GIA Blog

As the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to take their toll, Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) has expanded its ongoing advocacy work to consider approaches and resources arts and cultural organizations truly need for robust, equitable recovery from this crisis.

South Arts launched recently the South Arts Resilience Fund, a part of the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund. Through this fund, states the announcement, South Arts will provide grants of $30,000 - $100,000 "supporting the long-term resilience of under-resourced, visionary, and impactful" arts and culture organizations across the nine-state primary service area of AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN.

It’s a great holiday to be sharing with each of you today, Juneteenth! As we gather – remotely – to honor and celebrate the power and jubilation of this day, liberation for ancestors and elders, we hope to echo the voices and experiences of Black artists who have brought us joy, made us feel seen, challenged, supported, and taught us so much. We come here with deep gratitude and deeper commitment to investing in a future of liberation for Black peoples everywhere.

"This time, our sector must make a long-term commitment to fund grassroots organizations working to end anti-Black racism and state-sanctioned violence," details a recent statement from Borealis Philanthropy responding to the urgent conversations around anti-Black racism and police brutality.

Throughout this resource hub, we aim to amplify funds and resources that explicitly center Black artists, cultural communities, and experiences. Additionally, we borrow a lens from the BIPOC project¹ that centers Black and Indigenous folks - whose experiences shape relationships for all ALAANA/POC people’s relationships with white supremacy culture – as another dimension of resource and financial investment intended to realize justice.

We at Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) continue our call to funders to commit to Black communities through action and, importantly, investment! We join the call of our colleagues at ABFE, A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, and many others to support the Movement for Black Lives' demand to invest in Black communities.

Urgent times call for urgent responses. The Covid-19 pandemic along with what many have called out as a "racism pandemic" led the Ford Foundation to announce it will spend beyond the 5% minimum required from their endowment during this unparalleled moment.

The Center for Cultural Power presented recently "NoGoingBack: A COVID-19 Cultural Strategy Activation Guide for Artists and Activists" to inspire creation and disruption in moments when "a global pandemic has magnified the flaws of our capitalist system, but, also, the power art and culture to uplift, disrupt and build community."

Three hundred African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) theatremakers signed a letter —accompanied by a petition—demanding that "the white American theatre recognize its legacy of white fragility and white supremacy," Playbill reported.

The recently launched Momentum Fund seeks to support nonprofit organizations managing active COVID-19 relief and recovery funds that are helping communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.