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Important update.  If your organization has been affected by the downturn of events since September 11, you will definitely want to read this.


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Foundation Starts $50 Million Fund for Arts Groups Hurt by Terrorism

November 21, 2001

By KAREN W. ARENSON


The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced yesterday that it
was establishing a $50 million fund for museums, theaters,
dance companies and other cultural institutions affected by
repercussions from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as well
as for public parks where people congregated after the
disaster.

"At the same time that we are concerned about the victims
and their families, we have to be concerned about the
future of the city," said William G. Bowen, president of
foundation, which is based in Manhattan and is a longtime
supporter of the arts.

The fund comes at a time when many arts and cultural
organizations are reeling from an economic downturn made
worse by the terrorist attacks, a decline in tourism and a
falloff in donations. The New York City Department of
Cultural Affairs also anticipates slicing about $20 million
from its $137 million budget to meet Mayor Rudolph W.
Giuliani's order that city agencies look for 15 percent
budget cuts.

A survey of 150 New York arts organizations released this
week by the Center for an Urban Future, a nonpartisan
policy institute that focuses on economic issues, found
that "nonprofit arts organizations are entering their
rockiest period in over 30 years."

Dr. Bowen said the foundation would accept grant requests
immediately and would probably make awards ranging from
$250,000 to $1 million or $2 million. There are no formal
applications.

T. Dennis Sullivan, the financial vice president at Mellon,
said the foundation expected to spend at least some of the
money before the year ends.

"We would invite them to submit proposals and to describe
how they have been affected and how they would use this
transition funding," Dr. Bowen said. "We're not big on
forms."

The foundation has no specific checklist of criteria, and
is willing to give money to large institutions and small
ones. Foundation officials say they may also try to work
through some established service organizations like the New
York Foundation for the Arts, letting them deal directly
with applicants.

"We're looking for ideas," Mr. Sullivan said, "and we'll be
persuaded by the cases that will be made to us."

The foundation is less certain about what it might do with
the parks.

"Our trustees had a sense of wanting to go beyond the kinds
of institutions that we've traditionally supported, like
museums, libraries, theaters and dance companies, to do
something for the city more generally," Mr. Sullivan said.
"The parks served such an important role in the immediate
aftermath of the September events that we wanted to do
something. In the weeks ahead we will try to explore what
vehicles might be available to capitalize on that idea."

Mr. Sullivan said the money would come in part from the
substantial returns the foundation earned on its investment
portfolio until recently.

Dr. Bowen said the foundation was concerned that cultural
institutions were being financially pummeled and that those
with limited resources might have to close.

"All of this is happening so fast that some places may be
compelled to make decisions that could have long-term
effects on them, because they have no choice," Dr. Bowen
said. "We thought that if we could help by providing some
significant funding now, we could make a difference."
Information about the program will be available on the
foundation's Web site: www.mellon.org.

The grants will be administered by a committee of three
trustees led by Hanna H. Gray, the president emeritus of
the University of Chicago who is also chairwoman of the
foundation's trustees.

The other members will be Dr. Bowen and W. Taylor Reveley
III, dean of the William and Mary School of Law. Mr.
Sullivan, a former executive director of the New York City
Municipal Assistance Corporation, will be the chief staff
officer for the effort.

The Mellon Foundation has an endowment of about $4 billion
and a long commitment to the humanities and the arts. About
a quarter of its approximately $175 million in annual
spending goes to cultural and performing arts
organizations. Money spent through the new fund will be in
addition to the previously planned spending.

"Foundations generally are like little old ladies crossing
the street," said Schuyler G. Chapin, the city's
commissioner of cultural affairs. "Somebody has to take the
first step. The Mellon Foundation has positively taken the
first step and I hope others will follow."

He said he was particularly pleased that the money would be
available to arts organizations throughout the city, not
just those below 14th Street.

Ellen V. Futter, president of the American Museum of
Natural History, said: "This is a shot in the arm to
cultural institutions at a time we all very much need it.
Our attendance is down; there are many fewer tourists in
New York and we feel that right away."

David Fischer, project director at the Center for an Urban
Future, called the fund a "great idea."

"It really provides some first aid in this abnormal time,"
he said. "This might make the difference between 10 or 12
organizations riding out the storm or going under."

Dr. Bowen said that the foundation also saw arts and
cultural institutions as a critical part of the rebuilding
process and hoped that the fund would "send a message about
the importance of these institutions and our commitment to
them."

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/21/arts/21MELL.html?ex=1007360825&ei=1&en=965847eb692e1009



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