"Sometimes when we’re living inside a system, it’s hard to imagine what an alternative could look like. In our desire to make progress — to improve the way things work — we focus on a tweak here, a shift in implementation there," said Althea Erickson, former director of Center for Cultural Innovation's research and advocacy work. "And to some extent, that can be a good and pragmatic strategy. But it has its downsides."
Grantmakers in the Arts
by Jaime Sharp in Arts and Community Development
"This summer there’s been a steady stream of articles about American theaters in jeopardy, with headlines like 'Theater Is in Freefall' (Washington Post) and 'American Theater Is Imploding Before Our Eyes' (New York Times). Prestigious theaters around the country are pausing and terminating programs and laying off staff," said Ariel Fristoe for Saporta Report. "Meanwhile, my theater company is booming. Out of Hand Theater has landed on a model that has tripled our income in four years while moving our neighbors to action on important issues and elevating the role of theater in our community. It’s a win for art, a win for business, and a win for our community, and I want to share it in the hopes that other arts organizations can benefit from it in this time of crisis."
"Pairing theater with information and conversation leads to a culture shift towards social justice, increases visibility, and provides new income streams, making theater financially viable and increasing its community value while serving the greatest community needs."
by Jaime Sharp in Racial Equity
A majority of Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits operate on less than $500,000 a year, a report released by the Young, Black & Giving Back Institute finds, said Candid.
Supported by the Nielsen Foundation through its Data for Good grant program, the report, Grassroots, Black & Giving: How Philanthropy Can Better Support Black-led and Black-Benefiting Nonprofits (25 pages, PDF), found that Black-led and -benefiting nonprofits are often grassroots, hyper-local, and founder-led, with deep connections to the communities they serve.
by Jaime Sharp in Emergency Readiness, Response, and Recovery
From Artist Communities Alliance: ACA welcomes you to our upcoming Field Conversation, There is No Safety Net: Protections, Relief and Advocacy [on Thursday, September 14 at 12pm CT]. Artists and cultural workers who have been historically under-resourced in areas of pay, protections and direct support are more vulnerable than ever.
by Jaime Sharp in Support for Individual Artists
From New England Foundation for the Arts: The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) today released a comprehensive evaluation of the National Theater Project (NTP).
NTP functions as a full system of support for devised theater, which in addition to funding, animates an informed, interactive network of producing theaters, presenters, and ensembles. Since the first round of NTP grants in 2010, NEFA has infused over $11 million into the field through the program. To date, 96 new theater works have been supported through Creation and Touring grants; touring of those works has reached 43 different states across the U.S. NTP projects have toured in-person and virtually to large and small arts presenters, military bases, universities, regional theaters, and festivals.
by Jaime Sharp in Arts Research
Independent Sector seeks to measure the status of a major pillar of nonprofit sector health: advocacy and civic engagement. We commissioned research to fill a 20-year gap in data around nonprofit advocacy and civic engagement (i.e., nonpartisan voter engagement) activities through a nationally representative quantitative survey and complementary qualitative interviews of nonprofit institutions.
by Jaime Sharp in Emergency Readiness, Response, and Recovery
From The Center for Effective Philanthropy: Nonprofits across the United States played a vital role during a period of crisis that began in March 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic and was followed by a nationwide racial justice reckoning that summer. As nonprofits experienced heightened demand coupled with marked uncertainty about revenues, they responded with resiliency and imagination, while many funders also stepped up, increasing philanthropic giving in a time of urgent need.
by Jaime Sharp in Arts and Disability
From the National Endowment for the Arts: Welcome to the Careers in the Arts Toolkit— an online resource promoting equity, access, and inclusion for people with disabilities seeking careers in the arts.
Every day, people with disabilities add significant value and talent across the spectrum of arts careers. They are performers, visual artists, teaching artists, cultural workers, administrators, and more. Yet, historically, people with disabilities have not had access to the same career opportunities as people without disabilities. Reasons for this range from inaccessible facilities to disability benefit earning limitations to misconceptions about the skills and talents of people with disabilities. Through a variety of initiatives, the National Endowment for the Arts has worked to bridge this inequity, for the benefit of not only people with disabilities, but also America’s arts institutions and their patrons.