GIA Blog

(9-1-10) In an opinion piece for USA Today, Abigail Disney, great-niece of Walt, argues for the preservation of the estate tax, citing both financial and social benefits, including this statement on the charitable impulse:

...the estate tax incentivizes people like me to do good with our wealth because there is no estate tax on donations to charity.

I think we should wrap it up, it’s gotten late, so I just want add some thoughts to your question about rubrics and add a few of my own. By what rubrics or categories are grants distributed? This can often … Continue reading →

(8-27-10) In yesterday's Guardian, British theater directors Adrian Jackson (Cardboard Citizens) and David Parrish (Creation Theatre) present the pros and cons of Arts Council spending cuts.

Ute, these are great points. I think you are helping me sort through issues of assessment and value. I believe that the motivations of selection are with the best intentions and that the rubrics created are about insuring the best … Continue reading →

Thanks, Theaster. It’s funny, our dinner conversation has turned into little crafted monologues between long pauses. I find myself waiting to speak until I have thought every through as best I can. I guess that is the result of the … Continue reading →

(8-25-10) In honor of CERF+’s first quarter century, an on-line anniversary auction has been launched with 25+ art works donated by long time friends of the organization. Bidding opens today, Wednesday, August 25, 3:00pm, and closes September 25, 10:00pm. Proceeds from the auction will support the programs and services of CERF+.

Visit the online auction here.

Ute, we have been responsible to say the least in using this slow building format that allows us a seemingly neutral place on the matter or funding relationships but I think it would be irresponsible if we didn’t spend a … Continue reading →

(08-24-10) There is a lot of talk these days about “capacity”… capacity building, capacity funding etc. At a meeting of funders in Seattle that included grantmakers from every sector, everyone was talking about building capacity for nonprofit organizations as part of their funding programs from human services to the arts. It certainly is at the core of effective organizational management. Does the organization have the capacity to implement the project? Is capacity strong in human resources, fund development, operating reserves, program management and technical expertise?

(8-24-10) On August 16, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage announced more than $960,000 in project grants from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative (PTI) to thirteen theater companies, presenters, and independent theater artists. PTI grants, which support innovative theater programming in the Philadelphia area, are awarded annually on a competitive basis through panel selection. On the 2010 selections, PTI director Pam Kumin notes, "This year's PTI grants support a diverse array of imaginative and ambitious projects aimed at varied tastes and ages.

(8-22-10) 49 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education have been selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants to the US Department of Education for potential funding under the Investing in Innovation (i3) program. Three of the applicants were identified as arts-related by the USDOE. To receive a share of the $650 million in i3 grants, the winning applicants must secure a commitment for a 20 percent private sector match by Sept. 8.