GIA Blog

From BlackPittsburgh: "Justin Laing, the Principal at the anti-racist leadership and strategy firm Hillombo, is not your average Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant. Prior to founding Hillombo in 2017, Laing was a senior program officer at the Pittsburgh-based The Heinz Endowments, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the U.S. focused on community building in southwestern Pennsylvania. Laing spent 11 years there. His professional trajectory in the nonprofit world presents a powerful story of dedication to the Black Pittsburgh community."

From Dance/USA: "In Spring 2020, COVID-19 set off a wave of performance and residency cancellations. The termination of contracts through the invocation of Force Majeure was devastating to artists, managers, presenters and in some cases, to their relationships. By June 2020, Dance/USA members from the Agents, Managers, Producers and Promoters (AMPP) Council and the Presenters Council formed a Joint Working Group to address the question: 'Can we identify some practical ways to support more equitable partnerships and financial balance within our already fragile dance touring ecosystem.'"

"A massive 40,000-word report on cryptocurrency that appeared on Bloomberg stirred some controversies."

"According to the article written by journalist Matt Levine, 'every web3 project is simultaneously a Ponzi scheme,' as most tokens are purchased with the purpose of selling them for a higher price, and not because the buyers want the product. According to Levine, the NFT is technologically weak, there's a general negative sentiment about the tokens, and legal grounds of ownership are concerning, considering that buying an NFT buys you a notation on the blockchain, giving you the ownership of a web server and not the token itself."

"The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) today announced the promotion of Maurine Knighton to chief program officer. In this role, Knighton will oversee DDCF’s five national grantmaking programs: Arts, Environment, Medical Research, Child Well-Being and Building Bridges." Maurine Knighton is also a board alum of Grantmakers in the Arts.

"At the age of seven, I was involved in a car accident that nearly amputated my left hand. Since the accident, I have journeyed from denying my disability to embracing it," said Molly Joyce for AFTA. "With this progression, I have frequently rethought concepts that are considered critical to what disability is and can mean, such as being weak, helpless, and incurable."

From The Giving Done Right Podcast: "Author and activist Heather McGhee joins hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette for the fifth episode of season three of the Giving Done Right podcast. Heather provides keen insight into ‘drained pool’ politics, a core metaphor in her book, 'The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,' that reveals how the racial zero sum mindset hurts everyone.

From Mellon Foundation, "In the face of redlining and municipal disinvestment, the Sweet Water Foundation (SWF) has worked within its neighborhood—at the nexus of Englewood and Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side—to turn what was once considered by many a no-man’s land into a vibrant model for Regenerative Neighborhood Development. Among its bounties: a community farm spanning a full city block, a hand-raised timber frame pavilion for community events known as the Thought Barn, and the historic Civic Arts Church now returning to its origins as a space for spirituality, creativity, and safety, especially for the Black community."

From Nonprofit Quarterly: "At GEO’s 2022 National Conference, hosted in partnership with Forefront, grantmakers and other practitioners had the opportunity to come together in Chicago, Illinois to explore challenges and uncover solutions with fellow grantmakers who are continuing to lean into transformational change in order to create a just, connected, and inclusive society where we can all thrive.

John Oliver discusses some of the world’s most prestigious museums, why they contain so many stolen goods, the market that continues to illegally trade antiquities, and a pretty solid blueprint for revenge.

Watch the full video here.

"The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) today announced the promotion of Maurine Knighton to chief program officer. In this role, Knighton will oversee DDCF’s five national grantmaking programs: Arts, Environment, Medical Research, Child Well-Being and Building Bridges."