Grantmakers in the Arts

Victoria Foundation announced yesterday that Sharnita C. Johnson will serve as the Foundation’s Vice President of Strategy, Impact and Communications. In this new position, Johnson will provide oversight and management of all programmatic activities and ensure alignment with the Foundation goals and values.

Earlier this month, Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) released the eighth edition of its annual Measuring the State of Disaster Philanthropy report. In it, they examined available 2019 data on global disaster-related philanthropy, analyzing funding from foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors, the U.S. federal government, corporations, and donations through donor-advised funds (DAFs) and online platforms.

In a recent review in Elle Decor, art critic Kimberly Drew surveys the first-of-its-kind period room that presents an imagined Black home in New York City. "The exercise coined by [Saidiya Hartman, Ph.D.] is the work of overlaying historical gaps with imaginative narrative building," Drew writes. "This practice stems from the reality that the everyday lives of Black people have often been underdocumented or plainly ignored."

In a new report series, "Overlooked: AAPI and Native American communities in philanthropy," Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) offers data and insight from AAPI and Native American nonprofit leaders and communities are shared that elucidate these concerning trends.

A recent episode of When We Fight, We Win!: The Podcast, centers on "Sam Jacobs and a network of donors who use lessons and inspiration from social movements to reclaim a new narrative around philanthropy."

In a new report, "Art Is Work: Policies to Support Creative Workers," the Commission on the Arts addresses "how can we better recognize the value of artists in our national policy in order to enable the essential work they do?"

As cities increasingly use data to help shape policy and identify service gaps, what does this mean for arts and culture? The topic often generates skepticism around identifying metrics that capture the impact of the arts. But as the creative sector continues to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, data will be increasingly critical to shape policy, establish more equitable and inclusive practices, and affirm the importance of arts and culture as a public service well into the future.

Grantmakers in the Arts is seeking a Communications Manager to join its team in New York, NY. Responsibilities include the development of communication plans for GIA programs and information dissemination, including coordination of information from members and national partners. Further responsibilities include oversight and promotion of GIA’s communication platforms, including website; news feed; social media; weekly member bulletin; and blogs. Full details and application are here.