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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

Looking at the mission statements of arts organizations, you see references to community engagement. The term can have many different interpretations across organizations and disciplines. I found a helpful definition in a recent (September 13, 2013) blog post by ArtsBlog.  It referred to definitions that I found simple and clear:     Community : refers to individuals and

We often think of Canada’s tax laws as dry and unchanging. Charity law and tax regulation actually changes quite a lot and shouldn’t be thought of as dormant. I recently attended a seminar and here are some tax related highlights arts organizations should be aware of :     First Time Donor Tax Credit – this

A recent study on charitable giving from foundations, individuals and corporations indicates that overall amounts are still below levels raised in 2007, the start of the recession and market downturn. While the securities markets have recovered, the ‘psychology of giving’ has not. An article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy confirms that donors at all income