What You Need to Understand Is…
Part of the “Soothing the Itch” Series
by Aaron L. McKinney
Conrhonda
Hi there, GIA listener!
You’re invited to our next thought-provoking article in which Aaron L. McKinney provides a unique perspective on the challenges faced by global majority cultural organizations. Take notes as he poses critical questions about measuring artistic impact, the need for capacity building, and the importance of long-term funding. Listen as he skillfully uncovers the nuances and systemic inequities that impact global majority arts organizations and suggests ways for funders to create a more equitable landscape.
Aaron
As we engage in the conversation about the blind spots, missed connections, and peripheral views on arts philanthropy, justice, accessibility, and youth engagement, it is important that I start by conveying my point of entry into the discussion:
I am
I am Black
I am Black and a man
I am Black, a man and an artist
I am Black, a man, an artist, and an arts administrator
I am a Black, male Arts Administrator
struggling with the realities of building a legacy
in a Black-led arts organization that has served artists of the global majority
…who have been historically under-resourced, yet over-capitalized!
Almost daily, I am reminded that this system was not made for us to thrive. There seems to be an active, willful ignorance of the underlying historical and systemic inequities plaguing arts organizations of color. What are arts funders still failing to understand? First, let me say that these observations, to some degree, are generalizations for the field at large. There are actually a handful of funders that are outliers and seem to have considered the nuances for organizations of color. Having said that, let’s explore some questions.
How do you measure artistic/cultural impact?
Organizations of color often serve as way more than just a single-function arts provider—there are many that inherently preserve cultural heritage, foster community engagement, empower marginalized voices, and provide a safe space for the development of artists. These multidimensional community hubs can be a chief commodity in the preservation, survival, and prosperity of their hyperlocal, local, national, and global communities. The art is the vehicle for so much more. Time and person-power are spent in the artistic programming, and in what can be considered more “social services” type activities accompanying the creative endeavor. So, how do you measure that impact when it is not just about the art?
Impact can be difficult to quantify, yet it is often an expectation and a requirement for funders. Failure to understand that impact can be challenging to calculate often increases a barrier to funding because these organizations do not meet the data collection requirements of the funder. How can benefactors better recognize these organizations' impact and unique contributions in ways that dismantle nebulous funding practices? It would be so much more advantageous for these organizations to be endowed to operate in a more holistic way to promote positive social change. Funders would sponsor art, community building, cultural preservation, artist development, and mentorship—talk about getting more bang for your buck! How is that possible to represent in a “data set”?
Why are there so few capacity building opportunities coalesced with programmatic support?
It has already been established that most organizations of color operate at a deficit. They make do with less money, less people power, less equipment, and less space, nevertheless producing miraculous outcomes. And yet there continues to be few investments in the organization’s capacity building or growth. The message is consistently, “Do more with less.” The expectation is always that capacity will increase as an organization continues to execute and build programming. But finding resources to support capacity building is not as accessible as finding resources to support the programming. What if capacity building were included in that programmatic support?
Examples of capacity building are strategic planning, staff professional development, new staff positions, and resources for programs that increase staff retention (i.e., health insurance, retirement benefits, life insurance, etc.). And as an organization continues to grow, it is just as important to invest in the sustainability of the people in it as much as its programmatic functions. Is the labor required to complete an application process ever considered within that same capacity conversation? Some organizations have to forgo applications because the capacity and labor required to complete the process far exceeds the suboptimal size of the grant. It often does not feel worth the work invested in some of these applications because there is no guarantee of funding.
Another facet around capacity building is the trust in organizations to receive more general operating rather than specific programmatic support. As it stands now, specific programmatic funding reduces the flexibility and nimbleness of an organization’s ability to truly respond to the needs of their communities, which can sometimes shift within a very short time frame. I know some nuances and specific funder focuses make this more difficult as a blanket practice. There is a lack of understanding from organizations and a lack of acknowledgement from the funders regarding true program costs. As part of the granting application process, funders should provide support, training, and assistance with helping grantees calculate a full, actual, and true cost program budget. They should also allow complete inclusion—as in, one hundred percent—of related overhead/administrative expenses instead of providing a cap, which is often only twenty percent. This specific kind of reform will ensure that organizations don’t continue to work themselves into a deficit.
Can more long-term funding be considered?
Arts organizations require sustained, long-term investments to thrive. One-time project-based funding often does not adequately address ongoing operational needs, making future planning more difficult. Along with capacity building, funders should commit to multi-year funding commitments and core operating support. This better assists organizations in planning beyond one fiscal year and simultaneously increases the probability of an organization’s long-term sustainability.
Who is advocating for these organizations?
This question is one of the most important because organizations have operated for far too long with no real advocacy at the many decision-making levels, in the form of those who truly understand and can speak to the lived experiences of working for and with people of color. This lack of representation and diversity, entirely too often, results in unconscious biases, limiting, and limited perspectives. A genuine commitment to including more diverse voices at various levels will ensure decisions are more embracive, informed, and equitable. As a frequent grant review panelist, I have advocated for applications that did not have the necessary resources to prepare the most visually stunning work samples but were true to the work narrative provided. My voice and others at that level in the funding process have been crucial. There could really be a greater shift as more advocates are placed in decision making positions at all levels, such as grant review panelists, program officers, and executive leaders. Also, in efforts to deepen the relationship between funders and grantees, funders should include methods of feedback to further the learning exchange. Let these grantees advocate for themselves as well as provide information straight from the field. Through this feedback, funders could better articulate how they are learning from the communities they serve. I am suggesting a more iterative funding process so that organizations are not consistently contorting to fit within funders’ standards. Instead, funders are responsive to the field using real-time data and feedback from those doing the work.
All food for thought, these are just a few questions that come to mind when thinking about the philanthropic landscape and its connection to organizations of color. By acknowledging and subsequently addressing these factors, funders can make more informed decisions to promote equity and support the vital work of organizations of color. Collaboration, dialogue, and ongoing evaluation of funding practices are essential to ensuring that resources are distributed in ways that foster diversity, inclusion, and, ultimately, the sustainability of these organizations.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, or positions of any organization or company that employs me.
Next piece: Untethered Reflections: Artists Navigating Late-Stage Capitalism by Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Brinda Guha, Gonzalo Casals, j, bouey, Yanira Castro
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For almost two decades, Aaron L. McKinney has been steadfast in creating a multi-faceted arts administration career beginning with his early work in production and project management for theatre companies in Florida and California, including a graduate-level internship with Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit theatres in the country. In recent years, Aaron has served as Project Manager for the Sankofa Justice & Equity Fund, founded by world-renowned artist and activist, Harry Belafonte, and an integral member of 651 ARTS, a pillar of the contemporary black arts community. He has also served on several grant review panels, both local and national and sat on many zoom panels on the state of performing arts during a pandemic. Currently he serves as the Executive Director of Hi-ARTS. In addition to his current role, Aaron continues to pursue professional endeavors guided by his personal mantra “Aspire to Inspire before you Expire”, purposefully unifying the arts and social justice activism, as shown through his independent producer and consultative work across the performance arts landscape. In 2020, Aaron founded The A.L.M. Way, LLC, an arts management and producing consultancy. These opportunities of increasing responsibility only serve to exemplify Aaron’s affinity for urban arts and have solidified his place in performing arts leadership. For more information on Aaron, visit www.aaronLmckinney.com.
