OVERVIEW: A Blade of Grass supports socially engaged art with grants and other resources. IP TAKE: A Blade of Grass ended its fellowship program for socially engaged art in 2020 and is piloting a Field Funds program for organizations and artists … [Read more...] about A Blade of Grass
Arts & Community
Bloomberg and the Arts: Inside One Mega Funder’s Approach
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Key Trends to Watch in Native American Arts Giving
Starving in Plain Sight: Survey Shows Black Literary Arts Nonprofits Ignored by Funders
Leeway Foundation
Patrons, Playwrights and More: Five Notable Arts Philanthropies Founded by People of Color
Stereotypes of the typical arts patron aside, funders backing the arts come in all shapes and sizes. IP’s white papers on music, theater and the visual arts provide a snapshot of givers in each field — affluent donors, large private foundations, and … [Read more...] about Patrons, Playwrights and More: Five Notable Arts Philanthropies Founded by People of Color
At a Critical Time, This Foundation’s Providing Fresh Support for Muslim Creatives
In the aftermath of 9/11, longtime Islamic arts patron the Doris Duke Foundation launched its Building Bridges Program to combat Islamophobia and foster bonds between Muslims and non-Muslims through the arts. Seventeen years after its 2007 launch and … [Read more...] about At a Critical Time, This Foundation’s Providing Fresh Support for Muslim Creatives
A Year and a Half After Its Founder’s Passing, Robertson’s Green Program Looks Abroad
In the decades before his death, Julian Robertson established the Robertson Foundation as one of America’s top environmental funders — and one with a particular fondness for the nation’s biggest green groups.The Environmental Defense Fund, for … [Read more...] about A Year and a Half After Its Founder’s Passing, Robertson’s Green Program Looks Abroad
The Wallace Foundation Invested $52 Million in Audience Engagement. What Did It Learn?
Finding ways to engage new and existing audiences is obviously a huge, long-term priority for arts organizations and for their philanthropic backers. How Americans interact with art is constantly evolving, and so is the profile of the arts donor, who … [Read more...] about The Wallace Foundation Invested $52 Million in Audience Engagement. What Did It Learn?
A Conversation with Anne Kraybill, New CEO of the Art Bridges Foundation
In January, Anne Kraybill became the new head of the Art Bridges Foundation, which was established in 2017 by Alice Walton, arguably the nation’s most important arts philanthropist, to expand access to American art. Seven years, a pandemic and a … [Read more...] about A Conversation with Anne Kraybill, New CEO of the Art Bridges Foundation
With a New Arts Initiative, Gilbert Family Foundation Expands its Philanthropic Footprint in Detroit
Despite their reputation for national and global giving, billionaire megadonors do, in fact, funnel considerable support to organizations closer to home. Their place-based giving often centers on the usual suspects of big cultural institutions or “ed … [Read more...] about With a New Arts Initiative, Gilbert Family Foundation Expands its Philanthropic Footprint in Detroit
How Getty’s Bringing Curators Together After the Disruption of COVID
I recently attended an art exhibit at the Getty Center in Los Angeles called “Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s–1700s.” I’d never given much thought to the color of a drawing’s paper, but as the exhibition and accompanying … [Read more...] about How Getty’s Bringing Curators Together After the Disruption of COVID
A Massive Bequest Powers Participatory Giving: What’s New with the Ruth Foundation for the Arts?
It isn’t every day that a major arts grantmaker appears seemingly out of the blue, but that’s exactly what happened with the Ruth Foundation for the Arts. In 2022, a $440 million bequest from the late Ruth DeYoung Kohler II, who was a major … [Read more...] about A Massive Bequest Powers Participatory Giving: What’s New with the Ruth Foundation for the Arts?
Grand Finale: A Family Foundation Focused on Free Concerts Announces its Spend Down
“This is Just the Beginning.” Digging into Meow Wolf Foundation’s Inaugural Round of Grants
Founded in 2008 by a small collective of Santa Fe artists, Meow Wolf isn’t your typical corporate grantmaking entity. In 2017, it became the first certified B corporation in the themed entertainment industry, with a dual mission of turning a profit … [Read more...] about “This is Just the Beginning.” Digging into Meow Wolf Foundation’s Inaugural Round of Grants
Lieutenant Dan: A Close Look at Actor Gary Sinise’s Longstanding Support for Veterans
Gary Sinise, 68, is best known for playing Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the 1994 classic “Forrest Gump” opposite Tom Hanks. The actor received an Oscar nomination for the role and subsequently went on to feature in movies like “Apollo 13,” “The Green … [Read more...] about Lieutenant Dan: A Close Look at Actor Gary Sinise’s Longstanding Support for Veterans
“A Massive Problem to Solve.” How Can Museums Engage Next-Generation Donors?
In May, a New York Times analysis found that the Silent Generation and the baby boomers will pass down $84 trillion to millennial and Gen X heirs through 2045, $16 trillion of which will be transferred within the next decade. The financial … [Read more...] about “A Massive Problem to Solve.” How Can Museums Engage Next-Generation Donors?
Why This Billionaire Investor Was Moved to Give “Songs of Love” to Sick Kids
Billionaire Wall Street investor Leon Cooperman, 80, has several clear philanthropic interests. He’s been a major supporter of Jewish causes, and was one of the earliest American supporters of Birthright Israel along with his wife Toby. The couple’s … [Read more...] about Why This Billionaire Investor Was Moved to Give “Songs of Love” to Sick Kids
“You Have to Actually Change.” A Major Theater Funder’s Quest to Diversify Its Decision-Making
It’s hard to overstate the challenges facing performing arts organizations. Audience levels haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, production costs are through the roof and fundraisers are grappling with a shrinking donor pool. Funders are doing … [Read more...] about “You Have to Actually Change.” A Major Theater Funder’s Quest to Diversify Its Decision-Making
Righting the World: How Five Globally Bestselling Authors Give
Authors like Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are household names to anyone who likes to read, and regularly produce works that sit atop bestseller lists around the world. But how do these and other successful chroniclers of the human condition engage … [Read more...] about Righting the World: How Five Globally Bestselling Authors Give
Art for Social Change: An Arts Funder’s Journey to More Fully Embrace Its Social Justice Mission
Linda Lee Alter is a Philadelphia-based visual artist, art collector and philanthropist who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s — a time, by her own account, when “women subordinated themselves to men.” One morning in 1990, Alter had a revelation. “Light … [Read more...] about Art for Social Change: An Arts Funder’s Journey to More Fully Embrace Its Social Justice Mission
Backed by a Big Fortune, This Foundation Is Supporting Small Rural Communities in the West
We’re always on the lookout for funders backing rural areas, an overlooked segment of the country when it comes to philanthropy. And while there are some national funders backing rural areas, most of rural philanthropy is done on a regional basis. So … [Read more...] about Backed by a Big Fortune, This Foundation Is Supporting Small Rural Communities in the West
Promoting Jewish Culture Through the Arts in Boston and Beyond
I first heard about the Boston-based Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts) in Los Angeles. I was at the Keith Haring show at the Broad Museum, talking to an older couple about art and philanthropy. “You have to check out the Jewish Arts Collaborative,” … [Read more...] about Promoting Jewish Culture Through the Arts in Boston and Beyond
“The Privilege to Take Risks.” Alberto Ibargüen Reflects on His Tenure at the Knight Foundation
When Alberto Ibargüen was a student at Wesleyan University, he attended a performance by the experimental composer John Cage. “It was an electronic music concert, and I didn’t know what electronic music was,” Ibargüen said. Cage set up microphones … [Read more...] about “The Privilege to Take Risks.” Alberto Ibargüen Reflects on His Tenure at the Knight Foundation
Six Questions for Lu Zhang, New Executive Director of A Blade of Grass
For as long as Lu Zhang could remember, she wanted to be an artist. “I don’t know if that was me being rebellious because I came from a family that wanted doctors and lawyers, but I was always making drawings at a young age,” she told me. Zhang went … [Read more...] about Six Questions for Lu Zhang, New Executive Director of A Blade of Grass
Six Years and $125 Million Later, Art for Justice Takes a Final Bow
After six years and $125 million allocated to more than 200 artists and advocacy and arts organizations, collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund’s Art for Justice Fund (A4J) will sunset on June 30. The fund’s strategy of combining activism and the … [Read more...] about Six Years and $125 Million Later, Art for Justice Takes a Final Bow
“Be Open to Evolving.” How a Regional Arts Funder Centered Equity, Increased Payout, and More
In October 2020, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation President and CEO Gary Steuer told me about how the Denver-based arts funder increased support for organizations led by and serving people of color by 670% — from $75,000 in 2013 to $578,000 in 2020. As I … [Read more...] about “Be Open to Evolving.” How a Regional Arts Funder Centered Equity, Increased Payout, and More
“Equity, Accessibility, Social Justice.” A Closer Look at Western States Arts Federation
We periodically publish quick overviews of grantmakers on our radar, looking at recent developments and key details about how they operate. Today, we’re taking a look at Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), a Denver-based regional arts … [Read more...] about “Equity, Accessibility, Social Justice.” A Closer Look at Western States Arts Federation
These Fellowships for Latinx Artists Are a Bright Spot Amid Pervasive Underfunding
May’s announcement of the third cohort of Latinx Artist Fellowships was obviously great news for the 15 visual artists who were each awarded $50,000 in unrestricted funds. Beyond the impact on the artists, though, the awards — and the trajectory of … [Read more...] about These Fellowships for Latinx Artists Are a Bright Spot Amid Pervasive Underfunding
