Equitable Funding Practices

Identifying barriers and expanding access through responsive relationships

Tuesday, October 23, 10:00am – 11:30am

Organized by Arin Sullivan, vice president, director of Programs and Products, DataArts; and Laurel Fisher, Grants manager, Metro Arts/Nashville Office of Arts + Culture.

Moderated by Arin Sullivan, vice president, director of Programs and Products, DataArts. Presented by Laurel Fisher, Grants manager, Metro Arts/Nashville Office of Arts + Culture; Kebo Drew, managing director, Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project; Rebecca Kinslow, director, Community & Organizational Development, Metro Arts/Nashville Office of Arts + Culture; and Lauren Slone, program manager, MAP Fund.

Achieving more equitable funding for the arts requires deep, introspective analysis of our own processes and requirements, and a commitment to building strong, intentional relationships in our communities. The session will discuss innovative strategies that are removing barriers and/or expanding access to funding for traditionally under-invested organizations, including voices from both sides of grantmaker/grantee relationships. What barriers exist in grant application processes? Whose capacity is prioritized in our questions? How do we measure the changes that result from new approaches and practices? These questions will be discussed in a panel format, and attendees will be encouraged to examine barriers, and unstated priorities within common grantmaking and evaluation scenarios. Small group breakout activities will examine different touchpoints of the grantmaking process such as grant eligibility criteria, application questions, scoring rubrics, applicant training/coaching opportunities, and panelist recruitment and training.