Summer Member Spotlight on the Colburn Foundation

During the months of July and August, the photo banner features grantees of GIA member the Colburn Foundation. Based in Los Angeles, the Foundation was established in 1999 by Richard D. Colburn. Below, in their own words, Colburn Foundation staff discuss their strategy of providing general operating support, as well as non-grant support through Foundation-organized grantee convenings.

The Colburn Foundation supports a healthy and vibrant classical music community, primarily in southern California, through our grants awarded to organizations that perform and present classical music, as well as for music education and the training of musicians. Our grants are almost exclusively given to support general operating expenses. We firmly believe in this grant making approach, as we see, year after year, how the unencumbered funding allows our grantees to do what they do best: run thriving and vibrant organizations that put classical music out into communities, present high-quality and exciting music programming, and support young and emerging artists at a critical point in their careers – all the while growing and adapting to social change. In addition to our financial support, we convene a select group of executive directors from our small and mid-sized grantees on a quarterly basis to discuss pertinent topics in their field. This group has been meeting for five years and has, in that time, forged inter-organizational partnerships and kindled lasting business relationships. At a time when financial resources have been tight, we are enthusiastic to offer this type of grantee support. It is just one of many things we do "beyond the grant" at the Colburn Foundation.

Image: Long Beach Opera, Fall of the House of Usher, 2013. Photo Chadd Chambers.