywide systems to make high-quality after-school programs more available to children. Many such efforts have shaped their work around the collection and analysis of current, credible data. This guide looks at the kinds of data cities are gathering, how they collect it and how they put it to use.
Grantmakers in the Arts
A pair of reports have come out from Stanford Social Innovation Review dealing with Advocacy. Both are well worth a read.
The Elusive Craft of Evaluating Advocacy, by Steven Teles and Mark Schmitt, looks at the problems of evaluating advocacy given the chaotic nature of the political process in America. The explore various methods to examining advocacy (and advocates).
From David Freedlander at The New York Observer:
Also, "How to Make a Meme":
The financial picture has grown so bleak at the American Folk Art Museum that its trustees are considering whether to shut it down and donate its collections to another institution, said a person involved in the discussions, who requested anonymity because the talks are confidential.
The rush to build crowdfunding sites is sorting itself out, not surprisingly in ways the for-profit online world evolves. Other takes on this by Lucy Bernholz and in Fast Company.
Thanks to KUOW, one of our local public radio channels, I hear at least one good story on the arts every month. This month's story aired this morning on Weekday, a daily, often locally-focused talk show, and explored themes of art and social change (decidedly not local in focus). It is worth a listen for the thoughtful insights of the artists invited to participate in the conversation: Thao Nguyen and Lenelle Moise. Listen here.