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“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.”

“Enter trust-based philanthropy—a type of support defined by mutuality, transparency, and unrestricted funding. This is a model that has gained popularity across the philanthropic sector, but it has yet to take hold in the arts. However, it provides a promising solution for trusting artists, offering a model for deeper, more meaningful support.”

“This question of trust is one that artists have been asking funders for years, a dialogue which heavily informed the development of the Rainin Fellowship—an annual program we launched with United States Artists to award four anchor artists in the San Francisco Bay Area with unrestricted grants of $100,000 and supplemental support. Fellows are empowered to spend the money on whatever they see fit. This approach recognizes that artists’ individual needs are varied and they are the best experts on how to uplift their practices. Whether they decide to spend the money on housing, healthcare, or future projects, our approach foregrounds autonomy and true impact, values that are aligned with the trust-based philanthropy model.”

“The Rainin Fellowship embodies trust-based philanthropy and is rooted in the work of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, a five-year, peer-to-peer funder initiative and platform that addresses the inherent power imbalances between foundations and nonprofits. Central to this model is the act of listening, and learning. In creating the Rainin Fellowship in the Bay Area, we collaborated with both national and local partners to better understand the needs of the artists in our communities.”

“Trusting artists’ unique processes, chosen methodologies, and the longevity of their collaborations is a central pillar of the Rainin Fellowship. Through unrestricted funding and supplemental support, we recognize that their impact lies not only within the individual projects they exhibit and execute, but in the lasting legacy of their pioneering creative frameworks.”

“The very architecture of our grantmaking process is deeply rooted in that which we’ve learned from artists and the cultural field at large—lessons of emotional intelligence, empathy, and the tremendous impact that holistic support can have on artists’ lives. We believe that the fellowship’s trust-based model might act as a blueprint for other funders in the cultural space, uncovering how meaningful support of individual artists can strengthen our local and regional arts networks as a whole.”

“If society’s relationship to money is that of trust, it’s integral for us as arts funders to ground our support of artists in trust as well. We call upon other funders in the field to reexamine how through trusting artists—not only with unrestricted funding, but also in allowing them to tell us how best we can support them—we can propel creative innovation and allow artists to truly thrive.”

Read the full article here.

From the Wallace Foundation: Youth workers from historically marginalized communities serve as important mentors to young people in out-of-school-time (OST) programs. But in a 2020 student-led survey of youth in OST programs, many of these workers reported experiencing racism in the workplace, along with low wages and job instability. In this episode of Beyond the Classroom, researchers and practitioners discuss strategies for addressing these challenges in order to more effectively recruit and retain skilled youth workers.

Episode 3 features Bianca Baldridge (Harvard University), Vanessa Roberts (Project VOYCE), Deepa Vasudeavan (American Institutes for Research), and Sarai Hertz-Vaelázquez (Wellesley College). Listen to the full episode now.

From Philanthropy Together: Sara wants to invite you over to dinner at her house. In this loud, chaotic, loving environment, Sara shows you how to build power in your community through the power of collective giving. In the process, Sara and her friends – along with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide – are part of a global giving circle movement ushering in a new era in philanthropy that is diverse, democratic, and joyful. And when more diverse people become philanthropists, more diverse solutions and nonprofit leaders get funded.

Watch this TED Talk on giving circles to learn how giving circles turn the act of giving—which is so often done individually and reactively—into a collaborative, intentional, joyful, values-based way of engaging with the issues that matter most.

From Disability Philanthropy: One in four adult Americans and an estimated 1 billion people globally experience disability, but foundation funding for disability only represents approximately two cents of every foundation dollar awarded.

Foundation Giving for Disability: Priorities and Trends offers a first-ever, detailed examination of how U.S. foundations focus their support for disability communities. It serves as a resource for understanding the scale and priorities of current support and provides a baseline for measuring changes in funding going forward.

Read the full report here.

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.

This free, virtual conversation will include presentations, case studies, and a panel discussion. Attendees will gain insights from industry experts and peers on best practices for financial management, fundraising, and scenario planning. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the speakers and other attendees.

Learn more and register here.

“The Creativity Pioneers Fund (CPF) catalyzes transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing cultural and creative organizations that advance bold and unconventional practices for building a more just, inclusive, and equitable world. Working with and alongside organizations, donors and other stakeholders across the creative ecosystem, the Creativity Pioneers Fund aims to mobilize a collective effort to advance Creativity for Social Change.”

“The Creativity Pioneers Fund was launched in 2021 by Moleskine Foundation to provide flexible funding in the amount of € 5,000 to creative and cultural organizations to help sustain their essential functions and programs. Today, the Creativity Pioneers Fund represents a coalition of partners who believe in the transforming power of creativity and the need to use a new philanthropic approach to social change. Leveraging the creative ecosystem of partners and stakeholders, the Creativity Pioneers Fund aims to offer various learning and development opportunities for its participants/recipients.”

“The Creativity Pioneers Fund intends to invest in bold, inspiring and intersectional organizations close to the challenges and communities they seek to address. Through the Creativity Pioneers Fund, we are promoting a more progressive philanthropic approach based on trust, unrestricted funding, valorization of intersectionality, simple and inclusive paperwork both at the selection process and M&E, and a strong focus on building long-lasting networks and ecosystems.”

Learn more here.