New Public-Private Partnership in Colorado Funds Programs that Combine Arts and Social Services
Submitted by Monica on April 24, 2017
A recent article in The Denver Post highlights a new public-private partnership to fund arts programs that also support human services:
The grants are a public-private partnership between the state, through its Colorado Creative Industries division, Denver’s Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and the Hemera Foundation, based in Boulder.
It’s rare for government and nonprofit grant-makers to work together, but even more unusual for them to break out of their regimens. Bonfils-Stantion CEO Gary Steuer said it happened because the foundations saw these cross-over efforts happening organically in the community and wanted to come up with a way to provide support.
More and more, artists and performers were offering programs with a social service component — not just making art for art’s sake, but conducting theater workshops at rec centers and presenting plays to combat teen suicide.