Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco

New Funding Source for Artists and Others

Did you see the feature about Kickstarter in today's San Francisco Chronicle? The article describes Kickstarter as a crowd-funding web site.  The company's own web site calls itself  a "funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers..."  As we know any kind of funding source/platform/vehicle for artists and other creative types is more than welcome.

Check it out! New Library Books for Arts Organizations

We have just added to our collection a handful of new books concerning arts organizations--(*) are available to borrow through our lending program.

*Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination, by Susan J. Bodilly, et al. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation. Also available online here.

*Management and the Arts, 4th ed., by William Byrnes. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. For instructor and manager resources, or student resources, visit the book's website.

Strategies for Survival of Performing Arts Organizations: A Study of Three Emergent Dance Companies, by Hortense Gerardo. Saarbrucken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Muller. Provides results from a study of three Boston dance companies. Examines issues related to leadership, creativity, operational strategy, and resource development.

*Engaging Classrooms and Communities Through Art: A Guide to Designing and Implementing Community-Based Art Education, by Beth Krenksy and Seana Lowe Steffen. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press. Section one provides background information for understanding community art; section two includes case studies for different media: murals, photography, posters, and billboards, video, and dance.

To find more books or articles for arts administration, arts education, or arts management, search the Foundation Center's Catalog of Nonprofit Literature. Also, be sure to check out our October calendar and register for free Funding for Arts Month programs.

Check it out! New Library Books for Artists

Our new books for artists just arrived--all of these will be available to borrow from our lending library.

The Savvy Musician: Building a Career, Earning a Living, & Making a Difference,by David Cutler. Pittsburgh, PA: Helius Press. The book's website includes a list of funding opportunities.

ART/WORK: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) as You Pursue Your Art Career, by Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber. New York, NY: Free Press.

How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul, 6th ed., by Caroll Michels. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co. Includes a new chapter on Internet art marketing.

The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love, by Jackie Battenfield. New York, NY: Da Capo Press. Read an interview with the artist/author or watch this short video of the author discussing her work.

To find more books or articles for individual artists, search the Foundation Center's Catalog of Nonprofit Literature. Also, be sure to check out our October calendar and register for free Funding for Arts Month programs.

New RFP for Documentary Projects

The San Francisco Foundation recently announced a call for proposals for the second round of The San Francisco Foundation Bay Area Documentary Fund. Accomplished film/video/digital media artists are invited to apply to the Bay Area Documentary Fund for early production support. Projects should address issues pertinent to the five Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo.

Awards are ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 to support documentary projects in early productions phases by experienced filmmakers with an esteemed body of previously created work. 

Proposals are due on Wednesday, November 11, 2009. (Note: This application requires both an online application and physical film samples to be mailed to The San Francisco Foundation).

Complete eligibility requirements, application process instructions, and evaluation criteria are available at The San Francisco Foundation's Arts and Culture Grants and Awards page.

For more information, please visit the complete RFP [pdf].

Learn about Public and Private Funding Opportunities for Individual Artists

If you are an individual artist, then read on--these two programs were designed especially for you:

Friday, October 9, 12:30 pm-2:30 pm: Funding for Public Art in the Bay Area Panelists will discuss what they look for in public art commissions, explain decision-making processes, and offer insight into the priorities they are managing. Speaker include representatives of the City of Oakland, San Francisco Arts Commission, Alameda County Arts Commission and the City of Emeryville. Register>>

Wednesday, October 14, 2-4pm: Meet the Grantmakers: Funding Opportunities for Individual Artists Panelists will describe their organizations' funding priorities and guidelines as they pertain to individual artists. Speakers include representatives of Artadia, Black Rock Arts Foundation, Creative Work Fund, San Francisco Foundation, and Center for Cultural Innovation. Register>>

Both of these programs will take place at The Foundation Center-San Francisco, 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Directions>>

Be sure to check out our October Funding for Arts Month Calendar for a complete list of upcoming free programs.

Thanks to Our Funding for Arts Month Sponsors: James Irvine Foundation and Walter & Elise Haas Fund.

Wednesday, October 14, 2-4pm: Meet the Grantmakers: Funding Opportunities for Individual Artists Panelists will describe their organizations' funding priorities and guidelines as they pertain to individual artists. Speakers include representatives of Artadia, Black Rock Arts Foundation, Creative Work Fund, San Francisco Foundation, and Center for Cultural Innovation. Register>>

Upcoming Special Program: Fiscal Sponsorship & The Arts, Wednesday 9/30

We are kicking off Funding for Arts Month early and invite you to join us for a special opportunity to learn from Fractured Atlas, a national nonprofit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations. The session is designed for anyone who is interested in using fiscal sponsorship including individuals, emerging organizations, the general public, currently sponsored projects, and potential applicants to the Fractured Atlas fiscal sponsorship program. This session will explore the benefits and use of Fractured Atlas' fiscal sponsorship program as a fundraising tool, as well as include an overview of fiscal sponsorship and how to apply, how to use the tools within the program and an introduction to fundraising.

When: Wednesday, September 30th, 5:00-6:30 pm

Where: The Foundation Center-San Francisco, 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Register: This program is offered free of charge, however space is limited. We recommend you register online, in person, or call 415-397-0902.

Visit our FAQs for more information on Fiscal Sponsorship, including a free short tutorial: Guide to Fiscal Sponsorship & Affiliation.

Be sure to check out our October Funding for Arts Month Calendar for a complete list of upcoming free programs.  

RFP: The California Documentary Project

The California Documentary Project (CDP) is a competitive grant program of the California Council for the Humanities in partnership with the Skirball Foundation. CDP supports film, radio, and new media projects that document the California experience and explore issues of significance to Californians.

Applicants may apply for either a Research and Development Grant (film and radio up to $7,000) or a Production Grant (film and radio up to $50,000; and new media up to $20,000). Deadlines for submitting proposals is October 1, 2009.

The online application for these two grant programs will be posted on the California Council for the Humanities website on September 1, 2009.

For more information, visit the complete RFP on the Council's website.  

Listen! Rick Noguchi Discusses the James Irvine Foundation's Creative Connections Fund

For the latest installment of our Philanthropy Chat series, Janet Camarena, director of Foundation Center-San Francisco, interviewed Rick Noguchi, program officer for the arts at the James Irvine Foundation. Rick discusses the foundation's Creative Connections Fund, which is currently accepting applications through August 3, 2009.  The Fund targets small- and mid-sized arts organizations and offers project grants of up to $50,000, over a maximum of 24 months, through an open, competitive review process. Listen to the interview to learn more about how to apply and submit a competitive application, and to learn more about other arts grantmaking at the James Irvine Foundation.

It's also not too late to attend the last session of "Proposal Writing Basics for Arts Organizations and How to Apply to the James Irvine Foundation's Creative Connections Fund," a free two-part program in Santa Cruz on Friday, June 12, 10am-1pm. You just need to register at the web page above.

In addition to finding the Foundation Center's Philanthropy Chat podcasts here, you can also subscribe to them at iTunes, or via our feed.

"Everyone's Doing It": 2009 Nonprofit Video Contest

It's time to enter your nonprofit's video into DoGooder TV's 3rd Annual Nonprofit Video Contest. This year's theme: "Everyone's Doing It" is meant to include submissions of all shapes and sizes, from organizational vlogs, to staff-produced web clips, to high-end, professionally produced videos. You can submit as many videos as you like (it's free to enter!); winners will be selected from these 4 categories: Staff Videos, Vlogs, Long-form videos (any video over 5 minutes), and Short-form videos (any video under 5 minutes). There are two rules: the video had to be created in 2008, and it has to be under 10 minutes long. The deadline for submissions is March 26, 2009.

Winners will be featured on the NonProfit Times online, and will receive a Flip video camera, image licenses from Reuters, and other great video tools. The contest is being sponsored by the Nonprofit Technology Conference 2009 and See3 Communications.

California Story Fund Grants

We just heard about a grant opportunity from our neighbor, the California Council for the Humanities. The California Story Fund is a small grants program to fund unique story projects in communities throughout the state. Past projects funded by the Story Fund have contributed to the evolving story of our state.

The Council will award grants of up to $10,000 to nonprofit organizations for public humanities programs that bring to light compelling stories from California’s diverse communities and provide opportunities for collective reflection and public discussion. The deadline to submit an application for the California Story Fund is April 1st, 2009. Please visit the Council's web site at www.calhum.org/guidelines/guidelines_csf_overview.htm to view the guidelines.