As we begin the week with COVID-19 response meetings, discussions, and webinars, I wanted to take a minute to bring to light some concerning trends around emergency funding. As we are all aware, the organizations with the most capacity for grant writing, individual giving, and general fundraising are often not the ones led by people of color.
Funding patterns and policies such as budget size minimums, requirements for previous city and state funding, lack of application support, and a historical lack of communication with communities of color result in grant making that, whether intentional or not, perpetuates white supremacy at the worst time possible.
Given the fact that communities of color are often the first hit and last to recover during any sort of economic downturn, the above policies are extremely problematic. This is why I am offering the group a list of POC-led and -serving organizations overlooked by the COVID-19 emergency funding response. These are organizations and fiscally sponsored projects that, despite their best efforts, are unlikely to receive critical funds and support during this crisis as a result of the these policies.
- Educated Little Monsters and Bushwick Open Studios
- End Bias Wiki (fellow ABC Fiscal-Sponsee)
- Interfaith Film Festival (fellow ABC Fiscal-Sponsee)
- Braata Productions
- Ruddur Dance
- The Wild Project
- Developing Artists
- TRANSART
- Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce
- Masa
- Arts Business Collaborative (us!)
Even after this difficult time, I would urge you to look into these organizations for programmatic and general operating funding as they are less likely to have:
- second or third degree connections to private family foundations or large foundations
- budget sizes greater than $250k
- nonprofit fundraising knowledge or experience that would help them create the most “competitive” application
- more than a month or two of operating capital
However, they are more likelyto be:
- collaborative with other grantees, sharing knowledge and improving program efficacy
- aware of the real needs of their community, so funds are used smarter
- connectors in their community and thus have the ability to make much deeper impact than a program created and administered by community outsider
If you have the ability to allocate discretionary funds or are interested in getting to know any of these organizations or fiscally sponsored projects, please let me know, and ABC’s consultants and White Allies Circle would be happy to help them put in an application free of charge.
If you know of other small groups who are less likely to get support, please add them to the list, and we’ll help them as well.
Crises have an interesting tendency to reveal the blindspots in both our society and our values. I’m hoping that we as a group can, to the extent possible, can ensure equity and avoid the disaster-capitalistic tendencies of mid-size and large white-led institutions.
We are here to make sure that on the other side of COVID-19, communities of color and the POC-led institutions that serve them do more than survive; they thrive.
Thank you for your consideration.
In solidarity,
KAT BLOOMFIELD (SHE/HER/HERS)CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERKAT@ARTSBUSINESSCOLLABORATIVE.ORG781.375.6968 ARTS BUSINESS COLLABORATIVE38-01 60TH STREET, WOODSIDE, NY 11377ARTSBUSINESSCOLLABORATIVE.ORGEIN: 83–2173068
