Carmen Graciela Díaz's Blog

For the months of December and January, GIA’s photo banner features work supported by the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA). Founded by visionary community leaders in 1962, the BCA is dedicated to advancing cultural equity in the Bronx.

In a recent report on how funders are collecting and using demographic data PEAK Grantmaking learned that about half of grantmakers are collecting this data. "Of that half, almost all of them are collecting information on the communities that nonprofits serve, and less than half of them are collecting information on the board and staff leadership of the nonprofits," explains a post by Philanthropy New York.

Back in 2016, local Pittsburgh artists Jerome Charles and Max Gonzales were arrested for being the "Most Wanted Graffiti Artists in Pittsburgh," local media reports recall.

In 2012, Giving Tuesday (the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the US) was launched by the 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation to encourage global giving focusing on the holiday and end-of-year giving.

A new book, "Decolonizing Wealth," challenges colonial dynamics in philanthropy and finance, philanthropy's white supremacist legacy, and the little investment and support of POC-led efforts in communities as result of those dynamics.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock unveiled this month an initiative that may soon enable the country’s doctors to prescribe therapeutic art- or hobby-based treatments for ailments ranging from dementia to psychosis, lung conditions, and mental health issues, reported Smithsonian Magazine.

The Field Museum and Native American community partners are working together to renovate the museum's Native North American Hall, which has displays that have stood largely unchanged since the 1950s, announced the museum. The renovated hall, to open in late 2021, represents the museum’s engagement with Chicago’s Native community and better represent their stories.

The article How Grantmakers Can Use Power Mindfully to Advance Equity, part of the "Power in Philanthropy" series presented by Stanford Social Innovation Review and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, addresses that even if there may be barriers to utilizing power ethically and responsibly, "funders can —and must—overcome them to truly advance equity and justice."

The deadliest and most devastating wildfire in California history has killed at least 77 people and, according to authorities, more than 990 people are missing in Butte County. In response to these fires, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) has launched the CDP California Wildfires Recovery Fund to support strategic medium- to long-term recovery.

Much has been discussed about the importance of exposure to the arts as part of early-childhood education programs, but according to a recent column in Education Dive, researchers and educators still have questions about how these experiences benefit children as they continue through school.