The Humanities vs. The Humanitarians

Institutions of high culture are struggling like always to reach new money donors.

The Wall Street Journal offers a free article reporting on efforts of major cultural institutions to attract new donors from young and the wealthy ("Hunger vs. the Arts" by Jacob Hale Russell).  The reporter wants us to believe that high profile humanitarian causes favored by the likes of Bill Gates & Angelina Jolie are crowding out traditional cultural giving. 

But even the lead of the article doesn't support that claim:  the rich young philanthropist Michael Tennenbaum just gave $10 million to three universities and sits on the national board of the Boys & Girls Club of America (EIN 13-5562976 Form 990) (along with Hank Aaron & Denzel Washington).  No Africa trips for this guy—it's still higher education and kids that drive his giving.  (See my comment  earlier this year: "Meet the New Donor ... Same as the Old Donor."

So the rest of the article surveys some of the highly traditional ways that arts organizations are reaching out to enculturate a new generation: receptions, dinners—and of course galas.  The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (EIN 13-1847137 Form 990) started up a new gala with a focus on attracting hedge fund managers.  Reynold Levy, who came to the Lincoln Center from the humanitarian group International Rescue Committee (EIN 13-5660870 Form 990), came up with the idea. 

The reason that cultural groups see themselves in competition with humanitarian groups may have more to do with the personnel.  Mr. Levy earns $731,500 in salary and benefit plan contributions at Lincoln Center, while his successor at IRC George Rupp takes home $357,367.  But fundraisers don't make the big bucks by innovating:  they just take their same trusty bag of tricks to larger fund raising venues.  Far from being competitors, the second tier humanitarian groups look more like the minor leagues that are developing the fundraising talent for the big league name brands. 

High culture certainly has to reposition itself from time to time, yet it has an enduring appeal as a luxury good and will endure, especially in the metropolises with a still thriving financial industry like New York and San Francisco.  The challenge is most acute in cities that are losing their role as financial centers due to corporate mergers (currently the challenge in Boston). 

Comments

[バーバリーマフラー]

東京電力福島第一原発事故で東電に巨額の損失が生じたのは、経営陣が地震や津波の安全対策を怠ってきたためだとして、株主らが東電に対し、歴代の経営陣に損害賠償請求訴訟を起こすよう求める書面を提出する方針を固めたことが分かった
請求額や対象者を検討した上で、今月中にも提出したいとしている。提出後、６０日以内に東電が提訴しない場合、株主代表訴訟を東京地裁に起こすという。
株主の一人は「このままでは、過去の経営陣の責任追及があいまいになってしまう。裁判で責任の所在をはっきりさせるべきだ」と話した。一方、東電は「内容を把握していないので、コメントは差し控える」としている。

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There are humanitarians and there are lot of people that they think that way that everybody could be a similar a better level.

[ティンバーランド]

ティンバーランド労組への配慮も顕著だ。会社員らの厚生年金と公務員らの共済年金の一元化問題では、公務員労組から支援を受ける議員が「人事院が来年２月に公表する会社員と公務員の退職金比較調査の結果が出るまでは、共済年金の特権的な上乗せ部分である職域加算の取り扱いを決めるべきではない」と主張。時間稼ぎをして法案の中身を骨抜きにしようという意図は明白だが、骨子案はあっさりとその主張を受け入れた。

　ティンバーランド首相は年末までに、社会保障分野と消費税増税部分をあわせた一体改革素案をまとめる方針だ。古本伸一郎党税調事務局長は１２日の党一体改革?税制両調査会合同会議で、「３１日の除夜の鐘のところまで、みなさんと相談していきたい」と強調したが、抜本的な改革は先送り必至の情勢だ。