“Amidst both a catastrophic pandemic and calls for reformed funding practices (especially in support of BIPOC communities), philanthropic giving to arts and culture provides a unique opportunity for funders to reevaluate their funding, evaluation, and decision-making processes,” writes Michael Sy Uy at the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s blog.
He adds,
If a funder chooses to support BIPOC communities and less-resourced populations across their work, then they shouldn’t forget about applying the same framework to their arts grantmaking, too. The arts are not separate from racial equity projects and missions. They do not get a free pass because they showcase some examples of beauty and excellence; they require the same scrutiny and examination of justice and inequity as all other funding.