Puffin Foundation West, LTD. was faced with a bit of havoc this granting season. As many of you know we accept applications for MEANINGFUL ART that deal with civil and social justice issues. OUR APPLICATION GOES LINE IN AUGUST. Our call for ART was placed was on a GRANT SEARCH WEBSITE in October that then populated to other like and kind sites. We had no control or notice nor were asked permission.
As you may know we have been posting on-line applications for individuals and NFPs who represent socially-concerned community organizations devoted to creating better neighborhoods and a positive planet which believe that through the aesthetics of art that their work can open doors, minds and eyes to enhance our culture and enrich the lives of those THEY SERVE with their socially-relevant message.
We received over 200 applications for 2017. We have consistently been awarding approximately 75 grassroots grant awards a year to the projects that were to be undertaken that complimented our Mission. As we read through the applications, with over 100 coming between December 12th and when we returned from our winter break in early January (as many had arrived after our acceptance date of December 17th) it was clear that most of these applicants had not been to our website to see that in October (when we found out about the grant search websites) we had to put a proviso on that we were only going to award 15% of our IRS mandated 5% qualified distributions to awardees outside of our region and that few, if any, understood the difference between a private foundation and a charitable foundation.
What caused sleepless nights was that so many of the applications did meet our Mission and we were warmed and disheartened at the same time. WARMED as there are so many good people and organizations still working towards our common values to reach back and lift up, and DISHEARTENING that there was so much need that was not met by city, state or federal appropriations.
We decided to tackle the 30 early determination grants first that were delivered before November 15th and award them in our usual course and fashion after our review of their project; being that it comported with our Mission, the per capita that would be enriched and uplifted by their work, there was a venue, total budget, and etc. We then decided to give over 40 “late” applicants which fit out Mission a check for $250, the use of our logo and the right to say that they received a Puffin Foundation West grant; both of these things being true as we know that our logo and name recognition could be used to leverage additional funding. This was done so that their projects would not be jeopardized and that they could meet their funding needs. The turn around time was less than ten days. This was not easy work. Then there was the work to advise those applicants that they did not meet our Mission so that they could seek other revenue sources that better comported with their ideas. From January 7th until the 17th we completed this task.
WHAT IS EVEN MORE EXTRAORDINARY ARE THE SINCERE THANK YOU NOTES WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM THESE INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS!!! YOU ARE FOREVER OUR PUFFLINGS AND WE WISH YOU ALL PEACE AND SUCCESS!
*WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW IS A LISTING OF ALL THOSE NFPS AND INDIVIDUALS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT WE GAVE GRASSROOT ENCOURAGEMENT GRANTS TO WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THOSE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED “LATE APPLICANTS”. WE WANTED ALL OF THEM TO KNOW THAT THE WORK THAT THEY ARE ALL DEDICATED TO AND THAT THEIR VISION AND MISSION ALL PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE FOUNDATION FOR THE ART COMMUNITY AS EACH BELIEVE THAT THE ARTS PLAY A ROLE IN MATERIALLY AND CONCEPTUALLY ENHANCING THE EXISTENCE OF PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY.
If you know any of our new PUFFLINGS* or want to get to know them check them out and remember when you give good money to good people GREAT things happen!
IN SERVICE WITH GRATITUDE,
JAVA KITRICK- PRESIDENT
*OUR NEW PUFFLINGS
ARTS FOR LEARNING
JENNIFER CHIEN
INSTITUTE MASSIA
501(SEE THREE) ARTS
AGE AND GENDER EQUALITY
AMERICAN CIVIC FORUM
ARTISTIC DREAMS
BRADBURY-SULLIVAN COMMUNITY CENTER
AMY BREAU
LATESA BROWN
VIRGINIA BRYAN
CLASSICAL THEATRE OF HARLEM
GLENNA COLE ALLEE
COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS THEATRE
WESLEY CREIGH
JESSICA MAFFIA
FRIENDS OF WILLIAM GRANT STILL
GALA INC, GROUPO DE WILLIAM LATINO AMERICANS
GEMINI INK
GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTIONS
GREENSBORO CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
INSIDE OUT WRITERS
INTERSECTION FOR THE ARTS-GREEN WINDOWS
GABRIELLE LENNON
MID-SOUTH PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER
MUSEO DE LAS AMERICAS
CASCO BAY HIGH SCHOOL, PORTLAND OREGON
MARCIE RENDON
EL RIVERIA
SAN FRANCISCO RENAISSANCE
PORTLAND MAINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TARA WILLIAM
THE WILLIAM MOSAIC
VITA WALLACE
INSTITUTE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
WILD GOOSE CREATIVE
YOUNG INSTITUTE – HOUSTON
YOUNG DANCE
AMERICAN CIVIC FORUM
GALA INC., GRUPO SPIRITAS LATINO AMERICANOS
AMY BREAU
JENNIFER CRYSTAL CHIEN
CHRISTOPHER ROBBINS
YOUNG AUDIENCES OF HOUSTON
SARAH LOOSE
ARTISTIC DREAMS
TARA CHADWICK
KAILA AUSTIN
VISIONARIES AND VOICES
THE VANPORT MOSAIC
ARTISTS UNITED
WHARTON INSTITUTE
FRIENDS OF WILLIAM GRANT STILL COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER
DeARTIVISTS UNITED
SAN FRANCISCO RENAISSANCE VOICES
WESLEY FAWCETT CREIGH
MARCIE RENDON
COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS THEATRE
INTERSECTION FOR THE ARTS fiscal agent for GREEN WINDOWS
ARTWORK STUDIO SCHOOL
ART LINK
CONTEMPORARY ARTS INC. http://www.contemporaryartsinc.org
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO – DEPT. OF PUBLIC HEALTH
SARA GALASSINI http://www.saragalasband.org
SHAKEEL ALI for ASK ACADEMY http://askacademy.org
HOLDING HOUSE http://holdinghousedetroit.com
1 IN 6 http://1in6.org
IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY – SURVIVING VOICES http://www.isu.edu
THE RHINOCEROS PROJECT -MICHELLE WILSON http://rhinocerosproject.tumblr.com
IVIVA OLENRICK
BURT MASAON OVATION CONCERTS http://www.ovationconcerts.org
DR. NICHELLE RIVERS
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOUNDATION http://www.missconceptions.net
JOSEPH KELSEY http://ccad.edu
PETER TUCKER
ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY http://wwwafhboston.org
HUDSON OPERA HOUSE http://hudsonoperahouse.org
CHRISTINE MASSEY
ARTISTS SPACE – EXPANDED ART IDEAS http://www.artistspace.org
University of North Carolina at Greensboro www.phe.uncg.edu
