Jaime Sharp's Blog

"The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) effectively struck down affirmative action last Thursday, June 29, therefore barring universities from considering an applicant’s racial background during college admissions," said Rhea Nayyar for Hyperallergic. "The decision didn’t come as a surprise to many across the nation, which had long foreseen the conservative-skewed court’s bias against policies meant to afford those of underrepresented and marginalized racial backgrounds equal opportunities and education."

"For many in the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Month is a month of celebration. It is a time to reflect on the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and to authentically celebrate queer lives," said Kelsey Andersen for PEAK Grantmaking. "It is a time of community, of belonging, of love, of joy—and unfortunately, it is also a month where queer celebrations and increased visibility can lead to more opportunities for violence."

"This is a crucial moment for philanthropy, and the lack of support for the LGBTQ+ community is deafening."

From PBS News Hour: The blend of science and art is called neuroarts or neuro-aesthetics. The new book, “Your Brain On Art: How The Arts Transform Us,” shows both the growth and importance of the field that connects the arts and our health. Jeffrey Brown visited the Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore to see the progress for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. Watch the full episode here.

"Public art programs are a powerful strategy that state arts agencies employ to encourage public appreciation of the arts, enliven public space, strengthen community identity, and engage and support artists from all backgrounds," said Declan Wicks for National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. "The Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) has undertaken a series of steps to ensure that its Art in Public Places program—the first statewide percent for art program in the nation—supports the full diversity of Hawaiʻi’s artistic community and acquires works of art expressive of the Hawaiian islands and the multicultural heritages of its people."

From Candid.: The marginalization of African Americans has cost the U.S. economy an estimated $16 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) between 2000 and 2020, a report from The Investment Integration Project (TIIP) finds.

Funded by the Surdna Foundation and developed in partnership with TIIP’s Racial Equity Working Group, the report, Introduction to Racial Inequity as a Systemic Risk: Why Investors Should Care and How They Can Take Action (52 pages, PDF), highlights the need for the financial industry to address the long-term systemic risk of racial inequity and promote the equitable distribution of resources, power, and economic opportunity in the United States.

From the 2023 IDEAS Festival: Join us [Saturday, June 24 at 4pm] for a Behind the Actor's Studio-style interview with powerhouse practitioners in social change and cultural equity! Grantmakers in the Arts President Eddie Torres will be joined by Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre Founder and Artistic Director Rosalba Rolón in a session that will engage personal narrative to illuminate pathways of activism in the performing arts. Listen in as Eddie and Rosalba grapple with the tension between th

"The campaign to win reparations for Black Americans plans to bring broader support for smaller nonprofits advancing the cause, with a new philanthropic funding initiative announced Friday at the 'Alight Align Arise' national conference in Atlanta," said Thalia Beaty for The Chronicle of Philanthropy. "The Decolonizing Wealth Project, an organization dedicated to creating racial equity through education and 'radical reparative giving,' is committing $20 million over five years to boost campaigns for reparations across the country, along with a research collaboration with Boston University to map reparation projects."

"The project’s founder and CEO Edgar Villanueva announced the plans at the Atlanta gathering of advocates, including the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, the Democratic congressman whose district represent parts of the Bronx and Westchester County in New York."

From Third Wave Fund: There is too much at stake right now. Every day there are escalating political attacks and legislative curtailing of bodily autonomy and human rights. It is critical that gender justice movements are able to focus on the work ahead, instead of jumping through hoops and bureaucracy in philanthropy.  

Organizations that make up these powerful movements need and deserve consistent support to build new skills, to build power, to grow their own vision, and to experiment, fail, iterate, and try again. And they need this space without the risk of losing their institutional partners or funding. That’s why in 2016 Third Wave started the Grow Power Fund, our long-term support fund that awards six-year grants meeting youth-led grassroots gender justice organizations wherever they’re at in support of their sustainability and long haul visions for community liberation. 

From Upstart Co-Lab: Upstart is launching a $100 million portfolio of funds and companies comprising the first impact investment strategy for the U.S. creative economy which will focus on fashion, film & TV, video games, food, the creator economy, the visual art market, immersive experiences, health & beauty and other creative industries.

Upstart’s approach will prioritize BIPOC and women entrepreneurs, and deliver people-focused impact: quality jobs, vibrant communities, and sustainable creative lives. To learn more about the impact that investing in the creative economy can create, please read Upstart’s Impact Report.

From Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing: In this event we will make the case that the arts can support the wellbeing of all. We will present exciting research of how this can be enabled opening new horizons and creating new possibilities. 

We will launch our manifesto of the Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing and our strategy of how to scale up place-based arts initiatives that can support mental health and wellbeing, and will benefit a wide range of people including individuals and communities that are disadvantaged or marginalised. 

We will showcase the work we have done in areas with high levels of health, social and economic inequalities offering opportunities for people to connect no matter where they are based.

We will highlight the contribution the arts can make in supporting the care of carers including our work with communities and organisations locally, nationally and internationally.