News

California Cultural Data Project Report Now Available for Arts and Culture Applicants

June 2009

california cultural data project logo

The California CDP will provide the cultural community with consistent, reliable, and comprehensive data on arts and culture in California, and enable organizations to view trends in their data, benchmark themselves against peer organizations, and enhance their financial management capacity.

For more information about the California Cultural Data Project, please visit its website at www.caculturaldata.org.

Arts and Culture Grantees using the California Cultural Data Project in your current grant application to The San Francisco Foundation, please reference our Application Guidelines.

Request for Proposals Announced for the 2009 Fund For Artists Matching Commissions

May 2009

The San Francisco Foundation is pleased to announce the 2009 Fund For Artists (FFA) Matching Commissions. This program is designed to extend an opportunity to small- to mid-sized arts organizations to commission new works from artists and build the organization’s individual donor bases. Through the FFA, we will award funds that must be matched on a one-to-one basis by individual donor contributions within three months of grant notification.

HOW TO APPLY: Please complete the online application in Grantee Center. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2009. Please note that telephone assistance will be available until 5:00 p.m. that day, and mailed Artist Work Samples must arrive no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Proposals will only be accepted through Grantee Center. The grant period begins as early as October 15, 2009. 

Hear Program Officer John R. Killacky on KQED's Forum

March 2009

Request for Proposals for National Arts Marketing Project’s 2009 Bay Area Advanced Marketing Boot Camp

March 2009 

The San Francisco Foundation, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, and The Wallace Foundation, through the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, are sponsoring a unique, two-part program designed to help arts organizations capture the minds, hearts, and wallets of today’s arts consumer through marketing and earned income strategies.

Created for arts organizations at critical junctures in their growth, this advanced training program provides organizations the potential opportunity to receive seed money for new projects. Up to 25 mid-sized nonprofits will be selected to participate in the boot camp. Attendees may then qualify for implementation funding; as many as ten boot camp participants will be granted up to $50,000 over a two year period.

For eligibility requirements and application guidlines, please visit the Grants & Awards page.  For general information about the Wallace Initiative, please visit the Wallace Commissions and Resources page. 

Presentations from Cultural Connections' Serving New Audiences: Wallace Grantees Tell Their Stories Now Available Online

March 2009

On February 12, 2009, arts organizations listened to Wallace Excellence Awardees Center for Asian American Media, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco Girls Chorus, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art talk about the lessons and themes they learned while implementing efforts to reach new audience members through participation. PDFs of many of these awardees' presentations are available for download on the Wallace Commissions and Resources page.

Presentation from Continue the Conversation Now Available Online

February 2009

On December 2, 2008, arts organizations and individual artists in the Bay Area met to discuss the economy, the community, and cultural participation at Continue the Conversation. This convening was produced by The San Francisco Foundation and Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund through the support of The Wallace Foundation in collaboration with City of Oakland Cultural Arts and Marketing Division, Demeter Matrix Alliance, East Bay Community Foundation, Helicon Collaborative, San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, and Theatre Bay Area.

One highlight was CHANGE: The Economy, The Community & Participation, a presentation by Helicon Collaborative's Holly Sidford. Click here to download a PDF of this presentation.

Arts and Culture Program Officer John R. Killacky in the Media

February 2009

Arts and Culture Program Officer John R. Killacky was recently interviewed by Scott Shafer on The California Report, a daily news report that broadcasts throughout California and locally on KQED. In the interview, John gives insight to the current economic hardship and how it will effect arts organizations in the Bay Area and beyond. For Scott Shafer's full piece, originally airing on Friday, January 2, 2009, click here to listen to the audio broadcast.

Additionally, John talks about his experience of raising funds for his own film, Janis Ian: Live From Grand Center, and its impact on the creation of The San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Documentary Fund in a recent article on SF360.org. Click here to visit the article on SF360.org.

Request for Proposals for The San Francisco Foundation Bay Area Documentary Fund

August 2008

Many award-winning documentaries have emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area. In recognition of this fine documentary tradition, we invite accomplished film/video/digital media artists to apply to The San Francisco Foundation Bay Area Documentary Fund for early production support.

Four or five awards ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 will be distributed annually to support documentary projects in early production phases by experienced filmmakers with an esteemed body of previously created work. Projects should address issues pertinent to the five Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, or San Mateo. The San Francisco Foundation is interested in documentaries exploring issues that have been historically underexposed, misinterpreted, or ignored. 

HOW TO APPLY: Please complete the online application in Grantee Center. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. (Assistance will be available until 5:00 p.m.)

Individual filmmakers must be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the the five county Bay Area. Proposals will be accepted only through Grantee Center and application work samples must be postmarked no later than October 15, 2008. Winners will be notified December 1, 2008.

At your first visit, select the Create a New Account link to be prompted to provide the necessary information to complete the set up process. Please note, if you are fiscally sponsored your organization should be your project name NOT YOUR FISCAL SPONSOR.  You will have the opportunity to add your fiscal sponsor during the process.  Once you have logged in, you will be able to complete and review online applications, review your grants, submit reports, and manage your account information.

For eligibility requirements and additional details, please click here to download a PDF of the Request for Proposals (RFP).

Request for Proposals Announced for the 2008 Fund For Artists Matching Commissions

August 2008

The San Francisco Foundation is pleased to announce the 2008 Fund For Artists (FFA) Matching Commissions.  This program is designed to extend an opportunity to small- to mid-sized arts organizations to commission new works from artists and build the organization’s individual donor bases.  Through the FFA, TSFF will award funds that must be matched on a one-to-one basis by individual donor contributions within three months of grant notification.

For additional information regarding the Fund For Artists Matching Commission please attend an informational session on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm at The San Francisco Foundation office (225 Bush Street, Ste 500, San Francisco, CA 94114).

HOW TO APPLY: Please complete the online application in Grantee Center.  Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on Wednesday, September 17, 2008. (Assistance will be available until 5:00 p.m.)

Proposals will only be accepted through Grantee Center.  The grant period begins as early as November 1, 2008. 

For additional details, please click here to download a PDF of the Request for Proposals (RFP).

Recent News

2008 Shenson Performing Arts Fellowship Announced 

May 2008

A pre-selected group of arts organizations that provide excellent professional-track performing arts training and performance opportunities are invited to nominate an exemplary pre-professional performing artist (above 18 years of age) for a $5,000 award to assist with their professional advancement. Fellowships are based on the nominee’s artistic merit and their potential for future excellence and impact in his or her performing arts discipline.

Funds will be granted to organizations, but must be given to nominated artists. Multiple Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships will be awarded this year. The fellowship period is one year, funding activities that take place between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009.

The Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson Foundation at The San Francisco Foundation was established in 1995 by brothers Ben and A. Jess Shenson who were passionate about encouraging pre-professional students in the performing arts. These fellowships will be awarded in their memory. For more information on the Shenson Fellowship visit our Grants & Awards section.

The 2007 Art Awards Celebration

October 2007

Each year, The San Francisco Foundation is proud to sponsor the Art Awards Program, fostering individual growth and excellence in the Bay Area by granting over $255,000 to 54 artists in different stages of their careers and development from students to mid-career artists to veteran artists. In the spirit of honoring this year's arts awardees, partners, and jurors who reflect the strength and diversity of our arts community, we hosted a festive celebration for the 2007 Art Awards winners on October 16, 2007. Our guests of honor included artist award winners and honorees – poets, writers, sculptors, painters, filmmakers, media artists, photographers, printmakers, and performing artists.  

New Partnership with The Wallace Foundation

Last year The Wallace Foundation chose Chicago and Boston to work in-depth with a cohort of arts organizations to help grantees in these cities reach more people, capture knowledge about effective practices toward this goal, and make that knowledge known to a broad constituency of arts professionals. In each of these cities, Wallace partnered with the local community foundation and public art agency.

For a second round of the Wallace Excellence Awards program, San Francisco and Philadelphia have been chosen as the new focus cities with The San Francisco Foundation as the community foundation partner, and Grants for the Arts as the public agency partner for San Francisco.

The deadline for proposals has now passed. Please check back for announced grants.

Arts & Culture Staff Updates

The Arts and Culture team hosted regional meetings for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance USA, and California Arts Advocates. Nicole DuPont curated an exhibition of watercolors by rock singer Marilyn Manson at the Space 39 Gallery in Fort Myers, Florida, and appeared on the television show View from the Bay with Suze Orman along with other women from The San Francisco Foundation. John R. Killacky curated a touring visual arts exhibition for the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, attended the Leveraging Investments in Creativity conference in Philadelphia in April, and gave the keynote address at the annual VSA Arts conference in Washington D.C. Jaime Cortez served as an arts juror at the East Bay Community Foundation, gave a reading of fiction at the San Francisco Main Library, and has been invited to exhibit drawings in his first international exhibition in the Philippines.

FAITHS Arts and Culture Mini-grants

Faith-based organizations and congregations often serve as a community hub for immigrant, refugee, and grassroots communities, while acting as a focus for cultural and artistic activity. To enhance this exchange of art and ideas, the Foundation's FAITHS Initiative and Arts and Culture Program announce the FAITHS Arts and Culture Mini-grants. Faith-based organizations in the five Bay Area counties we serve (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties) will be eligible for mini-grants of up to $3,000. These grants support free, community-based artistic and cultural activities, with a priority focus on immigrant, refugee, and grassroots communities. Approximately $30,000 in funds will be granted. The deadline for 2006 grants has now passed.
The applications for the 2007 FAITHS Arts and Culture Mini-Grants will be available for downloading from our website in Mid-October, 2007.

Program Officer John Killacky Discusses the Local Arts Community in a San Francisco Chronicle Op-Ed Article

In a recent op-ed column in the San Francisco Chronicle, John Killacky, the Foundation’s program officer for arts and culture, describes recent successes of local artists and arts organizations, as well as their pressing needs. In particular, financial support is necessary to ensure that arts organizations have the resources they need and so that artists can afford to live, work, and create in our community. Early next year, the Arts Task Force is charged with the task of addressing some of these issues and John discusses the Task Force’s opportunities to integrate the arts community into community and workforce development programs. To read the column from the November 25th issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, please visit The San Francisco Foundation in the News page.

Program Officer John Killacky Delivered Keynote at Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Conference

John R. Killacky, program officer for Arts and Culture at The San Francisco Foundation, gave the keynote address at the Kennedy Center's Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Training and Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, on October 1, 2005.

This annual gathering included accessibility professionals working in the country’s arts and cultural organizations and focused on current issues related to accessibility. To read the excerpted speech in PDF format, please click here.

Business Investing in Community Arts

The Rand Report ("Gifts of the Muse, Reframing the Debate About the Benefit of the Arts," commissioned by the Wallace Foundation) is impacting the national arts landscape as arts and cultural organizations confront the challenge of new ways to effectively engage the private sector to fund the arts. Our program officer for arts and culture, John Killacky, moderated a discussion of strategies to engage the private sector with the arts and cultural communities. Held at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. One model  highlighted for engaging the business community is the Fund for Artists. This collaborative effort of four Bay Area community foundations and three state and national foundations is a $1 million initiative to support the work of creative individuals in the Bay Area. The fund will support the endeavors of individual artists through commissions, artists' residencies, awards, advocacy, and promotional and networking support. Learn more about the Fund for Artists and our other impact funds here.

Past Legal Seminars for Artists and Arts Organizations

CONTRACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS BASICS
Thursday, March 30, 2006
9:00 am to 12:00 noon

Speakers:
Richard Lee, Law Offices of Richard Lee
Alma Robinson, California Lawyers for the Arts

Recognizing that every arts administrator may be faced with reviewing a wide range of contracts (employees, independent contractors, collaborators, etc.), this workshop will review basics of the agreement process and cover the alternatives to formal “contracts,” such as memoranda of understanding and letter agreements. The principle of "Get it in writing" will be emphasized, along with a primer on when to seek legal advice. A short segment on negotiating basics will involve an interactive role-play, followed by discussion.

Download information from this seminar:
Panelist Bios (PDF)
Negotiations Overview (PDF)
Contracts Basics (PDF)

COPYRIGHT BASICS FOR NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
Speakers:
Simon J. Frankel, Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk & Rabkin
Linda Joy Kattwinkel, Owen, Wickersham & Erickson
Marc Paisin, Law Offices of Mark Paisin
Jill Roisen, California Lawyers for the Arts

Download information from this seminar:
General Outline: Copyright Basics for Nonprofits (PDF)
Legalities: What is a Copyright? (PDF)
Basics of Resale Royalties, Moral Rights, and Trademark (PowerPoint)

A general overview of copyright law and registration procedures were followed by an interactive role-play involving a copyright dispute, drawn from actual cases handled through California Lawyers for the Arts’ mediation program. Further information about “the bundle of copyrights,” intellectual property in the digital age, moral rights and the exceptions to copyright protection, such as fair use and public domain, and the differences between copyright and trademark were explained, followed by a question and answer period.