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Imagine this, a man walks into a bakery and says to the baker, “I need a gluten free cake, but I can only pay you 20% of the cost, and you can only spend my money on eggs, but not butter and not on electricity for the oven; you have to find someone else to

The Foundation holds two types of capital funds:  endowment funds where capital is held permanently and only income is available to be disbursed, and restricted funds where capital can be disbursed, depending on the agreement with the donor. Our investment objectives are long term, with the goal of achieving investment returns which allow for annual income payments to arts

I read a timely blog posting that should be on the agenda of the Board of any arts organization. The thrust is that a greater focus is needed on developing the professional skillsof arts managers/leaders. It is well accepted in the corporate world that an organization’s success is tied with a continuous focus on growing the abilities and

In a recent submission to the Province of Ontario recommending re-instatement of the Arts Endowment Fund matching program, we make the argument that an investment in the arts is an investment in economic growth and job creation. Economic studies increasingly report on the positive economic activity resulting from arts and culture activity. As examples:  

The federal budget proposes to increase flexibility to Executors in the tax treatment of charitable donations made by an individual at their death through a bequest in their Will. During your lifetime, Canada’s tax rules allow an individual, who makes a charitable donation to claim an income tax credit calculated on the fair market value

I recently attended a leadership program at the Ivey School of Business. It involves a lot of reading and I found one article interesting and I think useful for board members and arts managers who are hiring for a new position.  As well as skills and experience that we look for in a candidate, this paper referenced three

A Leadership Forum organized by the University of Southern California, titled Philanthropy,: Imagination, Innovation and Impact contains  a series of short, very readable commentaries on personal philanthropy. One couple, who have pledged to give away one-half of their personal wealth to philanthropy summarized five principles that have guided their thought process about giving back. They are simple, but

The Monitor Group, a consulting forum ( part of Deloitte’s ) spotlights promising new ideas and practices, including pioneering new models of philanthropy. They are associated with a Canadian task force focusing on philanthropy – Northern Lights. As more information and results from this task force become public, we’ll share in future the findings and highlights.

A recent article in a US philanthropy publication reported that endowment funds held by charities and foundations were reporting average 5% returns (2011) and that investment performance has still not fully recovered from the steep market declines in 2007-2008. The article indicated, in this environment of low returns, some organizations were moving to ‘protect’ the endowment value by  lowering

I recently read a comprehensive outline for a strategic framework for investing in the arts. Based in California, the paper by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a superb description of the role of a foundation as funder, a descriptor of why we should invest in the arts, and an outline of what is