Let's talk about philanthropy
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Hi there, generous people who probably hand dollars to every needy person you see,
I have been writing grants for the past two week. What this means is I follow steps on forms that make your worst insurance nightmare look like a kindergarten essay, describe the nonprofit using adjectives the funder prefers, describe the project I want funded using language the funder admires, and then ask for the funds to enact these dreams.
Sounds simple right? Check this out, it’s a tongue-in-cheek article I wrote about the process.
Our government only donates to PROJECTS, not mission statements: so arts nonprofits (if they want to get their staff paid and keep the lights on while they work, just like the artists they support), nonprofits must hustle or have a side gig.
Case in point: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. But first, some definitions.
Mission Statement: The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas.
Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
Costume: a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period.
Note that costume and art do not have overlapping definitions. Costumes are not meant to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Normally.
The Met Ball or Met Gala is the fashion world equivalent of the Oscars, an evening when designers, models, and Hollywood stars convene in the year's most over-the-top looks. At $30,000 per seat, the Gala is widely regarded as among the most prominent and most exclusive social events in the world. It is also one of the biggest fundraising nights in New York City, with $9 million raised in 2013 and a record of $12 million the following year, all to benefit the Costume Institute at the Met.
The rest of the Met, well….I dunno. I guess the tickets cover it?
But whatever. I love costumes. I’m perfectly happy at their weird little symbiosis. Bring it on. I am happy to see just about anything arts-focused work together. The more outside the box, the more I like it. Especially when it works.
Meanwhile? I spent the week trying to come up with ways to raise $150,000 total (not per seat, but overall) without throwing a party. If I fail, it is likely I’m going to be throwing a party. (If you’re on the Pen Parentis mailing list you’ll get invited.)
Things that happened this week:
I got an amazing email from the editors of a 2019 anthology that includes my short story “Cake.” They decided to split their very first official royalty check among not just themselves and us, the contributors, but also with their coterie of first-readers. If you have ever been a first-reader, you will know that usually they do not get anything for all their work, maybe a small stipend or a cup of coffee or a smile. These two guys not only remembered the names of these people, but are sharing their own royalties with them! I can’t tell you how wonderful I think this is. Reward them by buying this fantastic (and diverse!) horror anthology. It also won a 2020 Shirley Jackson Award for Best Anthology, so you know it’s good. Here’s the link to shop.
At work, I had major angst when I thought I had missed the special NEA grant application window. Discovered that I didn’t miss it after all! The late-August calendar alert wasn’t showing up because I searched “NEA deadline,” but had marked it down as “Arts Recovery grant” & my calendar decided that my search terms weren’t close enough. Specificity matters!
Someone told me they thought this newsletter was a Pen Parentis publication. It isn’t. This newsletter is just me being me. Pen Parentis a nonprofit I run: it has its own newsletter (you’ll know it by the logo). See the difference?
Saturday we picked LadyTeen up from camp and watched her perform single point trapeze. And also she was in the ensemble of the camp production of School of Rock. She also read all six books she brought with her. Sometimes, being a parent is amazing.
Okay my friends: the Olympics are apparently over. Summer is winding down for everyone but New Yorkers. Colleges are gearing up for Fall while NYC weather has just the other day remembered that it is still August and cranked up the humidity and heat. Hope you have a great last BBQ of the Summer. I’ll still be in summer mode for at least three more weeks. Good luck following my thought processes…