GIA Blog

Last week, the Community Foundation of New Jersey announced the guidelines for the New Jersey Recovery Fund, which was established in the days following Hurricane Sandy to support the nonprofit sector and its long term recovery work.

The Fund focuses on five overarching areas:

• Public information and community engagement
• Reframing the conversation: policy reform to support resiliency and sustainability
• Innovative community/regional planning demonstration projects
• Environmental protection and restoration
• Community-driven/participatory arts projects

Southern Methodist University announced today that its Meadows School of the Arts and Cox School of Business are leading a collaboration with the Cultural Data Project (CDP) and numerous other partners to create a National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) at SMU.

Funders for LGBTQ Issues recently released a new report, which found that U.S. foundation funding for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities grew by 27% in 2011, reaching a record-breaking high of $123 million.  The report, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Grantmaking by US Foundation (2011), is the latest edition of the funding network’s annual tracking report on the scale and character of U.S.

The Founding Fathers Write a Grant Proposal

“Just look at this second sentence!” groaned Samuel Adams. “'We hold these truths to be self-evident…' This flies in the face of 'evidence-based practice'! We'll never get funded!” Another delegate had a different complaint: “This mission statement is way too long!” he wailed. “Mr. Jefferson, no one will ever read this 'Declaration of Independence' of yours.”

Grantmakers for Education will host a webinar on Tuesday, February 26 titled Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: Non-cognitive Factors and OST. The webinar is free for GFE members and $40 for non-members. New York Times writer Paul Tough’s latest book has sparked a conversation in education reform circles about the role of “grit, curiosity, and character” in helping at-risk children succeed. But what does the research say? A recent report funded by Raikes Foundation and Lumina Foundation and produced by the Consortium on Chicago School Research, examines the evidence about the role of noncognitive factors in shaping academic performance and persistence.

Education Week magazine will host a webinar on Tuesday, February 19 titled Art and the Common Core. Presenters are Susan M. Riley, expert in arts integration, curriculum innovation and resource development specialist, Anne Arundel County public schools; and Lynne Munson, president and executive director, Common Core.

The GRAMMY® Foundation and The Recording Academy are partnering to present their first-ever Music Educator Award to recognize music educators for their contributions to our musical landscape and their positive influence on their students' musical experiences. The nomination process is open now and the deadline for nominations is April 15, 2013.

There has been some interesting and thoughtful conversation around the topics of diversity, change, and funders' roles and expectations, of late.

• Diane Ragsdale on Jumper
• Clayton Lord on New Beans
• Nina Simon on Museum 2.0

With extraordinarily widespread destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, grantmakers across the country will be looking to help with the cleanup and rebuilding.

Grantmakers in the Arts is aggregating resources and information for funders and others interested in supporting hurricane recovery efforts. Our goal is to serve as a conduit for information for our members and constituents.

GIA Members and Others Providing Emergency Funding

“With the hundreds of artists foundations already existing in the U.S. and many more to be formed by the wealthiest generation of artists ever, their legacies will become among the most important not-for-profit institutions to directly support the arts.”