2425 Liberty Avenue
Please join us for A Conversation on Capitalization and Community -- an interactive day-long workshop meant to deepen our knowledge and inform our grantmaking to cultural organizations.
Capitalization is defined as "the financial resources an organization needs to fulfill its mission over time." Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) launched its National Capitalization Project in 2010 in response to the observation that it has been the norm for the nonprofit arts sector to be poorly capitalized. The project aims to begin a conversation about what funders and nonprofits might do individually and collectively to address this long-standing condition.
The National Capitalization Project has included a literature review, report, and "Conversations About Capitalization" workshops that have been offered across the country. The workshops, which are designed specifically for funders, address important issues such as defining a well-capitalized organization and include concrete suggestions for how funders can change practices to encourage capitalization. More information about the National Capitalization Project is available here.
The December 3 workshop for Pittsburgh was developed by Grantmakers in the Arts and designed and presented by senior consultants from the Nonprofit Finance Fund (New York) and TDC (Boston).
The presenters are:
Susan Nelson, Principal, TDC
Rebecca Thomas, Vice President, Nonprofit Finance Fund
The working session is designed for staff and trustees of arts funders, large and small, private and public, who have a shared interest in the health and vibrancy of the arts and cultural organizations they fund. This candid discussion among funders will review the elements of effective capitalization; barriers to attaining strong capitalization; potential disconnects between grantmaking practices and promoting a healthy balance sheet; and discussion of how these issues are reflected in our local cultural organizations.
Space is limited to 25 people. Please RSVP by Friday, November 8. Workshop admission is free. Continental breakfast and lunch are provided.
Because capacity for this workshop is limited to 25 people, each funding organization is asked to limit program registrations to two people. Please notify Melody Harris (mharris@gwpa.org) if additional staff or trustees from your organization would like to attend: we will place their names on a waiting list and invite their participation as space permits.
Questions about workshop content may be directed to Abigail Guay at abigail@giarts.org.
Conversations on Capitalization and the Community is a program of Grantmakers in the Arts and made possible by the Kresge Foundation and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. For more information on the National Capitalization Project, go to:http://www.giarts.org/