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McKnight Foundation Announces Departure of Laura Zimmermann
Posted on March 6, 2013 by Steve

The McKnight Foundation's arts program officer, Laura Zimmermann, also a member of the GIA Board of Directors, will will step down from her position in May, according to this note from Vickie Benson, Arts Program Director:

Dear colleague: I am writing today to let you know that Laura Zimmermann has decided to leave her role as arts program officer and director of artist fellowships at The McKnight Foundation. Laura’s last day at McKnight will be May 3. Of course, I am sad to lose Laura as a colleague, but happy to know she is leaving to concentrate on other important loves in her life. In her own words, she and her family have “hatched a plan to buy some time to write regularly, think expansively, and parent conscientiously.”
Animating Democracy Presents Webinar Series on Evaluation
Posted on March 6, 2013 by Steve

EVALUATION IN ACTION! is a series of four webinars to be presented in the coming months by Animating Democracy, and co-presented by M. Christine Dwyer of RMC Research with guest arts practitioners and evaluators. The goal of the series is to sharpen evaluative thinking and build confidence and can-do capacity in evaluation methods that produce meaningful, useful information.

Ford Foundation’s President to Depart in September
Posted on March 6, 2013 by Steve

From Caroline Preston at The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

Luis Ubiñas, a former McKinsey & Company executive whose 2007 appointment to lead the Ford Foundation came as a surprise to many in philanthropy, announced yesterday that he will step down from the post in September. During his tenure, Mr. Ubiñas refocused the 77-year-old foundation’s grant-making programs and oversaw sharp staff cuts amid the recession.
Will Black Millennials Be The Next Wave Of Philanthropists?
Posted on March 6, 2013 by Steve

From Eleanor Goldberg, writing for Huffington Post:

After noticing that few others were pushing young African-Americans to give charity, Ebonie Johnson Cooper, founder of Friends of Ebonie, started her marketing firm in 2009 to serve as a philanthropic resource for black millennials, according to her website. She's now working on ramping up her efforts through her networking and panel events and her blog to redefine the face of philanthropy by pushing black millennials to give more money to causes, the Washington Post reported.
Doing More About Diversity in America's Orchestras
Posted on March 5, 2013 by Steve

Jesse Rosen blogs for Huffington Post:

I have been reflecting on diversity and orchestras lately, prompted by some work we are doing at the League of American Orchestras and my recent participation in SphinxCon 2013 in Detroit, which examined diversity, inclusion and equity in the arts. Many of you are likely familiar with Aaron Dworkin, the gifted violinist, founder and executive director of the sponsoring non-profit Sphinx Organization. Aaron is one of the important voices in our field today and a colleague who serves as a board member of the League. In a concentrated and cut-to-the-chase fashion, the conference focused on a broad range of current issues, lessons learned, and best practices aimed at transforming the arts in a truly meaningful and measurable way.
NFF Produces Report, Case Studies from Capitalization Program
Posted on March 2, 2013 by Steve

Nonprofit Finance Fund has released a new report as well as a set of case studies that share the results of their five-year Leading for the Future: Innovative Support for Artistic Excellence program. The new report, Change Capital in Action: Lessons from Leading Arts Organizations highlights features of the LFF initiative, profiles of individual change efforts, participants' financial and program outcomes, and lessons relevant for arts organizations and their funders. NFF also released ten case studies of the change efforts undertaken by each participant in the program.

Council on Foundations Presents Organizational “Redesign”
Posted on February 22, 2013 by Steve

A letter from Vikki Spruill, president and CEO, Council on Foundations:

Dear Colleagues,

A few minutes ago I shared a message with Council members regarding our redesign. Since I first announced this redesign in December, I have had the opportunity to visit and talk with many of you and share more details about this ongoing transformation. I firmly believe that my efforts to reposition the Council as a network hub will prove successful only if the Council has strong partnerships with funder networks and affinity groups serving our field.

After Years Crouching, Arts Ed Raising Its Hand Again
Posted on February 21, 2013 by Steve

From Anne Midgette for The Washington Post:

Savoy Elementary is one of eight in the country earmarked by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as a “turnaround” school — one in dire need of help. For three years, each of the eight is “adopted” by a well-known artist (in Savoy’s case, the actress Kerry Washington) and receives a tremendous funding boost to institute arts programs ($14.7 million for the eight). This is based on a new belief — after years of emphasis on standardized testing — in the power of the arts.
Rodney Christopher Named First-time F.B. Heron Foundation Fellow
Posted on February 21, 2013 by Steve

Rodney Christopher, vice president of advisory services for Nonprofit Finance Fund, and presenter for a GIA Web Conference in April 2011, will become the F.B. Heron Foundation’s first practice innovation fellow, starting March 4, 2013 for the period of one year. The F.B. Heron fellowship in Social Investment Practice is intended to allow highly talented senior practitioners from leading social sector organizations to explore and advance innovative ideas for new areas of investment in their sector. Visiting fellows work with F. B. Heron, their home institutions and allied parties to advance field-wide innovation.

The Role of Arts and Technology in Defining Culture in 2013
Posted on February 20, 2013 by Steve

From Elizabeth Quaglieri for Technology in the Arts:

At The Economist World in 2013 Festival in December, Paola Antonelli, senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, sat down with Steve Crossan, director of the Google Cultural Institute, and discussed the challenges, trends, and opportunities awaiting the intersection of arts and technology this year. Antonelli emphasized the need for policy makers and politicians to view culture as a foundation for our nation’s development, not as a political and economic football.