Philanthropy & Social Enterprise

This pending publication, scheduled for release in fall 2018, will be the five-year interval update of AEFI's flagship research endeavor, the National Study of Artist-Endowed Foundations, following on Study Report Update 2013.

Social media companies keep making it tougher for us to trust them, but they are still a powerful force.

A Guide for Artists and Their Lifetime Foundations: The Dos and Don'ts, the latest publication from the Aspen Institute Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative/AEFI, is designed as an information resource for artists considering establishing a private foundation during their lifetime. The purpose of this guide is to familiarize artists with basic considerations in creating and operating a private foundation during their lifetime so that they may be better informed when discussing these issues with their legal advisors, as well as with persons who might potentially play a role in foundation formation and governance. The goal is to promote better understanding as to whether a foundation is an appropriate choice for an artist and, if so, how to create and operate a foundation during the artist’s lifetime that will be successful in fulfilling its charitable purposes.

Celebrating Maine’s Artist-Endowed Foundations Kenneth Noland, “Mysteries – Gold Silence” Photo courtesy of Kenneth Nol

APEP has been thinking a lot about the power dynamics between funders and grantees.

This spring the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the electronic filing of nonprofit tax returns, an effort led by the Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation.