Monica's Blog

In a letter to friends and colleagues, Executive Director Rose Ann Cleveland of The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation announced that she will retire at the end of October. Cleveland also served as chair of the Grantmakers in the Arts board of directors from 2013 through 2014.

A recent article in The New York Times highlights the impact of National Endowment for the Arts funding in South Dakota, “a largely rural, politically red state”: South Dakota, which has fewer than a million people, received the fifth-highest amount of federal arts money per person in the nation last year, and the endowment’s generally … Continue reading In Rural, Conservative South Dakota, NEA Funding Is Crucial to Arts Community →

Grantmakers in the Arts heard from members that they are looking to learn from each other and from GIA about strategies to address the changing political climate and its effects on the arts community. To that end, GIA has created Arts Funders Respond: Engaging the Political Climate, a new website with regular updates on actions and statements funders are making across the country, as well as news updates and resources for advocacy. Learn how arts funders are taking action with program and policy changes. Read statements, op-eds, and blog posts by foundation leaders and others in the field. Get updates on the latest news and articles on issues that impact the arts community. And discover resources to support advocacy efforts for public and private funders.

A new survey by Exponent Philanthropy shows the vast majority of its members (82%) expect the institution of philanthropy to play a more important role in society as a result of recent changes in Washington, DC. Issued in late March to Exponent Philanthropy’s members – foundations with few or no staff, philanthropic families, and individual donors – the informal “Pulse Check” survey looked at how changes today in politics may impact philanthropic behavior in the year ahead, both in terms of giving practices and investments.

A new survey by Exponent Philanthropy shows the vast majority of its members (82%) expect the institution of philanthropy to play a more important role in society as a result of recent changes in Washington, DC. Issued in late March to Exponent Philanthropy’s members – foundations with few or no staff, philanthropic families, and individual … Continue reading Survey: Grantmakers Expect Philanthropy to Play a More Important Role in Society as a Result of Recent Changes in Washington, DC →

Laura Zucker has announced her plans to leave her position as executive director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission on July 31, 2017. Zucker has been a driving force in the development and support of the arts and culture ecosystem of Los Angeles County over the last 25 years. Under Zucker’s guidance, the County’s organizational grant program grew eight-fold and now funds almost 400 nonprofit arts organizations through a two-year $9 million grant program.

A recent article in The Denver Post highlights a new public-private partnership to fund arts programs that also support human services:

The New York City Cultural Agenda Fund, a collaborative fund managed by the New York Community Trust, is seeking proposals for grants to support arts advocacy efforts in New York City. Read the announcement.

From Hyperallergic: A new report by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the US Department of Commerce tracks the economic impact of the arts nationally and state by state. Read the article.

A recent article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review discusses how some foundations are using a systems change approach to work toward social change in the current political climate. “A key differentiator for systems change foundations,” author Mark R. Kramer writes, “is that they no longer try to pilot a small-scale program first and then take … Continue reading How Foundations Are Using a Systems Change Approach to Work Toward Social Change →