Non-profit management

"Here’s a challenge: Find a figure in American philanthropy more inspiring, more knowledgeable, or better able to articulate both the vast import and fundamental limitations of this great national tradition than Darren Walker.

From the Hewlett Foundation: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced that Tom DeCaigny will join the foundation as a Program Officer with the Performing Arts Program. Tom will manage a diverse portfolio of grants that support communities, artists, and youth throughout the Bay Area, with a particular focus on arts education policy and advocacy. He will start on January 9, 2024.

"Philanthropy membership associations were made for times like these. Shining bright these past eight months, they’ve heroically grabbed their members’ hands and illuminated pathways forward," said Kris Putnam-Walkerly. "They’ve helped members navigate the pandemic and prepare for recovery, offering real-time learning, sharing best practices, creating rapid-response funds, soliciting critical information through surveys, supporting collaboration across government and business, and encouraging funding for racial justice."

"Philanthropy infrastructure organizations quickly moved events and conferences online, increased the number of offerings, and broadened who can attend, often including all funders and not just members. Many also worked to shift the balance of power and make gatherings more inclusive and accessible. For their global conference, the Resource Alliance saw it as an opportunity to 'challenge the idea of one magnetic north, which tends to be the global north, and instead create a magnetic field around the world where people can be drawn to excellence anywhere.'"

Poet and President of the Mellon Foundation, Elizabeth Alexander, was recently interviewed by Jenna Abdou for Fast Company about how her arts background informs her leadership. "Art went on to be a vessel for Alexander. As a Pulitzer Prize finalist, she delivered the poem at President Obama’s inauguration, 'Praise Song for the Day.' Through her teaching, most recently as the chair of African American Studies at Yale, literature is an invitation into our shared humanity. Today, as president of the Mellon Foundation, the largest funder of the arts and humanities, creativity is an agent for change, following her boldly shifting their mission to center on social justice."

From Bonfils Stanton: In her artist statement for her work “Minding the Cycles” (commissioned for the Foundation’s offices) Jandel Allen-Davis says “Where are we now and how do we know? We are experiencing some of the greatest turmoil we have had in centuries, perhaps millennia. The sense of insecurity that this evokes can leave us unsettled and unmoored…Our task is to discern where we are and what is required of us in this time.” We as a foundation have thought deeply about what is required of US in this time, and our new Strategic Framework charts that course.  

From A Blade of Grass: We are pleased to announce and welcome Lu Zhang as the organization’s new Executive Director. Zhang will officially assume the position on June 20, 2023.

Zhang currently serves as the Initiatives Director of United States Artists (USA) , a national arts funding organization headquartered in Chicago, where she launched a department dedicated to expanding holistic support for artists and their communities. Prior to joining USA, Zhang was Deputy Director of The Contemporary , a nomadic, non-collecting art museum in Baltimore, Maryland, where she provided strategic and operational oversight, and led resource initiatives for local artists.

The Music Man Foundation announced $750,000 in grants to four nonprofit organizations. Funds aim to nurture initiatives to secure increased funding for the arts, advocate for pro-arts and pro-artists policy changes, and raise awareness about the profound impact of arts on our health and well-being. The announcement comes on the 121st birthday of Meredith Willson, who wrote the musical “The Music Man” and in whose honor the Foundation was established.

"Both in the arts and beyond, money is fundamentally based on trust. Our economic system functions due to society’s trust in it, enabling cooperation and exchange. However, if we trust in money itself, why is it that in arts philanthropy, trust in artists is largely absent?" said Ted Russell, former GIA board member and Director of Arts Strategy & Ventures for the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. "The restricted nature of many forms of grantmaking—such as project-based support—imply that we lack confidence in an artist’s ability to themselves determine how to allocate funds in support of their practice."

From the National Guild for Community Arts Education: The global pandemic has created an unprecedented economic downturn that has affected every sector, including the arts. As community arts organizations continue to face financial challenges, it is crucial to prepare for economic uncertainty and develop strategies to support their organizations. This webinar will provide community arts organizations with an understanding of the potential impacts of a recession, as well as the tools and resources needed to prepare for this possibility.

The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project is pleased to announce a six-part webinar series addressing common questions, clarifying misconceptions, and exploring ways to overcome obstacles in implementing trust-based philanthropy.

Trust-based philanthropy is a philosophy and approach rooted in values of relationship-building, mutual learning, and systemic equity – with a vision of advancing a healthier and more impactful nonprofit sector. While this approach is generally associated with six core grantmaking practices such as multi-year unrestricted funding and streamlined paperwork, the day-to-day work of trust-based philanthropy is very nuanced and dynamic. In fact, funders who have embraced this approach are finding that it requires ongoing self-reflection and rigor with regards to how they think about – and evolve – many of the deeply embedded practices and assumptions of traditional philanthropy.