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To our minds,  taxing endowment is very short term thinking.  Lately, US media and politicians have called for taxation of the larger endowment funds. As lawmakers look for sources of funds amid declining tax base at the local level, along with rising tuition costs, the presence of large, successful and growing university endowment funds have […]

At the beginning of each year, the Foundation Board meets to review investment performance and decide on the payout percentage.  This determines the actual income arts organizations holding endowments with the OAF will receive. What does the Board consider in making this decision?   Market GrowthThe majority of endowments we administer are permanent.  The original capital

Canada does not have an annual gathering of arts funders that embraces private, government and public funders similar to Grantmakers in the Arts in the U.S.  Therefore, it is always interesting to monitor the dialogue coming out of the organization’s annual fall conference. At the 2015 meeting, a couple of key themes were tabled that we feel

The Ontario Arts Foundation is committed to the contributing to the success and financial stability of the arts in Ontario. We do this by connecting private donors and the arts through endowments largely established in response to government matching programs. The OAF has invested significant time in the past year to raising the profile of matching

We are sometimes asked by an arts organization why the 2015 income paid from their endowment was 4.5%, when the Foundation earned investment returns of almost 14% for the year. There are two answers to the question:       Our investment policy goal is to earn returns ( interest, dividends, capital gains ) that

I’ve observed a rise in published materials and articles on the intersection between the arts and the areas of aging, healthcare and wellness. The driver may be the “Boomer” generation, who as they retire seek to keep active, learning and finding a place for the arts in their lives. Pre-War GenerationWhen you consider that one of

A measure Canadian charities have long lobbied for was recognized in the 2015 Federal Budget announcement on April 21st. An exemption from capital gains tax will be available to certain disposition/sale of shares of private corporations and real estate. It will apply to dispositions made after 2016 and the tax exemption will apply to:  

Getting Capital Right: Six myths and Realities for Grantmakers Part 1 and Part 2Two recent blog posts from Associated Grant Makers, written from the perspective of a grantor/funder have insights relevant for Board members and arts leaders. The articles resonated as recently the Department of Canadian Heritage announced the 2015 matching grants under the Endowment Incentives Component. This year, organizations who contributed

For some time, the Ontario Arts Foundation has been quietly advocating on behalf of arts organizations for a renewal of the Province of Ontario Arts Endowment Fund matching program. This innovative program, which ran from 1998 to 2008 saw the Government of Ontario invest $60 million in matching funds for endowment. It was a compelling success story of a

A Toronto based arts service organization The Arts Advocate provides commentary and up to date information about government policy, events and trends in the cultural sector of Ontario. At the end of December, they invited subscribers to their service to complete a short survey on the most important policy issues facing the cultural sector in 2015. We