Grantmakers in the Arts

On June 24th, Grantmakers in the Arts and Grantmakers for Education hosted a group of private and public foundations and corporations to discuss the barriers inhibiting arts learning in K-12 urban public schools. Cyrus Driver, Ford Foundation, set the stage with comments titled “Can the Arts Become Part of the “Basics” of our Public Education?”

(6-29-10) In a story for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Brennen Jensen profiles the Atlanta Arts Recovery Initiative, a three-year, $25-million grantmaking program organized by the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund with support from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

(6-29-10) Trading Power—a new publication produced jointly by the Council on Foundations, 21/64, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Resource Generation—examines themes of multigenerational leadership challenges in today's philanthropy, including the perceived lack of leadership opportunities for the next generation; what each generation can learn from the others while working together; and why and how to engage a new generation of philanthropic leaders.

(6-29-10) New York Times

"Mr. Kaiser attributes his multiple activities on several platforms — including the book, a Huffington Post blog as well as the road tour — not to any effort at self-promotion but simply to a full-octane passion for arts management.

“I’m trying to build a respect for the field,” he said in a black town car between West Hartford and New Haven."

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(6-25-10) August 6 is the deadline for small to mid-sized California arts organizations to submit proposals for project grants from the James Irvine Foundation's Creative Connections Fund.

The Creative Connections Fund supports the expansion of diverse, relevant arts and cultural offerings in local communities across California. The fund targets small and midsize arts organizations and offers project grants of up to $50,000, over a maximum of two years, through an open, competitive review process...

(6-25-10) Measures to boost the performance of principals, superintendents and other education leaders were enacted in at least 23 states during the 2009 legislative season, according to the report, Strong Leaders Strong Schools: 2009 School Leadership Laws, an annual look at how state lawmakers are responding to the need for stronger school leaders. One important spur to the 43 new laws came from the federal government’s Race to the Top program, which established a contest among states for grants from a $4.35 billion fund for improving education.

(6-25-10) The Wallace Foundation announced this week a $9 million initiative to provide disadvantaged urban students with more time for high-quality learning—both through improved summer learning opportunities, and through extending the school day and school year.

The initiative will involve three strategies:

(6-25-10) When compared with non-media participants, Americans who participate in the arts through technology and electronic media – using the Internet, television, radio, computers, and handheld devices – are nearly three times more likely to attend live arts events; attend twice as many live arts events; and attend a greater variety of genres of live arts events, according to a new report released today by the National Endowment for the Arts.