Carmen Graciela Díaz's Blog

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has launched a new survey of NYC’s cultural community that will build on DCLA's report from last year, which captured the impact of the earliest days of the pandemic on NYC’s arts and cultural organizations.

Toya Lillard wrote a piece in Hyperallergic that asks "the philanthropic, nonprofit, and education sectors to expand their circles of trust beyond white or white-adjacent executive leadership in order to water the roots."

Philanthropic organizations and funders launched together the California Black Freedom Fund, a new $100 million initiative to provide resources to Black-led power-building organizations in the state over the next five years.

An article in Impact Alpha reflects on building a personal portfolio of impact investments in the creative economy.

The Communications Network designed an accessibility resource page to provide information and resources on how to create and maintain an inclusive environment that is accessible to those with disabilities.

“Where is the point of connection between people who are impacted by these systems of injustice and people who may have thought they had some distance from it? Where do they actually share a similar experience and how do you build a cultural strategy out of that point of connection?”

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project initiative will fund, according to the announcement, five projects "focused on confronting the past and shaping the future by challenging the narratives behind America’s monuments."

An article in Westword tackles how nonprofit leaders relate to foundations and power imbalance, among other obstacles they face.

''Philanthropy needs to widen its barriers of entry to include, promote, and recognize more members of our society,'' said Samra Ghermay, client engagement manager, Wingo NYC Fundraising Studio, in a recent article.

In her statement on Black History Month, The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman, Ann Eilers, expressed ''the contributions of Black artists to our nation’s creative and cultural wealth is unparalleled and help to define our country’s artistic legacy.''