Grantmakers in the Arts’ November Spotlight

This month’s Member Spotlight is for Memphis Music Initiative, an organization that invests in youth development through transformative music engagement, creating equitable opportunities for black and brown youth in Memphis. Learn about them here.

GIA at PNY Equity Speaker Series: Exploring Racism in America with Titus Kaphar

As part of its Equity Speaker Series, Exploring Racism in America, Philanthropy New York presents a discussion with Titus Kaphar, internationally-renowned artist and 2018 MacArthur Fellow, and a screening of his short film, The Jerome Project, a multimedia investigation into the criminal justice system. The Jerome Project began as Kaphar was researching his father's prison records, which led him to find the mugshots of many other African-American men who shared his father's first and last name. Moderated by GIA President & CEO Eddie Torres, Kaphar will discuss his recent work and how art can inspire philanthropic support of justice reform.

Open to grantmakers, this event will take place Tuesday, November 20, at 5:00pm. Details here.

From the GIA Reader

In “Mapping Oakland’s Magic: A benchmark report on grassroots arts organizations of color,” featured in the Fall 2018 issue of the GIA Reader, Vanessa Camarena-Arredondo, Ted Russell, and Adriana Griñó address a study, commissioned by the Kenneth Rainin and Akonadi Foundations, that collects and maps data about grassroots cultural organizations serving communities of color in Oakland. In this article they discuss how the report establishes a benchmark for understanding a sector that serves communities in the changing landscape of a gentrifying city.

“The Value of a PSO” Webinar

Philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs), often referred to as affinity organizations (AO) or membership organizations (MO), hold a unique position in the nonprofit-sector. These types of organizations gather insights and aggregate information on both the nonprofit field and the funder-response to those needs. Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) provides information, resources, and leadership to funders of artists and arts organizations. A 2017 United Philanthropy Forum study revealed that national and regional PSOs reported a median 93 percent membership renewal rate, but why?

Join us to hear from David Biemesderfer, president and CEO, United Philanthropy Forum and Tatiana Hernandez, senior program officer, The Kresge Foundation’s Arts & Culture Program and a GIA board member. They will discuss the value of membership organizations, their impact, and why you should be a part of one! “The Value of a PSO” will be held Tuesday, December 4, at 2:00pm EDT / 11:00am PDT. Details and registration here.

In a recent interview with Philanthropy News Digest, Lori Villarosa, founder and executive director of the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, discussed racial equity, racial justice, and how the philanthropic field is working towards a more just society…

Two indigenous poets, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner and Aka Niviâna, and a small film crew traveled to southern Greenland’s ice sheet to recite a poem they wrote together, “Rise,” on top of a melting glacier, emphasizing climate change's effects…

One of philanthropy’s responses to the horrific Oct. 27 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that left 11 people dead came from Grant Oliphant, president of The Heinz Endowments, in a poignant blog post…

SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco’s first Filipino cultural district in the city’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, is meant to celebrate and preserve the Filipino-American community that has been in the neighborhood for over 100 years, reports Next City…