“How can we stop the world from burning? For many years, I responded to that question as an environmental advocate,” said author Manisha Bapna for Orion

“In our fight against climate change, my colleagues and I employ hard-edged tools such as legislation, policy, and litigation—all informed by science and real-world impacts on people and nature. But as the Anthropocene accelerates and our time runs out to set the world on a more sustainable and equitable course, I have come to recognize that these tools alone cannot change the world fast enough to save it.”

“This new world we inhabit, the Anthropocene, is hard to fathom. The speed and scale of change are disorienting. The stakes are now too high to ignore. The future of humanity—and all life on Earth—is in our hands. We need to reset our relationship with nature—so that we appreciate it for its intrinsic value, as well as its connection to our health, economy, and communities.

In recent years, progressive organizations of all kinds have come closer together, realizing that the problems we work to solve intersect and compound. Collaboration increases our odds of success.

The same is true across disciplines: poets and scientists, essayists and environmental lawyers, storytellers and policy experts. Working together, we stand a better chance of steering away from catastrophe in the Anthropocene and toward the light.”

Read the full article here.

From Open Society Foundations: “This discussion about the restitution of Ngonnso to the Nso community, hosted by the Open Society Foundations Global Initiative for the Restitution of African Cultural Heritage and Open Society grantee SySy House of Fame, features African cultural heritage activist Sylvie Njobati and researcher María Leonor Pérez Ramírez discussing the power of civil society empowerment and the work which led to this historic event.”

Veronika Chatelain is a program officer of Expression for Global Programs at the Open Society Foundations, where she co-leads the Global Initiative for Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Sylvie Njobati is a restitution activist and the founder of Sysy House of Fame, an arts and culture organization in Cameroon. María Leonor Pérez Ramírez is a research associate for the German Contact Point for Collections from Colonial Contexts.

Watch the full discussion here.

This week on the NEA Art Works podcast, they discuss, “investing in the creative economy from two perspectives.” The first, Laura Callanan, founding partner of Upstart Co-Lab, and then Sheoyki Jones, founding program manager of Creative Industries.

“In the podcast, Callanan explains what’s meant by the creative economy and impact investing, and how they contribute to a thriving culture and economy. She always shares what the United States might learn from the work done in this area by other countries.”

“Jones talks with me about the programs that Creative Industries began that support Atlanta’s creative workers. She discusses the importance of genuine outreach to creative workers and also shares some of the challenges and best practices in designing programs that invest in and support local creative communities.”

Listen to the full episode here.

“As the co-founder and co-CEO of Be Nimble Foundation, Kelli Jones saw the need for more philanthropic support for Black organizations long before the pandemic tightened budgets,” said author Jayden Kennett for the Indianapolis Recorder.”Coming out of the pandemic, she’s seen the money and resources that Black organizations had been begging for.”

“Jackie Bouvier Copeland launched Black Philanthropy Month in 2011 to celebrate Black giving and promote funding in equity. Celebrated every August worldwide, this year’s theme focuses on rebuilding communities and creating lasting funding and racial equity for Black communities.”

“Black people give the highest proportion of their income to philanthropy, according to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, but receive as little as 2% of the funding — which was an inspiration to create Black Philanthropy Month, Copeland said.”

Read the full article here.

From authors Shaena Johnson and Marni Rosen for The Katalay Foundation: “Participatory grantmaking can be a powerful tool to center the experiences and expertise of people who have deep knowledge of the issue areas in which grants are being made. It is also a process that comes with unique needs for support. Foundations that are engaging with participatory grantmaking must be aware of how their institutional practices do — and do not — set participants and grantees up for success.”

“I have also built trust through my ability to relate to the movement and organizational experiences of many of our grantee staff, due to my own lived experience,” said Johnson. “Having the ability to discuss ‘hard’ internal issues with executive directors and support staff has proven effective in building trust, as grantees have acknowledged that most institutions do not provide that additional support.”

“Time, availability, and ability to relate to grantees while shifting our systems to accompany our grantees in their work has all proven to help in repairing and rebuilding our relationships with our grantees.”

Read the full article here.

From NEA: “In June 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts published Tech as Art: Supporting Artists Who Use Digital Technology as a Creative Medium. This report is the culmination of a nearly two-year research study into artists whose practices are rooted in digital technologies. Launched in partnership with the Knight Foundation and Ford Foundation, with research conducted by 8 Bridges Workshop and Dot Connector Studio, the report explores the broad spectrum of tech-centered artistic practice, as well as the networks, career paths, and hubs of activity that support this work.”

“This brief summary report highlights a wide-ranging set of near- and long-term action steps aimed at supporting the arts and technology field identified during regional roundtables. Beyond the breadth of topics and types of actions, these suggestions are directed at a variety of potential leaders, from funders to arts service organizations, arts institutions, academic programs, arts and technology hubs, city and state governments, and community organizations. No one entity can do it all.”

Read the full report here.

“The Music Man Foundation has a history of providing support to organizations advocating for positive changes in the arts, whether it be for increased public funding to arts programs, support for policy changes, the conducting or dissemination of new research, or increasing public will in support of the arts. We have partnered with select dedicated organizations working on a regional, statewide, or national level.”

“This year, the Foundation will be distributing invitations for its advocacy grants more widely, as it aims to support systemic change via empowering organizations working at the intersection of music, learning, and well-being. Organizations must be able to identify the system it seeks to impact, demonstrate why it is well-positioned to take on this system change, and show evidence of progress toward achieving sustainable solutions. We anticipate grants will support activities such as:

research and policy analysis that promote the need for arts (specifically music) to change and improve circumstances,
cross-sector initiatives which cultivate allies and build bridges between the arts and other interest groups,
advocacy training and tools which build the capacity of arts and cultural leaders to understand and proactively influence issues impacting the arts and community vitality, and/or
designing solutions which shift the circumstances within a system to promote efficiency and sustainability.”

The deadline for this fund is Friday, October 31 at 11:59pm PT. Learn more about the application here.

From NALAC (National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures) President and CEO, María López De León:

“Dear NALAC Familia,

I am transitioning out of my leadership role in the fall of 2022. I have worked at the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) for twenty-four years. The experience of working with you to support and illuminate the creativity and cultural expressions of our communities has impacted my life.

It has been a great honor to serve the Latinx arts and culture community and support your work. Your creativity and vision drive NALAC’s mission, and there is still much more work to be done. It is time for me to make way for a new generation of leadership to propel NALAC into the future.

I want to thank the innumerable NALAC colleagues and the many supporters I have worked with who make NALAC’s work possible, as none of this could have been done without them.

I have been fortunate to work with many powerful and committed NALAC colleagues to promote leadership development, establish a national grant fund, advocate, organize, and build a national network. I remember working alongside one of NALAC’s founders, Pedro Rodriguez, dreaming up the NALAC Leadership Institute (NLI) and sitting with Rosalba Rolón to create the NALAC Advocacy Institute (ALI). I also value my time with Abel López, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Judy Baca, Tony Garcia, Tomás Ybarra Frausto, Alice Valdez, Clyde Valentine, Jesse Bermudez, Maribel Álvarez, Roberta Uno and others imagining the NALAC Fund for the Arts. I am grateful for also being a founding partner of the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI) with Lori Pourier, Vicky Takamine, and Carlton Turner.

I appreciate the trust and support many of you have shown me as I helped guide and expand NALAC’s impact. I am excited for a new era of leadership to take NALAC to new heights.

I will miss all of you and am confident you will continue making a difference for the national Latinx arts community. Move forward into the future with integrity and dignity, optimistic about the ancestral knowledge you carry. I look forward to witnessing the great strides you all will make and continuing our friendship and camaraderie.

Thank you all for making the last twenty-four years at NALAC an absolute pleasure. Always remember that you have a home here at NALAC.

With love and gratitude,
María López De León
President and CEO”