The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is pleased to be a part of the collaborative effort to bring Ford Foundation's "America's Cultural Treasures" initiative to Philadelphia. Learn more in this press release from the William Penn Foundation.
PHILADELPHIA (August 11, 2022) – The William Penn Foundation in collaboration with The Barra Foundation, Neubauer Family Foundation, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and Wyncote Foundation announced over $6 million in general operating support to 16 organizations through the Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures (PCT) initiative. The regional component of the Ford Foundation’s America’s Cultural Treasures, PCT is a three-part funding initiative that aims to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) cultural groups, artists, and organizations with exceptional significance to Greater Philadelphia through substantial, multi-year general operating support as part of local philanthropy’s commitment to supporting a racially, economically, and socially just COVID-19 recovery. The program aims to create new opportunities for BIPOC artists, creatives, and culture-bearers and recognize their important and enduring contributions to Philadelphia and its residents.
The first funding opportunity made available to arts organizations through PCT was multi-year, general operating support, where organizations were selected through a two-part application process by a panel of 12 local leaders and community partners. The following organizations have been awarded:
- African American Museum in Philadelphia
- Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture
- Asian Arts Initiative
- BlackStar
- Brandywine Workshop
- Bushfire Theatre of Performing Arts
- Community Education Center
- Indigenous Peoples' Day Philly Inc.
- Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble, Inc.
- Norris Square Neighborhood Project
- Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts
- Scribe Video Center
- South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)
- Taller Puertorriqueño
- The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!)
- West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance/Paul Robeson House & Museum
Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures includes two other upcoming funding opportunities: fellowships for BIPOC artists (nominations concluding in early September 2022) and project grants to emergent organizations or collectives critically valued in their communities (application opening in summer 2023). Similar to the process used to award the general operating support grants, these applications will be reviewed and selected by external panels of local leaders and community partners with a range of knowledge and work reflecting diverse neighborhoods in the City of Philadelphia, the field of arts and culture, and civic participation. Please visit PhiladelphiasCulturalTreasures.org for details about the initiative guidelines and application process.
“In Philadelphia and across the country, cultural groups, artists, and organizations of color have historically struggled with fewer financial resources than their white counterparts, with the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbating this issue,” explained William Penn Foundation Board Chair Kathy Christiano. “Their work is an important part of the cultural landscape in Philadelphia, and we are pleased to support such a vibrant cohort of diverse arts organizations.”
America’s Cultural Treasures is a national initiative acknowledging and honoring the diversity of artistic expression and excellence in America. It has generated more than $276 million in critical funding to more than 100 organizations across the country led by and/or serving communities of color that have made a significant impact on America’s cultural landscape, despite historically limited resources.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this cohort of organizations that have contributed immeasurably to Philadelphia’s artistic community,” said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. “Their excellence and commitment to the communities they serve exemplify the principles of the America’s Cultural Treasures initiative and we cannot wait to see how they continue to grow.”
About The Barra Foundation
The Barra Foundation invests in innovation to inspire change that strengthens communities in the Greater Philadelphia region. With four primary areas of interest -- Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services – The Barra Foundation funds organizations in these areas through either core support or risk capital to test and advance new ideas and approaches.
About the Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
About The Neubauer Family Foundation
The Neubauer Family Foundation (NFF) invests in people and data-driven, evidence-based initiatives intended to achieve transformational impact. Philanthropic initiatives include strategic investments in Philadelphia’s school system, violent crime prevention, innovative leadership of arts & cultural organizations, institutions of higher learning and advancing new opportunities for Israeli-Arabs to participate in Israel’s high prestige, high income scientific revolution.
About The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grant maker and hub for knowledge-sharing, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and dedicated to fostering a vibrant and diverse cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative, and catalytic work that showcases the region’s cultural vitality and enhances public life, and it engages in an exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders.
About the William Penn Foundation
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, provide inclusive and equitable public spaces and arts and culture experiences, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.
About the Wyncote Foundation
The Wyncote Foundation was founded in 2009 and supports efforts that strengthen and enrich culture, community, and the natural environment. In particular, Wyncote Foundation makes grants in the areas of arts & culture; education; the environment; health & human services; and preservation. Particular areas of interest include Historic Organ Preservation; the Northwest region; Performance Arts; and Public Media & Journalism.
MEDIA CONTACT
Samantha Retamar
Communications Associate, Creative Communities
William Penn Foundation
sretamar@williampennfoundation.org
954-243-7546