The Los Angeles County Arts Ed Collective leverages contributions from the LA County Board of Supervisors with public and private investments. Support from the LA County general fund and several County agencies is augmented by the Funders Council, which has invested more than $19 million in the Arts Ed Collective to date. See a full list of funders below.
Funders Council
The Arts Ed Collective Funders Council is a regional collaborative of public and private funders that serves as a vehicle for sharing knowledge, developing strategy and providing fiscal oversight of shared investments in arts education in Los Angeles County.
The Funders Council includes representatives from foundations, corporations and government agencies whose philanthropic priorities support the vision of the Arts Ed Collective. Members pool their resources, track and respond to trends in arts and education and determine how funds should be allocated to most effectively advance the shared goals of the Arts Ed Collective.
Bi-modal funding, a founding principle of the Funders Council, encourages funders to support arts education on the local level by giving directly to arts organizations, while supporting larger efforts towards system change by contributing to the work of the Arts Ed Collective.
Since its inception, the Funders Council has invested more than $19 million in the Arts Ed Collective. School districts have leveraged much of these investments with matching funds for arts education and professional development, multiplying the impact of each donation.
In June 2022, the Funders Council launched efforts to engage young people on an intentional and regular basis by welcoming three Youth Advisors to its membership and structure. In this role, three alumni of the 2019 Youth Advisory Council (Autumn Taylor, Maritza Lopez, and Rudy Torres) joined the Funders Council as full members with the same standing as those representing philanthropy. The intention is to ensure that ongoing strategies for achieving our shared goals are co-designed by young people who represent those most impacted by our efforts.
Guided and informed by the Arts Ed Blueprint, Youth Advisors give counsel to LA County Department of Arts and Culture staff, guide strategy alongside philanthropic partners, participate in co-learning and planning, and gain experience working alongside grantmakers across the public and private sectors. Funders Council members commit to fostering an open, inviting, and inclusive space that honors the perspectives of the Youth Advisors.
The Funders Council meets quarterly to review key accomplishments, approve subcommittee recommendations, participate in site visits of model arts programs and discuss trends in arts education with guest speakers. Members are encouraged to actively participate in meetings and support the collaborative by cultivating relationships within the arts education and philanthropic communities.
To learn more about joining, contact Abe Ahn.
The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation
Louis L. Borick Foundation
Vladimir and Araxia Buckhantz Foundation
John N. Calley Foundation
Colburn Foundation
The Carol and James Collins Foundation
The Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
Max H. Gluck Foundation
The Green Foundation
The Greenberg Foundation
Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture
The Music Man Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Perenchio Foundation
Reissa Foundation
Snap Foundation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Stuart Foundation
The Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Maritza Lopez
Autumn Taylor
Rudy Torres
Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Los Angeles County Probation Department
Los Angeles County Office of Education
National Endowment for the Arts
Each year, we partner with Southern California Grantmakers to co-present Arts Education Forums that help build awareness within the philanthropic community about the importance and value of arts education for healthy youth development, within and outside of schools. Past sessions have featured:
A Funders Briefing on the LA County Arts Education Profile (June 2018)
Presentation on findings about how disparities in K-12 arts education may or may not align with other systemic inequities (e.g., disparities in public health)
Catalyzing Change Across Schools and Systems of Care (January 2019)
Panel discussion with education and government representatives about the role of arts education in public schools, juvenile justice reform, and mental health
Creating the Future of Arts Education in LA County (June 2019)
Forum inviting philanthropic representatives to provide feedback and recommendations for the new Arts Ed Blueprint
Envisioning Arts Education’s Role in Advancing LA County (January 2021)
Interactive forum featuring youth leaders in the arts to generate ideas for strategic implementation of the Arts Ed Blueprint
Achieving Equity Goals through Creative Youth Development (June 2021)
Workshop on organizational change under anti-racist principles by the IDEA Wave Co-Lab and conversations between youth leaders and Dr. D’Artagnan Scorza (Executive Director of Racial Equity) about how the Arts Ed Collective connects with LA County’s broader Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative (ARDI)
The Role of Arts in Healing Centered Engagement (February 2022)
Panel discussion with local teaching artists, youth leaders, and Dr. Shawn Ginwright (Flourish Agenda) about the role of healing in arts-based youth development