COVID-19 Response
& Resources
Programs, updates, and actions
for arts funders
WHAT DO WE DO…?
As the coronavirus continues to spread and its impacts change our daily lives, Grantmakers in the Arts has provided and compiled resources to support arts and culture funders as we navigate recovery and response. From webinars and podcasts to zoom calls and calls to action, responses from GIA, our members, and our fellow PSOs aim to provide guidance during this time.
We at GIA encourage grantmakers to support their grantees by treating their funding flexibly in these difficult and rapidly shifting circumstances. Grantmakers throughout the field are strategizing how best to support their cultural communities, and while we cannot know how this crisis will impact their resources in the future, funders can consider both immediate and long-term strategies.
March 2020
On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic became a central focus in our lives, GIA launched an Info Hub and Resource Page for our members and the field. Along with calls to action, recommendations for centering race and equity in any relief effort, and a growing list of emergency funds, GIA encourages grantmakers to support their grantees by treating their funding flexibly in these difficult and rapidly shifting circumstances.
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On Thursday, March 19, 2020, GIA hosted a free webinar: Emergency Preparedness and Response: COVID-19 and the arts ecosystem. Grantmakers from private foundations, PSOs, community-based funding partners, and intermediary funding networks discussed how funders can respond thoughtfully, creatively,
with care, and without panic when “acts of God” require communities to shift rapidly.
April 2020
On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic increases and the scale of recovery becomes larger and larger, GIA President & CEO Eddie Torres calls upon the field to “not only react to crisis but also to be sure we treat this as a moment to create our desired future”
in A Call for Building Deep Resilience in Arts Funding: The future of our field post-coronavirus.
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On Tuesday, April 28, 2020, GIA hosted part one of a two-part COVID-19 focused podcast series Coronavirus Response: Setting the frame. Grantmakers joined GIA to discuss how they are designing their rapid response efforts, what kind of equity lenses can be utilized for the greatest impact, and how to shift from short-term response to long-term recovery.
May 2020
On Wednesday, May 13, 2020, GIA hosted part two of our COVID-19-focused podcast series Coronavirus Response: Into the weeds. Grantmakers join GIA to elevate the importance of centering equity and reframing inherited practices among arts and culture funders. Funders will share how this recovery can aim for new relationships, power structures, and, ultimately, systems of grantmaking.
June 2020
On Tuesday, June 16, 2020, GIA hosted a final COVID-19-focused webinar of the series Coronavirus Response: Building a future we want. This webinar featured discussion from funders and PSO leaders who call for and work toward a more liberated future of grantmaking. Together, we explored what is necessary to re-imagine systems, power, and practice in response to this pandemic and the ongoing crisis of racial inequality.