Category: Help Yourself

The Wallace Foundation has extended the deadline to apply for its new, $53 million initiative focusing on arts organization of color. The deadline for letters of interest is now Friday, August 20, 2021. The initiative will focus on: How can and do arts organizations of color, facing strategic challenges, leverage their community orientation to increase their resilience, while sustaining their relevance? There will be two cohorts for the initiative; Wallace currently seeks expressions of interest from eligible arts organizations of color that wish to be considered for the first cohort, which includes organizations with annual budgets between $500,000 and $5 million. The foundation will select 10 to 12 organizations across the visual and performing arts, literary and media arts, and community-based organizations focused on artistic practice. Each selected organization will receive five years of funding totaling approximately $2 to $3 million to develop and pursue projects; while pursuing individual projects that address their own strategic challenges, grantees will share what they are learning with one another and with researchers who will document their progress and histories.

Learn more about the initiative, eligibility criteria, and how to submit a letter of interest at www.wallacefoundation.org/ArtsOpenCall. Apply by Friday, August 20, 2021.

As it did in 2020, the Association of California Symphony Orchestras’ (ACSO) Annual Conference https://www.acso.org/conference will take place online. This year’s event, with the theme “Coming Together, Breaking Through,” will run from August 2 to 6 and feature plenary sessions, peer forums, networking events, and more. Sessions will focus on the issues facing California’s orchestras, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, community-centric fundraising for the arts, and adaptive leadership. The sessions are designed to help orchestra professionals apply the lessons of the past sixteen months. Speakers include Simon Woods, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras; Heather Noonan, vice president for advocacy of the League of American Orchestras; Afa Dworkin, president and artistic director of the Sphinx Organization; Daniel Bernard Roumain, composer, violinist, educator, activist, board member of the League of American Orchestras; Vu Le, writer, speaker, co-leader of Community-Centric Fundraising; and Eric Martin, managing director of Adaptive Change Advisors. Orchestra professionals, musicians, and arts workers outside California are welcome to attend as the conference will focus on issues relating to the national orchestra field and the larger arts sector. Registration is available on a “pay what you can” basis. Learn more at www.acso.org/conference, or contact ACSO at (800) 495-2276 or conference@acso.org.

The Wallace Foundation has announced a five-year, $53 million initiative focusing on arts organizations of color, and is inviting eligible arts organizations to apply. Wallace is also inviting researchers to submit proposals for studies associated with the initiative. The open call to submit applications runs through August 13, 2021. The initiative will focus on: How can and do arts organizations of color, facing strategic challenges, leverage their community orientation to increase their resilience, while sustaining their relevance? There will be two cohorts for the initiative; Wallace currently seeks expressions of interest from eligible arts organizations of color that would like to be considered for the first cohort, which will include organizations with budgets between $500,000 and $5 million. The foundation will select 10 to 12 organizations across the visual and performing arts, literary and media arts, and community-based organizations focused on artistic practice. Each selected organization will receive five years of funding totaling approximately $2 to $3 million to develop and pursue projects; grantees will participate in peer learning and research to advance knowledge in the nonprofit arts field. Learn more at www.wallacefoundation.org/ArtsOpenCall. Applications are due by August 13, 2021.

The American Rescue Plan funds administered by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will be awarded to support jobs in the arts and culture sector, keep the doors open to nonprofit organizations nationwide, and assist the arts and culture field in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. This specialized grant process is distinct from other NEA grantmaking opportunities, and eligible nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply, whether or not they are prior NEA grantees. In “Preparing to Apply for American Rescue Plan Grants from the NEA,” a free webinar hosted by the League of American Orchestras on Wednesday, July 14 at 3:00pm Eastern/Noon Pacific, NEA Music Director Ann Meier Baker and NEA Music Specialist Court Burns will provide an overview of the American Rescue Plan Grants for Organizations; share information on determining eligibility, how to apply, and tips for your application; and provide time for questions and answers. This webinar will be recorded and is free to all participants.

Learn more and register to watch “Preparing to Apply for American Rescue Plan Grants from the NEA” at 3:00pm Eastern/Noon Pacific on Wednesday, July 14.  If you can’t attend the webinar live, register here to receive the recording.

Questions? Contact League Member Services at member@americanorchestras.org.

Over the past 15 months, the orchestra community has proven time and again how strong it can be when everyone works together. Stronger Together: League Giving Days 2021 celebrate this resilience and aid the League of American Orchestras in its ongoing work supporting the future of American orchestras. Recognizing that in times of crisis organizations rely on the League’s work more than ever, the League has stepped up its service to the field. To date, the League has invested more than $1 million and thousands of hours of staff time to continue the critical work of helping orchestras on their path to recovery: advocating for the inclusion of orchestras in federal relief packages, convening members for solidarity and the sharing of ideas, and delivering vital information and learning needed to navigate the crisis. It’s now vital that the League replenish its resources as we support orchestras through a critical recovery period.

There has never been a better time to make a gift to the League, because all Stronger Together: League Giving Days 2021 gifts made by June 30, 2021 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000 thanks to the generous support of the Julian Family Foundation. Help the League help orchestras and join the League’s Stronger Together community by making a gift today.

The League of American Orchestras has launched a new online Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Resource Center. Organized by topic, the center offers curated resources especially for board members, orchestra staff, and orchestra musicians. The center features a balance of orchestra-specific content and curated resources from the wider arts and nonprofit worlds, as well as some content that has been carried forward from the League’s previous EDI center. There’s also a section on League-specific resources—everything from League statements on racism and commitments to anti-racism, to descriptions of and links to research reports, programs, and the League’s Board EDI Committee. Visit https://americanorchestras.org/learn/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/ for more.

Over the past 15 months, the orchestra community has proven time and again how strong it can be when everyone works together. Stronger Together: League Giving Days 2021 celebrate this resilience and aid the League of American Orchestras in its ongoing work supporting the future of American orchestras. Recognizing that in times of crisis organizations rely on the League’s work more than ever, the League has stepped up its service to the field. To date, the League has invested more than $1 million and thousands of hours of staff time to continue the critical work of helping orchestras on their path to recovery: advocating for the inclusion of orchestras in federal relief packages, convening members for solidarity and the sharing of ideas, and delivering vital information and learning needed to navigate the crisis. It’s now vital that the League replenish its resources as we support orchestras through a critical recovery period.

There has never been a better time to make a gift to the League, because now all Stronger Together: League Giving Days 2021 gifts will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000 thanks to the generous support of the Julian Family Foundation. Help the League help orchestras and join the League’s Stronger Together community by making a gift today.

Five orchestra musicians will receive Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service from the League of American Orchestras at the Opening Session of the League’s online National Conference on Monday, June 7 at 3:30 pm ET. Supported by Ford Motor Company Fund, the awards recognize professional musicians’ deeply impactful work outside the concert hall, much of it virtual this year due to the pandemic. The 2021 awardees provide pop-up concerts at food banks; bring orchestra musicians to a hospital; use music as a therapeutic tool for adults with mental health challenges; organize front-porch music lessons to breach the digital divide; and bring the joy of music to toddlers and their families. The 2021 Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service honorees are: Sean Claire, violin, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra; Jeremy Crosmer, cello, Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Lorien Benet Hart, violin, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Miho Hashizume, violin, the Cleveland Orchestra; John Turman, horn, Seattle Symphony. The 2021 awardees will present their work at “Partnering Effectively,” a meeting at the League Conference for musicians and education and community engagement staff on Monday, June 14 at 1 pm ET. Each musician receives a cash award of $2,500 and complimentary registration to the League’s Conference. The musician’s orchestra receives a grant of $2,500 to support professional development for its musicians, as well as complimentary registration for one staff member to attend the Conference. Learn more here.

Over one thousand orchestra professionals have already registered for this year’s League of American Orchestras’ Conference, Embracing a Changed World. Join them online for two full weeks of new perspectives, provocative discussions, performances, and meaningful connections. Don’t miss out on this chance to boldly tackle the issues most affecting orchestras and help create a vibrant future for the field. Register now to take advantage of the early-bird rates, before prices go up on midnight Friday, May 28.

Learn more about the programming and people at the League’s 2021 Conference. Register here.

The League of American Orchestras has awarded grants to 25 U.S. orchestras to strengthen their understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and help transform organizational culture. Ranging from $15,000 to $19,500 each, the one-year grants comprise the final round of The Catalyst Fund, the League’s three-year, $2.1 million grant-making program, made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. The Catalyst Fund has made a strong impact on the field, with several orchestras receiving multiple grants over three years. Since its launch in 2019, 76 Catalyst Fund grants ​have been awarded to 49 orchestras of all sizes and types, each demonstrating a strong commitment to EDI work and systemic change. More than 80 percent of first-year grantees reported making either policy or programming changes as a result of their funded work, with most engaging board and musicians alongside staff. With Catalyst Fund support, orchestras hire EDI practitioners to help implement organizational-development activities including anti-bias trainings, institutional audits, the creation of formal EDI plans, and work to build consensus and integrate EDI into mission statements and culture. Learn more about The Catalyst Fund, including the 2021 grant recipients.