How is the recession affecting nonprofit arts and cultural groups and how can funders act collaboratively to address emerging needs?
In January 2009, four funders in the Puget Sound area – Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, 4Culture, Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and Seattle Foundation – commissioned Helicon to interview representatives of 28 diverse cultural groups, summarize findings and suggest collaborative interventions.
The report has sparked considerable discussion in the Puget Sound region. Arts groups and funders in other sites -- New York City, Los Angeles, Cleveland among others – have found the findings relevant and useful. And the results of this research report are applicable to other nonprofit sectors. As Claire Peeps, Executive Director of the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles commented, "I think that other sectors could be interchanged for the arts – particularly in the concluding remarks about transformation. I've forwarded it to colleagues who are trying to address the dilemma of over-supply/under-resource ... in LA."