Oh Charity, where are thou?

February 10, 2012 12:26 PM

Charities that support the arts?

I'm working on a project, and I want to turn it into a fundraiser for a charity. I have some charities in mind (which I have previously supported) but I thought it would be nice if I could find a charity related to the arts. It's a little hard to search out charities online (I have looked through Charity Navigator, etc), so I figured I could try asking here.

I'm looking for a charity that either:
1) Supports the arts/increases exposure to arts among underprivileged communities (whether in the US or in other countries
or
2) Maybe a charity that supports art programs in schools
Other suggestions are welcome, though!

I want to make sure that the charity is reputable, and has a proven track record of following through with their mission statement.

Thanks! :)

posted by sprezzy to grab bag (9 answers total)

The Music School, Providence. You can designate your funds for PUMP. I have previously worked this programme and it's very concrete and worthy. TMS has done extensive primary research and children from these under-served communities who are given music education do better in reading and maths!
posted by DarlingBri at 12:40 PM on February 10, 2012

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education may fit the bill.
posted by SisterHavana at 1:00 PM on February 10, 2012

One of my clients is a local community foundation, and they have some really well-regarded local funds that support artists in my area. So if that sort of thing fits the bill, you might have a look at your local community foundation.
posted by circular at 1:02 PM on February 10, 2012

VH-1 Save The Music?
posted by dr. fresh at 1:14 PM on February 10, 2012

The Brooklyn Museum of Art. I don't know where you're based (would obvs be more meaningful if you're in the NYC area), but they're one of the best museums I'm aware of in terms of almost any meaningful angle of Promoting The Arts.

- You hate bigotry and censorship? They're currently hosting the controversial Hide/Seek exhibition (previously on metafilter) that involved the Smithsonian's censorship of David Wojnarovicz's "A Fire In My Belly" video. Said video has it's own dedicated room, with multiple screens showing different iterations of the video and materials chronicling the Wojnarovicz's life and the creation of the piece.

- You like making the arts accessible to young people and folks who aren't necessarily art-lovers from a demographic perspective? They host a monthly First Saturday when the museum is free after 5pm and open until 10, which includes programs for families, performances, and a dance party which actually hosts good DJs and draws crowds of teenagers and twenty-somethings.

They also curate a huge number of shows devoted to non-white, non-straight, non-male people: recent offerings in addition to Hide/Seek include shows about the Black Male Experience, innovation in African art and history, Indian painting, the Hindu god Vishnu, the tipi, and solo shows from Sanford Biggers, Lee Mingwei, and Kymia Nawabi.

And did I mention they have a whole section dedicated to feminist art? (That's feminist, not "art by women" - there's plenty of the latter all over the museum.)

They have the expected education department, which includes a lot of resources for local kids and teens.
posted by Sara C. at 1:30 PM on February 10, 2012

If there's a local museum to you that does good work, hosts outreach programs, etc, why not become a member and donate to them directly?
posted by PussKillian at 1:35 PM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

What state are you in? You might find some small state or local arts group that does outreach in schools or tours in rural communities.
posted by missix at 1:37 PM on February 10, 2012

Opera for the Young (full disclosure: run by a family friend) takes their shows into hundreds of communities in the Upper Midwest, including rural areas and inner cities. The comments they get from kids, parents and teachers are amazing. They involve the kids at every step, including designing costumes and sets; before the production arrives, they send a ton of materials to the school to help them learn about music and prepare for their roles. (That's right -- did I mention that the kids get to be IN the shows???)

Furthermore, they give valuable experience to young professional musicians. For people who want to get jobs right out of school but still want to be based in Madison, Chicago, Milwaukee or Minneapolis, this is a huge deal.

Hyde Park Art Center, in Chicago?

DonorsChoose.org supports individual classrooms around the country; you can specify music and arts projects.
posted by Madamina at 2:09 PM on February 10, 2012

Most art supporting charities I know of tend to have a local focus, vs a national one. If you like your local art charties, then there's a good chance supporting them directly will work better than supporting an umbrella organization that then grants the money to the local charities.
posted by garlic at 11:01 AM on February 14, 2012