ArtsFund

ArtsFund has an affiliated group, the ArtsFund Foundation, which received its tax-exempt status as the philanthropic arm of ArtsFund to help it carry out its mission. ^{2 3}

Background

ArtsFund was originally called the “United Arts Council of Puget Sound.” ⁴ Its founders established it through a $25,000 grant from the Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural, and Charitable Organizations (PONCHO) to shape the arts and culture of Washington and produce a creative community. ⁴ The name changed in 1975 to “Corporate Council for the Arts” to reflect a redirection in funding from grant organizations such as PONCHO to corporate investment. ⁴

In 1988, Corporate Council for the Arts grew its mission from mere fundraising and grant writing to promoting and producing artistic initiatives to bolster the Seattle art scene. ⁴ In 1991, Corporate Council for the Arts partnered with Boeing to create a capital project called Building for the Arts, to which the United States Department of Commerce allocated $113 million dollars to serve 241 different projects across the state of Washington. ⁴

In 2003, the institution changed its name to the current “ArtsFund” to reflect a shift in funding from corporations to individual giving. ⁴

In 2018, ArtsFund launched its Creative Equity Fund to promote art that advances left-of-center racial activism. ⁴ This initiative was funded by several large donors, including Microsoft, rapper Macklemore, and the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. ⁵

Initiatives

ArtsFund engages in several initiatives to expand its presence in the Seattle, King County, and Washington state area. ⁶ The Cultural Partners Network (CPN) is a group of nonprofits that receive nonprofit capacity building training and resources from ArtsFund, including data sharing and access to ArtsFund’s network of donors and events. ⁷ Among the requirements to join the CPN, ArtsFund highlights that partners must be committed to “Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, and/or disability communities through program delivery, majority representation on your organization’s board, in leadership, or on staff.” ⁷

ArtsFund also holds the ArtsFund Visionaries initiative, a biannual event at which members of the Washington arts community can network with one another. ⁸ The Board Leadership Training (BLT) initiative brings together leaders in the Washington arts scene to learn about capacity building and executive leadership strategies for nonprofits, with topics ranging from financial management and budgeting to legal counsel and left-of-center racial activism practices. ⁹

ArtsFund’s Building for the Arts initiative began in 1991 with the financial support of the Boeing Company, and it continues to bring together Washington arts and culture organizations under large, multi-million-dollar campaigns. ¹⁰ The 2023-2025 Building for the Arts campaign unites over 32 projects and was approved by the Washington State legislature for over $18 million. ¹⁰

Major Grants and Partnerships

In 2021, the Washington state Department of Commerce partnered with ArtsFund to create the Nonprofit Community Relief grant to provide $10 million to nonprofits in response to COVID-19 and its impact on centers of culture and art. ¹¹ The Paul G. Allen Foundation also administered $10 million in grants through ArtsFunds Community Accelerator grant program which privileges alleged underrepresented institutions such as rural institutions, racial minority groups, and LGBTQ+ groups. ¹²

Some of the largest grant recipients for the 2023 ArtsFund Community Accelerator grant program were left-of-center groups advocating equity, antiracism, and social justice, including the Seattle Artist Coalition for Equitable Development, Seattle Arts and Culture for Anti-Racism, the Black Trans Prayer Book, the Stage Left Theater Association, and Creative Justice, each of which received $25,000. ¹³ Among the $22,500 grant recipients was the Social Justice Film Institute, a left-of-center film production nonprofit. ¹³

Leadership

Michael Greer was named president and CEO of ArtsFund in 2020. ⁴ He received a B.A. in Economics from Hampshire College in 2008, followed by a Master’s in Education in International Education Policy and Leadership from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2017. ¹⁴ He also graduated from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 with an M.B.A. ¹⁴ Before joining ArtsFund, Greer was the executive director of the Portland and Oregon Ballets. ¹⁵ He also was a professional ballet dancer from 1997 to 2003. ¹⁵

When he was interviewed shortly after joining ArtsFund, Greer shared his belief that art can be the medium to advocate and promote left-of-center social policy initiatives because “the importance of these conversations have been amplified by COVID and the increased attention on social justice.” ¹⁶

ArtsFund has a 27-member board, including Jackie Jones, the Deputy Director of Gender Equality at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Washington State Representative Liz Berry (D-Seattle), and Dianne Harris, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington. ¹⁷

Finances

In 2022, ArtsFund had $5,325,948 in revenue, $4,176,049 in expenses, and $6,339,727 in total assets. ¹⁸ For the same year, ArtsFund’s partner organization, ArtsFund Foundation, reported $3,757,473 in revenue, $1,054,941 in expenses, and $26,360,953 in total assets. ¹⁹