GIA Conference proceedings

The explosion of individual wealth in America has given rise to anew breed of venture philanthropists and social entrepreneurs working outside the traditional boundaries of organized philanthropy. A panel of funders and practitioners engaged in this promising new arena discussed whether high risk, high reward business investment models can be applied to the nonprofit arts ­ including a candid assessment of what works, and what stands in the way.

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Can foundations make better general operating support grants to arts organizations by using more specific performance measures and criteria? Four leading practitioners described the rationale behind the design and implementation of their respective operating support programs, including the pros and cons and key lessons learned.

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   General Operating Support Programs (261Kb)

This panel explored both the theory and practice of leadership,and issues of leadership transition, in the arts. How can founder-driven arts organizations prepare for the inevitable transition of leadership? What can funders do to better assess effective leadership and invest in skill development for the future? Leadership models, successful retention strategies, the role of boards, and other aspects of organizational leadership were covered as part of this discussion.

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Four cases of profit-nonprofit intersection were featured in this session, ranging from global to local and from education to economic development in purview. What inspired them? What are the risks, chances for success, obstacles, and opportunities?

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   Working in the Profit-Nonprofit Intersection (475Kb)

Partnership veterans dissected living and dying strategic partnerships in the arts and the role philanthropy plays in success and failure. Big, small; artistic, political; financial, social; youth-focused, discipline based; ego-centered, humanitarian; non-profit, for-profit, no profit; local, national, regional, global; private or public; long-term relationships and one-night stands. This session took a playful look at partnership pitfalls of the 20th century and promise in the 21st.

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In this session themes and issues raised at ART under 21, the 1998 GIA conference in Chicago were revisited. A panel comprised of researchers, artists and funders examined the practical side of building and sustaining partnerships between cultural organizations and youthserving organizations.

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   Arts and Youth Development: Getting Down to Business (249Kb)

In recent years, many grantmakers, artists, artist managers,and cultural policy experts have tried to better understand the nature of public participation in the arts and how to enhance it. Funders at the national, regional and local level are commissioning research; funding diverse marketing, programming and capacity-building initiatives by cultural groups; evaluating the impact of audience development efforts; and stimulating discussion in the field about what does and doesn't work in building cultural participation.

Many smart arts foundation officers evaluate their programs to add value to their grantmaking, yet they often find that evaluations produce little of value. The moral: it pays to be informed, selective and focused on value when you are a manager and client of evaluations. This session offered views and discussion of the challenges facing arts grantmakers who want to gain value from evaluation efforts.

This session was constructed as a conversation among artists and funders on the big issues surrounding artists' support--why it's important to our culture, in what forms it is most useful for artists, at what stages in their careers, and how funders can leverage support for artists beyond the monetary value of their grants.

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   Supporting Individual Artists (256Kb)

Why and how will building an arts policy community promote more meaningful support of arts and culture? How can policy research and analysis help private grantmakers, as well as public arts agencies, implement funding policies to achieve their purposes? How can foundation policies appropriately intersect with public policies at local and national levels? This session sought to demystify policy; convey ways in which policy action can help achieve foundation goals and enhance program area funding; and outline practical steps through which arts funders can engage policy issues.