Author(s): Bacon, Schaffer Barbara; Korza, Pam
Date of Publication: 2010
Findings based on 228 grantmaker survey responses and 32 interviews suggest that arts and social change philanthropy is an emerging field and therefore still very much evolving. However, there is a wider range and a larger number of grantmakers supporting arts for change in some way than has been generally recognized. Focusing on grantmaking in the United States, the report characterizes the nature of support from both private and public sectors, examining how grantmakers think about social change in the context of agency goals and what outcomes they are looking for through their support.
Author(s): McQueen, Ann
Date of Publication: May 2013
The Compton Foundation supports the arts, including individual artists and filmmakers, with the explicit intention of amplifying critical issues in a way that blends the personal, political, emotional, and intellectual. It makes these grants based on a recently updated mission statement that recognizes “courageous storytelling” as a powerful strategy for “inspiring action toward a peaceful, just, sustainable future.” The family foundation, launched in 1949 and long focused on issues of peace, the environment, and women’s reproductive rights and justice, awards
Author(s): McQueen, Ann
Date of Publication: March 2013
The East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) makes grants to artists and artist-centered nonprofits to assure that East Bay’s multi-cultural, multi-racial artists have the resources they need to advance their community-based practices, tackle social issues, and give back to local audiences. The foundation’s arts grantmaking of close to $250,000 is drawn from three donor-supported funds that, despite separate awards processes, work synergistically to advance art that grows out of and impacts the East Bay community. The Macpherson Fund for Small Arts Organizations, an endowed fund,
Author(s): McQueen, Ann
Date of Publication: September 2013
Read about how the Lambent Foundation leverages the critical role of arts and culture at the intersection of social justice. Through its grantmaking and creative programs, Lambent explores the impact of contemporary art as a strategy for promoting sustainable cultural practices in New York City, New Orleans, and Nairobi. Learn more about the Foundation’s current work and Executive Director Michelle Coffey’s vision for the future in this paper and podcast interview by Ann McQueen.
Author(s): McQueen, Ann
Date of Publication: January 2014
The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, based in Montreal and funding throughout Canada, supports what it calls socially engaged arts—arts organizations and activities that build bridges between culture and community—as a way to realize its vision of “a Canada where all people feel a sense of belonging and contribute as active citizens to improving the well-being of all.” The foundation’s most recent initiative focused on arts-based social inclusion owes much to what it learned from ArtsSmarts, an arts-infused learning program launched at
Author(s): McQueen, Ann
Date of Publication: January 2015
The Fledgling Fund, a private foundation launched in 2005, seeks to “inspire a better world” by supporting the work of documentary filmmakers and building the evolving field of social issue documentary film and media. It believes in the power of film to engage communities in timely issues and focuses its grantmaking on supporting filmmakers’ outreach and engagement efforts, helping them build awareness, strengthen movements, inform decisions, and even impact policy. While all the films it supports address
Author(s): Bare, John
Date of Publication: December 2009
This piece suggests that the accountability movement is “setting a floor for minimum standards” (p. 84) and has consequences for effective social change work. Foundations, in particular, measure impact in terms of attentiveness to accountability standards, but this is a false measure of success. Instead, the organization’s focus should be on its transformative value to society. Focusing on narrow measures of accountability is problematic, because, as Bare states, “For foundations, when they attempt to deconstruct complex social change agendas to create bite
Author(s): Lim, Terence
Date of Publication: December 2009
In answer to the challenges that face corporate philanthropy in identifying a shared definition of impact measurement, the author sets out to assess current measurement practices, clarify what is needed in terms of impact evidence, and identify next steps. The article is organized into three conversations between key stakeholders engaged in corporate philanthropy. Although this piece is written specifically for those involved in corporate philanthropy, it provides useful insights for cultural agents about measurement and outcomes of key concern to corporations with which they may partner or
Author(s): Preskill, Hallie and Beer, Tanya
Date of Publication: July 2012
The authors suggest that traditional evaluation approaches (formative and summative) fail to meet the complex needs of social sector innovators. Instead, grantmakers should approach evaluation differently, specifically involving the use of developmental evaluation (attributed to Michael Quinn Patton). Through a review of literature, interviews, and case studies, this piece assists with putting developmental evaluation into practice. At the heart of this call for new evaluation approaches, is the encouragement of social innovation and change. Stanford University’s Center for Social
Author(s): Bacon, Barbara Schaffer; Korza, Pam
Date of Publication: May 2013
A May 22 Funder Exchange on Evaluating Arts & Social Impact, presented by Americans for the Arts’ Animating Democracy program and hosted by the Nathan Cummings Foundation, brought together funders, evaluation professionals, and arts practitioners to learn about concrete approaches and measures funders are using to understand the impact of arts and social change investments.
Author(s): Shephard, Mikki
Date of Publication: February 2008
To build organizational capacity and provide sustainability, the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) board and executive staff leadership considered a range of diverse strategies. Recent discussions between NBAF, the Woodruff Arts Center (The Woodruff), and local supporters resulted in a sustainability strategy that would consider a more formal relationship between NBAF and the Woodruff. With this strategy on the table, a research process was launched by NBAF to survey and learn more about the long-term relationships of other arts organizations to inform the negotiation and
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2021
A history of National Endowment for the Arts funding from 1966-2021.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2021
History of NEA funding.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2021
Giving to the arts by individuals, foundations, and corporations grew 12.6% to $21.64 billion in 2019 (+10.6% when adjusted for inflation) and represented 4.8% of all charitable giving.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2021
With billions in arts funding, businesses play a key role in ensuring the health and vitality of the nation’s arts sector. Business support for the arts is driven less by a charitable focus than it is targeted on how the arts impact the communities in which their employees live and work.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2021
The NEA budget has long failed to keep pace with inflation and its share of federal non-defense discretionary spending. When adjusted for inflation, the NEA’s 1992 budget is twice the actual 2020 budget.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2021
Revenue from earned income is the largest source of income for nonprofit arts organizations. The remainder must be raised through contributions and grants. Even small fluctuations in contributed revenue can mean deficits for many organizations.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: May 2020
Local arts agencies—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments—are an essential tool for community leaders as they rebuild their economies and promote social cohesion. The nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs) support, present, and promote the dynamic value of the arts. Through their partnerships and leadership, LAAs are building healthier communities through the arts.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: May 2022
This one-pager is a summary of research by Americans for the Arts and others on the human and financial impact of the COVID -19-pandemic impact on the arts. Data current as of 5/122022.
Author(s): Cohen, Randy
Date of Publication: March 2020
The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.
Author(s): Lord, Clay
Date of Publication: February 2020
As we turned the corner into 2020, the Americans for the Arts staff put our heads together to come up with the 10 big trends tha we think are worth paying attention to this year.
Author(s): Grantmakers in the Arts
Date of Publication: April 2019
Statement of Purpose and Action Recommendations from Grantmakers in the Arts to address racism and inequities in public and private arts funding.
Author(s): VanDeCarr, Paul
Date of Publication: 2015
This guide is for anyone who wants to create social change, and who wants to learn how storytelling can help.
Author(s): University of San Francisco
Date of Publication: 2017
Crowdfunding is defined by Forbes as “the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.” And it’s rapidly become the new “it” way to fund projects of various scope. The University of San Francisco developed this infographic to oultine different platforms and ways in which communities are supporting and funding public projects.
Author(s): Americans for the Arts
Date of Publication: August 2018
Author(s): David N. Schmitz
Date of Publication: 2010
This research paper provides an overview of how U.S foundations and nonprofit organizations that provide direct support for individual artists have developed practices and strategies that radically depart from the principles of traditional scientific philanthropy. Primary consideration is given to the frameworks of ‘new philanthropy’ and ‘creative philanthropy’ as they are established in an extensive literature review.
Author(s): Peck, Emily; Parkinson, Alexander; Cohen, Randy; and Kahn, Graciela
Date of Publication: October 10, 2018
Business Contributions to the Arts: 2018 Edition is the second edition of the annual report published by The Conference Board and Americans for the Arts. Conducted in the summer of 2018, this year’s survey garnered 132 responses from small, midsize, and large US businesses, 123 of which made a philanthropic contribution of some description in 2017 and are therefore included in this report. The survey asked for information based on corporate practices at the time of the survey completion.
Author(s): Lord, Clayton
Date of Publication: January 2019
In partnership with a field-based advisory group, Americans for the Arts proposes four goals that, if achieved, would support meaningful, measurable progress toward the fair and equitable distribution of all types of LAA investments, as well as specific strategies to achieve those goals.
Author(s): Lord, Clayton
Date of Publication: January 2019
This report reviews results from the 2018 Local Arts Agency Profile Equitable Investment module, which was completed by 537 local arts agencies (LAAs) across the United States. It focuses on how, when, and where LAAs currently consider equity in the deployment of their funds, time, space, and staff.
Author(s): Giving USA Foundation
Date of Publication: January 1, 2017
Giving USA is a trusted source for information, data and trends about the philanthropic sector. We do not rely on anecdotal stories to compile our reports. We use estimating methods developed by experts in philanthropy, statistics, and economics to project what household tax returns and IRS Form-990s submitted by nonprofits will show two or more years down the road, after the Internal Revenue Service com-pletes its analyses.
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