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Selected Private Funding Organizations
There are thousands of private foundations,
community foundations and family foundations now operating in the United
States, and their areas of emphasis, guidelines and practices are too
diverse to summarize here. Some foundations fund nationally in multiple
program areas, while others, such as community foundations, tend to support
programs and organizations in geographically limited regions. Similarly,
some foundations prefer to solicit proposals, while others have open application
processes.
For individuals and organizations interested in pursuing private funding,
The Foundation Center, an information clearinghouse for grantseekers and
grantmakers with headquarters in New York, is the best place to start.
Their website, www.fdncenter.org,
provides background information on hundreds of foundations. It will also
provide location information about regional centers operated by The Foundation
Center, based in different locations throughout the country. Local public
libraries are a good resource also—they often provide many foundation
reference materials for grantseekers.
For grantseekers interested in obtaining support for folk arts and traditional
culture projects, it is important to bear the following point in mind.
Most foundations do not list folk arts or traditional culture as areas
of support. Nonetheless, many foundations will fund selected projects
if and when they relate to other areas of support. For instance, some
foundations may provide funding for youth programs and services, education,
media, community development, ethnic-specific or region-specific projects,
for which folk arts and traditional culture projects may be eligible.
Be creative in your investigations.
In a recent survey of our grantees, we find that many of our grantees
have received support from foundations. Most private support appears to
come from small private and family foundations who invest in particular
regions or program areas. Over the past decade, however, there are a handful
of large nationally-focused foundations with track records of support
for folk arts and traditional culture. Their funding programs change periodically,
and we urge grantseekers to visit their websites first before contacting
any foundation directly.
The
Ford Foundation
www.fordfound.org
The Pew Charitable Trusts
www.pewtrusts.com
The
Rockefeller Foundation
www.rockfound.org
The
Wallace Foundation
www.wallacefunds.org