From Forbes” “Dr. Carmen Rojas, President and CEO of Marguerite Casey Foundation, is the youngest Latina to run a nationally endowed philanthropic foundation. Her colleague, Jonathan Jayes-Green, Vice President of Programs at the same foundation, is the first and only undocumented leader to serve in an executive role in a national private foundation in the U.S.. For the two, not only are they breaking the pale, stale and male stereotype of philanthropy, they are also challenging how philanthropy is being done.”

“Both the backgrounds of Dr. Rojas and Jayes-Green in advocating for racial justice have prepared them for strengthening the foundation’s focus in this area. ‘75% of the foundation’s funds went to organizations led by Black, Indigenous People of Color,’ says Dr. Rojas – in 2019, Marguerite Casey Foundation distributed $34 million in grants. ‘The foundation has always been a racial justice organization, pro-Black, pro-Native, pro-queer, instead of talking about justice more broadly. For us, justice can only be achieved if people of color are represented and control the power and resources to make their own decisions, and set the rules of the game.'”

“At a time in American history where future visions are being debated, the voices of funders and more importantly, social change leaders, should be heard alongside politicians. As Dr. Carmen Rojas reflected: ‘We are afforded a lot of authority as funders, but we need to make room for other people to show their full extent of brilliance. Funders should be the nurturing soil for social change efforts to take roots.'”

Read the full article here.

“My argument is because [right wing authoritarianism] is the central struggle of the day, we need the most effective, principled and impactful progressive organizations that are seeking to challenge that,” says Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party. Mitchell is also an activist and co-founder of Blackbird, an organization that has provided infrastructure support for the Black Lives Matter movement and other groups around the country. The social movement strategist wrote a 6,000-word article for The Forge called “Building Resilient Organizations,” in which he described and shared potential solutions for overcoming some of the biggest problems within progressive spaces. He joins WITHpod to discuss the piece, roots of the longstanding political and social tensions within movements on the left and strategies for resetting.

Listen to the episode here.

From Berkley Othering & Belonging Institute: “The ‘Structural Racism Explained’ video (above) draws upon many varied sources in formulating specific definitions for different types of racism. The video and prompts provided in this video and teaching guide (download using form on right side of page) are designed primarily for teachers to help students clarify and sharpen their understanding of the material, spur and support classroom discussion of the video and ideas, and provide ideas and leads for further research. But the materials are also useful for people who work in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) spaces and local governments.” Watch the video here.

“Artists are the free thinkers and the first movers of culture, and culture is the basis of belief and action. To support an artist’s idea—to help realize new work—is to set into motion a new worldview. This is the exciting role philanthropy can play in creating a freer, more sustainable, and equitable society, said Christine Kuan for artnet news. “Today, the narratives that shape our laws, policies, and daily life are disproportionately dominated by a subset of the population. From museums and the art market to Hollywood, the old story remains that only a small percentage of artists represented are women and artists of color. White men make up 30 percent of the U.S. population, but represent most museum acquisitions, art market sales, and Hollywood film directors. Yet, museums, auction houses, and cinemas are downstream from the primary issue, which is: Who gets funded to make art?”

“Here are five questions I think about in my work as a woman of color leading a fundraising organization that you may wish to consider in order to support a more diverse art world:

Does the nonprofit exhibit/collect/fund significant numbers of women, BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities?
Does the nonprofit have a multi-year track record of supporting diverse artists?
Does the grant maker have an open process of selecting artists, or what is the process of grantmaking?
Does a high percentage of your donation go to artists’ programs, rather than administration/development?
Does the nonprofit have diverse individuals at every level of the organization?

“Each year, Creative Capital fundraises every dollar we give away to artists. This year, 83 percent of every dollar was spent on artists’ grants and programs. Consider making a gift to artist-centered nonprofits that are doing this important, grassroots work.”

“The unique power of the arts is to enable us to think, experience, and feel differently. Philanthropy can be a catalyzing force for change without instrumentalizing artists to do the work of correcting systemic wrongs. Philanthropy can play a more transcendent role. To truly foster an equitable arts ecosystem, we must empower artists to make the work that artists dream of making.”

Read the full article here.

“The Bori-Corridor, a project that will increase the presence of Puerto Rican artists in the eastern United States and connect them with the main cultural centers of the diaspora, received a $700,000 allocation from the Mellon Foundation for its development beginning next year,” said Sin Comillas on behalf of Mellon Foundation. “The Mellon Foundation is the leading funder of the arts and humanities in the United States. The proposal was presented by Elsa Mosquera Sterenberg and Zeida García Casillas from Ágora Cultural Architects.”

“The development of the Bori-Corridor will have two main projects. One will be the selection, by call, of a group of artists or ensembles, who will be able to tour presentations through various states. Ágora will support those selected with the production and promotion of their events, in addition to connecting them with organizations and cultural centers for new collaborations.”

“The second component will be the creation of an interactive online map that will identify the cultural centers specialized in Puerto Rican art and culture. The map will provide a historical and cultural synopsis of these institutions so that artists, cultural brokers, and the public can learn about the different Puerto Rican communities and other audiences on the East Coast of the United States. The investigative phase will have the collaboration of the Master’s in Cultural Management of the University of Puerto Rico.”

“The Bori-Corridor will be ready for launch after the research and interactive map creation phase. The artistic tour through the eastern states is expected to begin in 2024. The leader of Ágora Cultural Architects appreciated the support that the Mellon Foundation has given to Puerto Rican organizations and artists in and outside of Puerto Rico, especially in recent years. the island. Since 2018, this Foundation has awarded over $50 million to cultural organizations and artists in Puerto Rico and the diaspora.”

Read the full article here.

“The Mellon Foundation today announced the appointment of theater veteran and advocate for equity and justice in the arts, Stephanie Ybarra as Program Officer in its Arts and Culture program area, effective April 3, 2023. As part of her role, she will help shape individual grantmaking and launch philanthropic initiatives in the performing arts, leveraging the grantmaking, convening, and research assets of the Foundation.”

“Ybarra joins Mellon following her tenure as Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage, where she broke ground as the country’s first Latina artistic director of a League of Resident Theaters (LORT) member theater. Over four seasons, she was instrumental in leveraging powerful artistic works as a catalyst for conversation, reflection, and action.”

“Over two decades, Stephanie has boldly charted a path in which the fight for equity and her roles as a creative force and leader in the arts are inextricably linked,” said Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation. “A talented artist, strategist, and a passionate advocate for social justice, Stephanie embodies Mellon’s core values, and we are excited to have her join our Arts and Culture program area.”

“With more than 20 years’ experience in nearly all aspects of the theater both on stage and behind the scenes, Ybarra has established herself as a leader in the field and a preeminent voice in the fight against racism and inequity in theater—having established the Artists’ Anti-Racism Coalition in 2016 to uproot the systemic racism in New York’s off-Broadway theater community. In addition to staging compelling works, she has been instrumental in closely examining demographic data on playwright commissions, director hiring patterns, fighting for change related to pay equity, tiered fee systems, and even reviews—all of which embody Mellon’s ongoing commitment to centering social justice in its work and grantmaking.”

Read the full announcement here.