Arts Funding at Twenty-Five

To mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of the first Arts Funding benchmark study, Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) commissioned arts philanthropy researcher Steven Lawrence to prepare a reflection on changes in arts and culture funding over the past twenty-five years. Released in the Winter 2018 GIA Reader, “Arts Funding at Twenty-Five: What Data and Analysis Continue to Tell Funders about the Field,” examines changing sources of support for arts and culture from the 1980s forward and the factors propelling those trends. Steven will review key findings and highlight more recent funding data that suggest the arts are not keeping pace with other sectors, especially in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

For the deaf or hard of hearing, live captioning is available by request. Please contact Sherylynn Sealy, GIA program manager, at least three (3) business days prior to the webinar to request live captioning. You can reach her at sherylynn@giarts.org.

• Steven Lawrence, Independent Consultant and Senior Research Affiliate, TCC Group, Presenter
  Steven Lawrence partners with funders and nonprofits to develop the knowledge they need to strengthen the field and make well-informed decisions. Among his recent clients are Ariadne: European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights, Global Greengrants Fund, Grantmakers in the Arts, Prospera: International Network of Women’s Funds, and United Philanthropy Forum. Previously, Steven served as director of research for Foundation Center, which represents the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. In his more than 20 years at the Foundation Center, Steven led ground-breaking research on philanthropic support for priorities such as human rights, social justice, health policy, education reform, peace and security, and mission investing.

• Eddie Torres, President & CEO, Grantmakers in the Arts, Moderator