Equity in Cultural Funding: Let Them Bake Pies

Most of the GIA bloggers make modest suggestions as to how funders can channel more resources to the artists and organizations whose social and cultural contributions are now so disproportionately underfunded. Several point to their own organizations’ or allies’ work as models. Understandably, most position themselves as ahead of the curve, already taking steps to increase equity.

So far, at least, there are few comments (the online forum ends on 16 December, so there’s still time). My hunch is that is because there aren’t so many entry points in most of the posts: what is to be debated in a group of thoughtful funders and researchers mostly affirming what they already know?

Instead, the conversation needed now has to dig deeper, looking major obstacles to equity in the face—without flinching. Three stand out for me: entrenched privilege; encoded prejudice; and risk aversion.