March 09, 2023 This Midwest Real Estate Couple Has Been Cutting Some Big Checks. Here's Where the Money's Going March 09, 2023/ Ade Adeniji Ohio-based Harry and Linda Fath gave $275 million in 2022, up from just $50 million in 2017. We spoke with Harry Fath about what they support, how they operate, and why they will never have a foundation.Read More
February 27, 2023 What Can We Learn from That Surprise $100 Million Gift to the San Diego Foundation? February 27, 2023/ Mike Scutari Leaders at the community foundation recently faced a rare, but very welcome, conundrum: What do you do when a donor you never met gives you an unrestricted $100 million gift?Read More
February 22, 2023 Why Mellon Is Boosting Art That Confronts the Criminal Justice System February 22, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe The leading funder of the humanities committed $125 million to lift up the artistic voices of those directly impacted by American legal system. It’s a big influx of cash for this field, and one that Mellon hopes will have broad impacts. Read More
February 09, 2023 Arts, Education, Conservative Policy and More. How the Kovners Are Tapping a Hedge Fund Fortune February 09, 2023/ Ade Adeniji Bruce and Suzie Kovner are major backers of arts institutions like the Juilliard School, along with several right-leaning think tanks. The New York couple’s giving holds some interesting twists too. Read More
February 01, 2023 Seven Questions for Cate Fox, Director of the Center for Cultural Innovation's AmbitioUS Program February 01, 2023/ Mike Scutari Cate Fox, formerly of MacArthur, leads AmbitioUS, which invests in alternative economic models for creative communities. We chatted with her about her work, the limits of philanthropy’s self-examination, and more.Read More
January 26, 2023 Older Americans Rarely Have Access to Arts Education. This Funder is Working to Change That January 26, 2023/ Mike Scutari Philanthropist Ellen Michelson has been a tireless proponent of “creative aging,” an arts education program model geared toward individuals 55 and over. We check in with her about the field, her work with museums, and more.Read More
January 19, 2023 “A Desire for Change.” Here are Five Ideas Animating an Evolving Museum Field January 19, 2023/ Mike Scutari The Arts Funders Forum recently held a virtual panel to discuss how museums can respond to calls for change and achieve greater social impact. Here are five compelling perspectives gleaned from the call’s esteemed participants.Read More
January 04, 2023 Literary Arts Groups Weathered a Pandemic, but Finances Remain Just as Precarious January 04, 2023/ Mike Scutari A new report based on data from 410 literary arts nonprofits that applied to Mellon Foundation-funded Literary Arts Emergency Fund provides a concerning snapshot of the state of the field. We explore some key takeaways.Read More
December 13, 2022 Backed by a Huge Bequest, a New Arts Funder’s Grantmaking Strategy Begins to Takes Shape December 13, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Ruth Foundation for the Arts has made a big splash in the arts world thanks to its penchant for flexible funding and a $440 endowment. We check in with executive director Karen Patterson on the foundation’s inaugural year.Read More
December 02, 2022 A Conversation with Jeffreen Hayes, Executive Director of Chicago-Based Arts Funder Threewalls December 02, 2022/ Mike Scutari Dr. Jeffreen Hayes heads the Chicago-based arts organization and grantmaker Threewalls. We chatted with her to discuss her career trajectory, why she’s optimistic about the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
December 01, 2022 Visual Storytellers and Journalists Face Growing Risks. What Can Funders Do to Protect Them? December 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Backed by the Ford Foundation and others, a recent report from the Safer Storytellers Project outlines the steps funders can take to protect creators from increasing attacks and threats to their safety.Read More
December 01, 2022 As Shelling Continues in Ukraine, an Arts Funder Backs Efforts to Preserve its Cultural Heritage December 01, 2022/ Liz Longley Although international law forbids it, destruction of sites with cultural significance is common during war. In Ukraine, hundreds of such places have been damaged. Getty recently backed an effort to protect the nation’s heritage.Read More
November 08, 2022 “There’s No Going Back.” Six Questions for Sage Crump of the National Performance Network November 08, 2022/ Mike Scutari NPN recently named Sage Crump director of its Department of Racial Justice and Movement Building, advancing social justice through arts and culture. She fills us in on the group’s work, her biggest influences, and more.Read More
October 31, 2022 A New Koch in Town: Four Things to Note About the Philanthropy of America's Richest Woman October 31, 2022/ Ade Adeniji Since her husband David Koch’s passing in 2019, Julia Koch has kept a fairly low philanthropic profile. But the sheer scale of her fortune means much larger giving may be coming down the line. Here are a few things to look out for.Read More
October 26, 2022 The Regional Arts Philanthropy Boom, So Cal Style: The OCMA Gets a New Home October 26, 2022/ Wendy Paris The Orange County Museum of Art raised tens of millions in high-dollar donations for its new facility, which opened with great fanfare last month. It’s the latest example of the growing power of regional arts philanthropy. Read More
October 25, 2022 How Daniel and Bonnie Tisch Support New York Nonprofits Through the Damial Foundation October 25, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs Here's what nonprofits should know about the Tisch family and how they award grants in New York City through their Damial Foundation.Read More
October 20, 2022 The Logan Legacy: Three Brothers Carry on the Philanthropic Work Their Parents Started October 20, 2022/ Celia Wexler With roots in Chicago, the Logan brothers — Richard, Jonathan and Daniel — all have their own foundations. They’re each carrying on and evolving a long legacy of giving that began with their late parents, David and Reva Logan.Read More
October 18, 2022 Six Questions for Alberto Mejia, National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Deputy Director October 18, 2022/ Mike Scutari Alberto Mejia is the deputy director of NALAC, an influential supporter of Latino arts and culture in the United States. In this Q&A, Mejia discusses his start as a hip hop performer, his take on the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
October 14, 2022 With a Higher Ed Partnership, a New Foundation Is Spotlighting Indigenous History and Culture October 14, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Gochman Family Foundation is a new grantmaker founded in 2021. Here’s a look at how it’s joining forces with the Open Society Foundations to launch new Indigenous arts and history programs at Bard College.Read More
October 05, 2022 How Much Funding Is Going to the Arts? And Where Is it Headed? Tax Data Offers Fresh Insights October 05, 2022/ Mike Scutari In what may be the largest data-driven analysis of its kind, researchers crunched mountains of data from arts foundations’ digitized tax forms. They uncovered some telling numbers and disparities in giving. Read More