Howard Gilman Foundation Increases Budget for NYC Performing Arts Organizations
The Howard Gilman Foundation Board of Trustees recently approved an increase from a 5% to a 7.5% payout for the Foundation’s 2020 grants budget, bringing the total of that budget to $34.5M, according to the press release.
The foundation is “committed to answering the call to stand strong and dig deep for our grantees during this most challenging of times for our city’s arts community,” stated Laura Aden Packer, Howard Gilman Foundation executive director.
The press release adds,
The first step the Foundation staff took after receiving approval from the Board was to send another round of totally unrestricted general operating support grants, totaling $13.8M, to most of their grantees, using a racial equity lens to take into special consideration and provide more robust funding levels for organizations that are led by and/or creating work for Black, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Indigenous communities.
The foundation’s staff, details the announcement, is still building out programming and processes for the remaining 2020 grants budget, but some plans include:
- New applicants and regranting programs, aimed at supporting organizations with budgets under $250,000
- Residencies, commissions, and “pipeline” support, including paid internships
- Equipment and capital projects
- Cash reserves and debt reduction
- Technical assistance for consultancies
- Research and advocacy