June 22, 2022 “Dance for Every Child.” Catching Up With Educator, Advocate and Philanthropist Jody Gottfried Arnhold June 22, 2022/ Mike Scutari Jody Gottfried Arnhold wants every child in America to have access to dance education. We check in with one of performing arts philanthropy’s most important advocates on the heels of another big gift to advance her goal.Read More
March 31, 2022 Six Questions for Laura Aden Packer, Howard Gilman Foundation President and CEO March 31, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Howard Gilman Foundation is one of New York City’s most important performing arts funders. We talked with President and CEO Laura Aden Packer about her career path, the health of the city’s arts ecosystem, and more.Read More
January 20, 2022 IP Briefing: What's Going On With Philanthropy for Dance? January 20, 2022/ IP Staff The dance funding ecosystem is small compared to other performing arts, and the impacts of the pandemic on top of decades of declining public funding mean a growing role for philanthropy. Here’s what you need to know. Read More
November 09, 2021 COVID-19 Nearly Killed the Performing Arts. Innovations in Funding Can Revive Them November 09, 2021/ Maurine Knighton, Guest Contributor The pandemic was devastating for working artists, many of whom lost their livelihoods. In this guest post, Maurine Knighton of Doris Duke Charitable Foundation shares how powerful unrestricted funding provides a lifeline.Read More
February 11, 2021 As the Dance Community Struggles Financially During COVID, Performers Suffer the Most February 11, 2021/ Holly Hall With donations and revenues becoming unreliable at best, leaders in the dance community have had to adapt their fundraising to meet the moment. Nevertheless, individual dancers, in particular, are experiencing severe financial distress.Read More
December 01, 2020 “This is a Big Leap.” How Are Performing Arts Funders Democratizing Grantmaking? December 01, 2020/ Mike Scutari An IP survey found that performing arts professionals were skeptical about grantmakers’ efforts at reform. But all hope is not lost. Foundations and regranting organizations share how they are fast-tracking democratization efforts.Read More
November 19, 2020 As Individual Giving Drops, Performing Arts Leaders Weigh in on the State of Fundraising November 19, 2020/ Mike Scutari A new report finds that giving to performing arts organizations fell precipitously in the first nine months of 2020. We explore the pandemic-related dynamics fueling the decline and ask professionals how fundraisers can reverse this trend.Read More
September 29, 2020 “How Do You Survive?” A Seasoned Dance Funder on the Future of a Struggling Field September 29, 2020/ Mike Scutari Performing arts groups are coming to the realization that it may be at least another year before things return to “normal.” Harkness Foundation for Dance’s Joan Finkelstein offers insights into how the field can navigate the road ahead.Read More
September 22, 2020 “True Partners.” How Performing Arts Funders Can Support the Field in Difficult Times September 22, 2020/ Mike Scutari Performing arts organizations are in need of funding and guidance in uncertain times. Maurine Knighton, director of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s arts program, explains how funders can be responsive and advance equity.Read More
March 27, 2020 “Remake the Model.” Philanthropy and the Arts After Coronavirus March 27, 2020/ Mike Scutari As arts funders and nonprofits scramble to stem the impact of COVID-19, many are already looking beyond the pandemic to address glaring structural and operational weaknesses across the arts sector. What might the future hold? Read More
March 18, 2020 Here’s Why Socially Conscious Younger Donors Will Reshape Arts Philanthropy March 18, 2020/ Mike Scutari Amid a historic wealth transfer, next-gen donors are poised to make their mark on the fast-changing world of arts philanthropy. But what, exactly, do they expect from institutions? And what will it really take to attract their funding?Read More
March 05, 2020 “We Can Do Better.” An Activist Donor’s Advice on Making the Field of Dance More Equitable March 05, 2020/ Mike Scutari Female ballet dancers are paid less than their male counterparts and are underrepresented across dance companies’ leadership ranks. We check in with donor Elizabeth Yntema on how philanthropy can close the gap.Read More
February 13, 2020 “An Easy Decision.” Behind a Gift to Reinvent a Dance Company Focused on Social Impact February 13, 2020/ Mike Scutari What draws a donor to offer major support to a dance company? It’s an important question at a moment that performing arts organizations are struggling to connect with funders and audiences alike. A $2 million gift offers some clues. Read More
December 13, 2019 A Big Gift Offers Clues to the Future of Performing Arts Organizations December 13, 2019/ Mike Scutari The challenges facing regional performing arts organizations are well-documented. News out of Cincinnati, however, finds a ballet troupe experiencing rapid growth and engaging local donors to fund its bold expansion plans.Read More
June 23, 2019 Sparking Something Bigger: A Donor’s Big Bet on Dance Education is Starting to Pay Dividends June 23, 2019/ Mike Scutari With a second big gift in less than three years, Jody Gottfried Arnhold and her husband John have carved out a distinctive and impactful philanthropic brand around dance education—a niche largely devoid of big-ticket patrons. Read More
June 19, 2019 With a Growing Stream of Grants, This Stalwart Arts Funder Helps Offset Ominous Trends June 19, 2019/ Mike Scutari Many dance and theater groups continue to grapple with lower box office yields, a shrinking subscriber base, fickle millennials, and declines in public funding. The Schubert Foundation is one of the best friends these nonprofits have. Read More
October 10, 2018 Charmed and Charitable: The Archetypal Regional Donors Behind a Big Arts Gift October 10, 2018/ Mike Scutari The surge in regional philanthropy is driven by homegrown donors who are stepping up giving, often after decades of steady support. A recent example of this dynamic comes to us from Milwaukee.Read More
July 26, 2018 Individual Mandate: How Artist Trust in Washington State Provides Support July 26, 2018/ Alyssa Ochs We write often about the handful of national funders that support individual artists. But there are also some local and regional funders who operate in this space, including Artist Trust, which is based in Seattle. Read More
July 01, 2018 "Where is the Next Voice?" A New Gender Equity Initiative in a Storied Arts Niche July 01, 2018/ Mike Scutari As arts funders turn their attention to increasing female representation in classical composition and the cinematic arts, we dig into a new initiative focused on the historically male-dominated field of ballet choreography.Read More
March 25, 2018 The Kids Will Come: More Insights About How Arts Groups Can Engage Millennials March 25, 2018/ Mike Scutari The Wallace Foundation's latest Building Audiences for Sustainability Story looks at a theater troupe's successful efforts to attract younger attendees by tapping into the power of market research.Read More