Bay Area Arts Scene Gets Boost From Renewed Philanthropic Commitment PDF Print E-mail
Statewide Irvine Foundation Effort to Increase Local Investment in the Arts; Grants to Bay Area Foundations Now Total $725,000

March 6, 2008, San Francisco, CA — The James Irvine Foundation today announced nearly $3.2 million in grants to eight California community foundations that will support regional arts efforts as part of its Communities Advancing the Arts (CAA) initiative. The East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) and The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) will receive $400,000 over three years to jointly support Bay Area efforts to increase donor support for individual artists.

This grant is the second of two CAA grants from Irvine and seeks to deepen earlier gains made in local arts donor involvement since the program’s launch in 2004, as well as provide regranting support to local arts nonprofit organizations. TSFF and EBCF jointly received an initial $325,000 grant in phase one of the program, which extended through 2007, and are two of eight community foundations that will share $3.15 million in grants approved by Irvine’s Board of Directors on Wednesday.

TSFF and EBCF will use the second phase of CAA funding to build donor support for local arts activities; continue to offer matching grants to small arts organizations to commission new art work; and to create a "Cultural Corridor" in the East Bay to link artists and arts organizations and increase the visibility of East Bay artists.

"Bay Area residents believe that the arts are an important component in the fabric of our society," said EBCF President and CEO Nicole Taylor. "In working closely with The San Francisco Foundation to support individual artists throughout the region, we are helping to build a thriving arts community, and a vibrant quality of life for all, that will serve our area for decades to come."

As part of phase one of the CAA program, TSFF and EBCF redirected Irvine funds to support small arts organizations and to commission work of individual local artists. The foundations required recipient organizations to match funds with individual donor gifts, thus shepherding these groups through the donor cultivation process. TSFF and EBCF jointly developed a tool called "Fundraising at the Grassroots" for use by small arts organizations seeking to establish a base of individual donors. They also hosted "The Business of Art," a four-session retreat covering arts marketing, financing, business planning and legal and intellectual property issues for twenty-five local artists across all disciplines who received support from the two foundations.

"At The San Francisco Foundation we value and nurture our important relationships with small and growing arts organizations throughout the Bay Area," said The San Francisco Foundation CEO Sandra Hernández, M.D. "We are pleased to partner with EBCF to leverage the Irvine funds toward strengthening the infrastructure and sustainability of our precious arts community."

TSFF and EBCF focused phase one CAA efforts on establishing The Fund for Artists, which teaches donors how to become patrons of and support individual artists. Thirty-seven nonprofit organizations reached 801 donors, and raised $189,178, an average of $236.00 from each donor. With the Irvine Foundation’s support, the foundations held nine donor outreach events from 2004-07, many of which were aimed at building relationships between artists and donors.

TSFF regranted phase one CAA funds to local arts organizations such as Theatre Bay Area, World Arts West, Artadia, and American Composers Forum, which in turn regranted funds directly to individual artists. EBCF invited proposals from arts organizations to commission new works and distributed grants of up to $10,000. EBCF-funded organizations that commissioned works ranged from the AXIS Dance Company to the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center Jewish Music Festival to the Eastside Arts Alliance.

Public funding for the arts has reached new lows in recent years. The California Arts Council, which traditionally funded local arts programs throughout the state, has seen its budget slashed from $31 million in 2000 to just $5 million in 2007. Private donations have also dipped over the past 15 years, leaving many arts organizations struggling for survival. Irvine’s CAA initiative is intended to foster grantmaking and individual donor donations to arts organizations in targeted communities.

"The Irvine Foundation is committed to supporting vibrant artistic and cultural communities throughout California," said James E. Canales, President and CEO of the Irvine Foundation. "We are pleased that our support is enabling community foundations to foster sustainable funding streams for arts organizations in their communities."