The Transformative Arts Process by Justin Laing

The Transformative Arts Process

Experiments in Philanthropic Participation

The Heinz Endowments

• Asset size: $1.6 Billion• $60-$70 Million in grants annually in Pittsburgh• Five Program Areas– Arts & Culture– Children, Youth & Families– Community & Economic Development– Education– Environment

• I work in Arts & Culture

More Typical Philanthropic Processes

• Reflect on prior work successes & mistakes;• Staff develop strategy based upon prior

experience and build it on top of other models with which we are familiar;

• Develop an RFP and ask for community input;• Share RFP with community; • Solicit responses;• Panel or staff makes decisions;• Power not explicitly addressed

Innovators I’ve Learned From

Making Our Thinking More Visible

The first paper we wrote communicating where we were going

Focusing on Relationship Building

Engaged Race & Racism

Enlisted Colleagues

New York

Boston

The Bay Area

When Grantees Wanted Data

We Tried To Respond

“Transform Your Work As A Start”

Presented Three Ideas to the Board

janera solomon of Kelly Strayhorn Theater: Incubate spaces for African American artists interested in social justice on Penn Ave

James Brown of the Lighthouse House Project: Take the Lighthouse Program to a free standing building serving more and more accessible.

Charlie Humphrey of the Pgh Center for the Arts: Media Literacy Programs in AA & Distressed Neighborhoods

Presented next steps

Presented this document to community stakeholders in October of 2013

Wasn’t exactly a hit

So took another shot

Got Closer

Presented a more flexible definition of field building in February of 2014

Presented to Board and Progress!

• $800,000 appropriation – Grants for cohort and

movement building – Consultant team to

manage process– Stipends for advisory

board members– Evaluation

Development of TAP Advisory Board

Increasing Participation Further

Reviewed Purpose and Way of Working

TAP Field Building

Strategies

Developed Its Own Definition of Field Building

Built an Online Community

Next Step: Develop Strategy

• Will all five areas receive equal investment? If not, which areas are more in need of $?

• Will all five areas use the same method of impacting the field? For example, might we use RFPs in all of the areas?

Challenges & Questions

• Engage consultants/partners who care about relationships & get them;

• Invest in time, but understand the downsides in terms of “Money out the door.”

• Bring value to grantees outside of $;• Include race & justice analysis in the work.• If possible, structure relationships into the

work and define the relationship together;

More Challenges & Questions

• Be prepared to make real changes based upon what you hear from partners and provide real check-in opportunities;

• Do not overestimate “relationships”. No $ to a grantee may mean the relationship is over.

• Employ relationship tools, such as social media, project management software that allow grantees to impact work;

• Communications internally as important externally.