New York Grantmakers in the Arts, or NYGIA, is a peer network of institutional arts funders in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. NYGIA is member-driven and helmed by rotating, volunteer co-chairs.
Vision: As a network, NYGIA envisions a New York City arts funding community that is connected, collaborative, and in ongoing conversation about how to best serve the New York City arts ecosystem. NYGIA envisions an institutional funding sector emboldened to both innovate for and respond to this ecosystem and all the opportunities and challenges it faces.
Mission: NYGIA moves toward this vision by providing information, resources, and gathering opportunities for institutional arts funders in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Offerings:
- Listserv: NYGIA maintains a listserv for member communication. Communication should broadly appeal to arts funders in the New York City metro area, and postings might include information about institutional programming; grant, residency, or fellowship opportunities; job openings; conferences, seminars, or workshops; articles, reports, or research; and/or announcements about NYGIA programming.
- Co-Chair Hosted Membership Meetings: Membership meetings are in-person or virtual gatherings organized and hosted by the NYGIA co-chairs on a bimonthly basis. These meetings might have a broad agenda or focused on a single topic. They might include panel and/or roundtable discussions that explore issues in the field and/or address timely and critical needs.
- Member-Driven Meetings: Member-driven meetings are in-person or virtual gatherings organized by NYGIA members. Members are welcome to propose and facilitate meetings, and should reach out to co-chairs with proposals and potential dates for the sessions. NYGIA co-chairs are happy to assist in these efforts by providing technical support, communications support, note-taking, and more.
- Field Trips & Social Gatherings: These are fun and informative gathering and community-building opportunities. Field trips might include tours of local cultural institutions or attendance at public arts events. Social gatherings might include coordinated opportunities to meet for food or drinks. These gatherings are designed to foster collective learning and encourage exchange, mentorship, and collaboration.
- Committee Work: A variety of committees have formed throughout NYGIA’s history that have addressed specific issue areas, particularly when a topic emerges that needs ongoing, dedicated attention. These committees are self-organized,durational, and chaired by NYGIA members.
Member Criteria: NYGIA welcomes individuals who work within institutions that fund the arts in the New York City metropolitan area. Private, public, community, family, corporate, government, and intermediary institutions are all welcome. Membership is designed for dedicated arts funders as opposed to grantmakers that sporadically invest in arts programming. There is no limit to the number of individuals who can join NYGIA from a single funding institution. Individuals from a variety of roles within institutions are welcome, though for intermediaries it is preferred that members are directly affiliated with grantmaking responsibilities.
Co-Chairs: NYGIA has traditionally been helmed by volunteer co-chairs serving rotating, two-year terms. . The current NYGIA co-chairs are:
· Felix Endara, Program Officer, Mesoamérica, Foundation for a Just Society
· Emily Sproch, Senior Program Officer, Howard Gilman Foundation
· Moe Yousuf, President & CEO, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
If you are interested in learning more about volunteering for a co-chair position, please reach out to any of the co-chairs listed above.
HOW TO JOIN
To join NYGIA, you can fill out this form. After completing the form, you can expect to begin receiving mail from the NYGIA listserv within 5-7 business days.
If you have questions about membership, please email any of the co-chairs listed above.
HOW TO POST ON THE LISTSERV
NYGIA members can post on the listserve by going to the Create a Discussion button found on this page. Note that you have to create a Philanthropy NY (PNY) log in to use this feature. You do not need to be a Philanthropy NY member to create a log in.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Is NYGIA a chapter of GIA (Grantmakers in the Arts)?
A: No. NYGIA is a free, volunteer-led network of New York City-based institutional arts funders. GIA (Grantmakers in the Arts) is a national service organization for arts funders with a paid membership model. Many NYGIA members, however, also belong to GIA and find that membership beneficial. Learn more about GIA membership here.
Q: How is NYGIA affiliated with Philanthropy New York?
A: NYGIA is an Issue-Based Working Group that is affiliated with Philanthropy New York (PNY). Other Issue-Based Working Groups affiliated with PNY include: New York Age-Friendly Funders Network, Community Food Funders, New York City Vision Funders Network, New York City Workforce Funders, and New York Foster Youth Funders Group. While PNY does not plan or implement any of NYGIA’s programming, it does host NYGIA’s listserv and webpage. If you have questions about PNY’s membership and/or offerings, please contact PNY directly.
Q: Do I need to be a member of Philanthropy New York to join NYGIA?
A: No, however, many people find a PNY membership beneficial. Learn more here.
Q: Can I post to the NYGIA listserv without going to the Philanthropy New York website?
A: Yes, though note that formatting may be lost. You can use this email address.
Q: How much does it cost to join NYGIA?
A: Currently, NYGIA membership is free.
Q: I have a topic area I’d like to see addressed at a member meeting. What should I do?
A: Email one of the NYGIA co-chairs.
Q: I have additional questions.
A: Do not hesitate to reach out to any of the co-chairs listed above.
HISTORY
List of past NYGIA Co-Chairs:
2010: Cheryl Ikemiya (Doris Duke Foundation) & Rohit Burman (MetLife)
2011: Rohit Burman & Cheryl Rosario (American Express Foundation)
2012: Cheryl Rosario & Kerry McCarthy (New York Community Trust)
2013: Kerry McCarthy & Eddie Torres (The Rockefeller Foundation)
2014: Eddie Torres & Jonathan Horowitz (JP Morgan Trust)
2015: Jonathan Horowitz & Leah Krauss (Mertz Gilmore)
2016: Leah Krauss & Anna Campbell (Howard Gilman Foundation)
2017: Anna Campbell & Sam Ender (JP Morgan Trust)
2018: Sam Ender & Cheryl Anhava (UMEZ)
2019: Cheryl Anhava & Salem Tsegaye (New York Community Trust)
2020: Salem Tsegaye & Christine Yoon (Wallace Foundation)
2021: Christine Yoon & Ashley Firestone (DCLA)
2022: Ashley Firestone & Lane Sugata (Ford Foundation)
2023: Lane Sugata & Marianna Schaffer (Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation)
2024: Marianna Schaffer & Felix Endara (Foundation for a Just Society)
2025: Felix Endara & Emily Sproch (Howard Gilman Foundation) & Moe Yousuf (LMCC)
