2017 Annual Report Available Online

Grantmakers in the Arts’ latest annual report takes a look at the highlights of 2017.

You can view the annual report here.

President’s Blog

Grantmakers in the Arts’ participation at the recent EDGE Funders Alliance conference is the inspiration behind Eddie Torres’ newest blog post. There, in New Orleans, where GIA co-presented a workshop with the Surdna Foundation and National Performance Network/Visual Arts Network on racial equity in arts and environmental philanthropy, GIA’s President & CEO reflects on how the cultural community has systems and structures to update and replace and can play a part in all forms of societal social change. Click here to read.

“Taking Things a Step Further: Strategic planning for ALAANA funding” Webinar

Last year, Tracie D. Hall, program director of culture at The Joyce Foundation; Bushra Junaid, outreach and development manager at Ontario Arts Council; and Dana Payne, program director at Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, joined us to discuss their efforts to close the racial gap in arts philanthropy through their respective programs. This year, they are back to take things a step further and discuss the various stages of the strategic planning process for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) arts organizations. It is GIA’s belief that ALAANA individuals whose identities intersect with those of other “minority” social statuses often experience compounded mistreatment that is amplified by the interaction of race. We look forward to an in-depth presentation on how funders can address this issue.

“Taking Things a Step Further: Strategic planning for ALAANA funding” will be held Tuesday, June 26, at 2:00pm EDT / 11:00am PDT. Details and registration available here.

Final Notice: Call for nominations — GIA Board of Directors

Grantmakers in the Arts is seeking candidates to serve on our board of directors. Board members attend meetings three times per year, in addition to the annual conference, and are active in developing policies and guiding programs, recruiting members, and when appropriate, raising funds that support GIA’s service to the field. This year, two to four new members will be recommended to the GIA membership for election. New board members will serve a three year term beginning January 1, 2019 and can serve two terms. The deadline for nominations is next week, on Monday, June 4.

To access the nomination form, log in to your GIA Account and click on Board Nomination Form on the left sidebar of the account page. If you have not yet created an online account, create an account here. If you forgot your password, request a new password here. For additional assistance, please contact sylvia@giarts.org.

This Week: Our collaborative webinar “Impact investing in the creative economy”

Arts and cultural production represents 4.2 percent of the United States economy, or $760 billion, and socially responsible investing has reached $8.7 trillion. However, impact investing in arts and culture, nationally, is 0%. This presents a unique opportunity. As we see foundations increasingly align their investing with their missions, as Nathan Cummings Foundation recently announced, impact investing in the creative economy is a way to ensure increased support for arts and culture and the communities they serve.

Hosted by Foundation Center, this webinar — examining mission-related investment (MRI) strategies within foundations — features:

• Laura Callanan, founding partner of Upstart Co-Lab
• Eddie Torres, president & CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts
• Ellen Friedman, executive director at the Compton Foundation
• Gary Steuer, president & CEO of Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

They will address how MRIs have the potential to advance their organizational missions and work toward a creative economy that is sustainable, equitable, and inclusive—before it’s too late. The discussion will also explore impact investing as an innovative opportunity to invest in the arts and unlock resources specifically for ALAANA communities.

“Impact Investing in the Creative Economy” will be held on Thursday, May 31, at 2:00pm EDT / 11:00am PDT. Details and registration available here.

“Race is a social construct that has deep societal impact. Our nation’s history of racism has been codified through systems such as slavery, education, and housing — all issues that the social sector seeks to address”…

The Minneapolis Foundation recently announced it raised more than $100 million in charitable gifts during the fiscal year that ended on March 31, a record for gifts made to the Foundation in a single year…

Roadblock Analysis Report, by Open Road Alliance, has found that funders are contributing to disruptions to project implementation and therefore threatening the impact of their own investments…

In an atypical approach to support for the arts, the Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative recently announced $3.15 million in grants supporting 81 high-quality summer programs that serve youth from low-income families living in Baltimore City…