Ashes to Films supports wildfire-affected filmmakers, helping them tell stories of resilience through grants and a film festival.

***“I started Ashes to Films because I’ve lived it.”***

Sixteen years ago, while attending school in Santa Barbara, I lost my home to a wildfire. The experience was devastating—not just the physical loss but the overwhelming task of rebuilding. When the immediate crisis passed and the world moved on, I was still navigating the emotional and financial fallout, trying to find stability while everything around me kept moving forward.

I was lucky. I had the support of my friends and family to help me through that time. And when I finally picked up my camera again, I realized that storytelling wasn’t just my career—it was my way of making sense of everything. Creating films became a healing process, a way to take control of a narrative that had felt completely out of my hands. That experience shaped me, and it’s why I started **Ashes to Films**—because I know what it feels like to lose everything, and I know how powerful it is to rebuild through creativity.

I don’t want filmmakers who’ve lost everything to feel like their artistic dreams have been destroyed along with their belongings. **Ashes to Films** is here to make sure that doesn’t happen. Through direct funding, mentorship, and an annual festival, we give filmmakers the opportunity to reclaim their voice, tell their stories, and prove that creativity doesn’t have to die in disaster—it can thrive.

- Shiloh Strong (Founder of Ashes To Films)

Ashes to Films

Leading the conversation on contemporary art since 1928, SculptureCenter presents exhibitions, commissions new work, and generates scholarship.

SculptureCenter

Romanul is a 501c3 nonprofit charitable organization supporting the Romanian American community in CT.

Romanul Corp has been serving the Romanian community in Connecticut since 2011, organizing multiple community events, cultural programs and charitable initiatives. Romanul recived its 501c3 nonprofit status in 2015. Since 2021, Romanul volunteers have organized the Romanul School offering so far over 1500 hours of Romanian Language Classes online to over 130 children and adults.

We invite you to join in our vision by donating in support of the Romanian-American community and promoting Romanian culture and values in the State of Connecticut and in the USA. You can find out more about our organization at www.romanulonline.org and for current events, please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/romanulonline.

Thank you!

Romanul

Branches Atelier is a Reggio Inspired center in Culver City, CA. Providing  education for preschoolers, parents and educators.

**Support The Branches Atelier Fund**

Thank you for visiting our giving page. The Branches Atelier Fund allows friends to make tax-deductible donations to support Branches Atelier and our community.

**Branches Professional Development** -Branches Atelier is committed to ongoing  Branches teacher and staff professional development opportunities.

At Branches Atelier, we believe that inspired teachers create inspirational classrooms. Our goal is to cultivate excellent, challenging learning environments where children can thrive and grow. To achieve this, we recognize the importance of investing in our educators through high-quality continuous professional development opportunities.

Contributions from generous supporters like you enable our dedicated staff to participate in educational conferences, workshops, seminars, and ongoing education, including and extending beyond early childhood education courses. We are also able to work with experts from the schools in Reggio Emilia. These experiences not only enhance their skills and knowledge but also empower our teachers to implement innovative practices that directly benefit our students and create a community of lifelong learners.

We invite you to partner with us in this important endeavor. Your support will help us ensure that our teachers are equipped with the latest tools and strategies to inspire their students. Together, we can create a brighter future for theteachers, children, and families in our Branches community.

**Branches' Community Professional Development Initiatives** - For over 18 years, Branches has been dedicated to providing high-quality early childhood education beyond the walls of our school, rooted in the belief that every child deserves an exceptional learning experience.

Our commitment extends beyond our classrooms; we are passionate about sharing our knowledge and practices with educators across the United States and abroad. To achieve this, we host an annual two-day Early Childhood Education (ECE) conference, attracting 200 to 300 educators each year. This event serves as a platform for collaboration, learning, and inspiration, equipping educators with the latest research and effective teaching strategies they can bring back to their classrooms.

In addition to our conference, we offer a variety of ongoing professional development opportunities, including on-site workshops, seminars, online classes and consulting. These programs are designed to empower educators, foster community, and ultimately enhance the quality of education that children receive.

To continue and expand these vital initiatives, we are seeking ongoing funding. This funding will help us cover the costs of organizing our annual conference, facilitating workshops, and developing new online resources that reach educators in underserved areas.

Your support will play a crucial role in creating a brighter future for children by investing in the professional growth of their educators. Together, with your support we can make a lasting impact on the early childhood education landscape.

FAMILY RESOURCES

Branches' Financial Aid and Scholarships

At Branches, we firmly believe that every child deserves access to excellent preschool education, regardless of financial circumstances. Our mission is to ensure that no child is excluded from the opportunities that quality early childhood education provides.

As we strive to create an inclusive and diverse learning environment, we recognize that many families face financial challenges that can hinder their ability to enroll their children in preschool. To address this issue, we are seeking funding to establish scholarships and financial aid programs for families in need.

Your support would enable us to offer tuition assistance to deserving families, ensuring that all children can experience the benefits of early education. By investing in our scholarship program, you would be playing a vital role in promoting equity and diversity within our community.

Help us make a difference in the lives of children and families in our community.

Branches Emergency fund

At Branches Atelier, we believe in fostering a nurturing environment for our families and staff. Unfortunately, life can present unexpected challenges that put a strain on our community members. Our Emergency Fund is dedicated to providing financial assistance in times of crisis, whether that be through tuition support or other forms of aid.

By contributing to the Emergency Fund, you can help us ensure that families and staff can access the resources they need during difficult times. Your generosity will enable us to continue supporting our community and upholding the values we all cherish. Your contributions can make a significant impact. Thank you for considering this opportunity to help our community thrive.

Branches Parent Workshops, Classes and Seminars

Our mission is to support families in their parenting journeys by providing them with valuable resources and insights.

We believe that equipping parents with the right tools and knowledge can lead to healthier family dynamics and stronger communities. To enhance our offerings, we plan to invite guest speakers who are experts in various fields of parenting, child development, and family wellness. These workshops will cover a range of topics, from effective communication and discipline strategies to mental health and well-being.

We anticipate that these sessions will not only empower parents but also foster a sense of community among families.However, to bring in these esteemed speakers and cover necessary materials, we are seeking funding to help offset the costs.

We would be grateful for any support you can provide, whether through financial contributions or resources. Yourinvestment will directly impact the lives of families in our community, helping them thrive in their parenting roles.

Your contribution of any amount enables us to continue to inspire the growth of our Branches Atelier teachers, children and their families and support, ECE teachers and families with young children. Thank you in advance for your support of our mission.

***-~- OUR PHILOSOPHY -~-***

Branches Atelier is committed to creating high-quality, creative, dynamic, educational programs for children, families and educators. We are a social constructivist program, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.

Based on our fundamental belief that children learn best when their work is meaningful and in a social context, we integrate all areas of curriculum though short-term explorations and long-term projects. Children are viewed as protagonists in their learning and are encouraged to work in collaboration with their peers to co-construct new theories and ideas.

The role of our teachers is to extend and deepen children’s ideas and theories. Through careful observation, documentation, thoughtful questions and deep reflections, our teachers work in partnership with the children to negotiate curriculum, extend thinking and develop explorations. Our teachers are life long learners who continue to research contemporary child development theories. Attending conferences, workshops and classes supports our teachers’ commitment to integrating new research into their daily practice.

We have an extensive media program that encompasses a wide range of materials and symbolic languages. The children use the various media to communicate their ideas, develop their theories and deepen their learning.

Our children are not given traditional preschool materials such as play dough, construction paper and prepackaged collage materials. Instead they are offered a wide range of artist-quality mixed media materials including clay, pastels, weaving materials, beadwork and natural materials in addition to canvases and beautiful papers for use with various types of paint and collage.

“Materials are the text of early childhood classrooms. They offer openings and pathways by which children can enter the world of knowledge.”

We are influenced by the work of various artists such as Goldsworthy, Calder, Matisse and O’Keefe whose work we observe in books and photographs. In the atelier, the children’s work is displayed for further inspiration: clay leaves and tempera butterflies hang from the ceiling, wirework of DNA and kinesthetic sculptures adorn the space.

We see children as active, vital participants who contribute to our community. As part of our curriculum, we visit Temescal Canyon, Tanaka Strawberry Farm, Underwood Family Pumpkin Farm and farmers markets. We believe that extending our curriculum into the community allows the children to become more connected to their community and the community to become more connected to our children.

We understand and value the importance of children having time to connect with nature. Our beautiful outdoor environments give children time to explore nature through immersive experiences with clay, sand, water, natural materials and gardening. These experiences are set up to encourage children to connect with each other, develop peer relationships and make meaningful connections with natural world. Our environment has been certified by the **National Wildlife Federation** as a **School Yard Habitat.**

Research has shown that early experiences in programs such as Branches Atelier, improves children’s abilities to develop socially, intellectually and emotionally before they enter kindergarten, and that children who attend high-quality preschools like Branches will have more successful academic careers and develop the social skills necessary to adapt more easily to an elementary school environment.

Our Founder **Patricia Hunter McGrath** was named **Culver City's Visionary Woman of the Year** in 2020.

Branches Atelier has been certified by the **National Wildlife Federation** as a **School Yard Habitat.**

Branches Atelier has been certified as a **Sustainable Green Business Innovator** by Culver City.

Branches Atelier Fund

La Maison de Simon is an artists' residence in Normandy created in honor of Simon Kasha.

La Maison de Simon is an artists' residence in Normandy, France, created in honor of Simon Kasha. We host contemporary artists in the fields of visual art, music, writing and the culinary arts.

The house itself is a converted stone barn in the village of Fontaine-sous-Jouy. It was completely renovated to include ample studio space, including a kiln for ceramics, and two bedrooms so that we may host artists who wish to apply as a collaborative duo. 

Our warmest thanks to all our friends, family and patrons for their support.

Simon Kasha Foundation, La Maison de Simon

Outschool.org is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit managed through the Edward Charles Foundation (ECF). 

Outschool.org is a non-profit that provides education classes to young, promising Palestinian refugees globally. In the U.S., we support under-resourced communities access innovative, impactful learning experiences. We provide navigation support to increase low-income families' access to public education funding programs such as microgrants and ESAs, and we provide free access to cutting-edge products through our Collective Impact Fund. Outschool.org’s programs prioritize family and learner choice and develop academic achievement, love of learning, and sense of belonging.

Outschool.org formed in March 2020 to address financial barriers to virtual learning during COVID. Now, we're laser-focused on ensuring that the majority of underserved families who are looking for alternatives and additions to traditional K-12 schooling can have access to high-quality educational resources aligned to their interests and needs.

Outschool.org

Cambodian non-profit arts school supporting youth through artistic & educational programs

Phare Ponleu Selpak is a Cambodian non-profit arts school located in Battambang, offering support to children, youth and the surrounding communities through artistic, educational and social support programmes.

Phare Phare Ponleu Selpak was founded more than a quarter of a century ago, by nine Cambodians, who grew up in a refugee camp after surviving the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, and their French arts teacher. Resilience and hope has been in Phare’s DNA from the very beginning, and from a simple arts school it blossomed into the multi-faceted creative hub it is today.

Phare educates and trains thousands of children and youth who come from challenging backgrounds. Most receive a mainstream education which helps them thrive as adults, but others become artists, performers and musicians who keep Cambodia’s creative culture alive after its almost total destruction by the Khmer Rouge. We offer them social support, education and arts programs so they can build their future and support their families through creative careers.

Phare Ponleu Selpak 

Mystic Arts Foundation exists to support artists and develop artistic works that create the opportunity for transformation.

The Mystic Arts Foundation (“MAF”) is an organizational platform established to support and develop artistic works and pieces which provide experiences and environments that are conducive to personal transformation. 

MAF, a California corporation, is an IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which offers legal organization, structure, full-service turn-key administrative services, and financial support for transformative artists and their projects.  A primary purpose of MAF is to allow artists to play in their zone of genius and do what they do best – which is to create art … without being encumbered by many of the organizational, administrative, and fundraising hurdles of executing such important projects.  The MAF structure also provides contributors and grant providers full transparency, governance, and reporting to support their contribution/grant mission and serves to match benefactors of such artworks to well-vetted, managed, and operating artists and their projects.

MAF, born out of its inaugural project – the Mystic Flyer Art Car, has been established and formed as a tax-deductible nonprofit organization in order to effectively and efficiently solicit contributions and grants, creating a vibrant hub of creativity for transformative and immersive art experiences.  At first, it was named Mystic Flyer Arts Foundation, however, within a few months, it became clear that our mission was much larger than the mutant vehicle project that inspired its formation, and “Flyer” was dropped from public-facing written materials.  This change was officially recognized on 1/31/19.

The Board of Directors will primarily focus on selecting and supporting best-in-class artists that have the drive and vision to create works with the ability to transform an individual’s experience and consciousness.  MAF will support a diverse group of artists and art projects including the development of emerging artistic technologies, art cars, and other portable immersive exhibits which can be displayed and experienced in various formats.  Artists that are supported by MAF will have access to an extended network of constituents, supporters, and thought leaders as resources for both developing and then displaying their art.

Mission

It is the mission, duty, and purpose of The Mystic Arts Foundation (MAF) to bring interactive and immersive art experiences to the public in the United States and beyond.

MAF provides mobile and portable art platforms as an educational showcase for graphic artists, LED lighting artists, technology artists, music/sound artists, and more. We provide opportunities for learning about the arts and the creation of new art in all settings through workshops…whether we are working on new technologies or art in our warehouse facilities between events or at events open to the general public.

Education

MAF provides education in the arts as they relate to the current artists we are working with. Artists are invited to participate with the understanding that they will also provide live, interactive, or recorded education on how the particular art is conceived and developed from the inception of the idea to the completion of the art for display and interaction with the general public.

Programs for Volunteers

At times, per the discretion of the board of directors, we may provide internships or volunteer opportunities which will provide a pathway for involvement in art development and outreach activities and programs in order to have a greater impact on educating the public and introducing new art, artists, and technologies. Some of the activities that volunteers may be involved in are basic education on topics such as graphic design, painting, lighting design, visual perspectives, sound technologies, digital music creation, etc. Such activities shall always be free of charge to participants and will not include compensation to the volunteers.

Multimedia

It is our goal to bring awareness to interactive and immersive art from every medium possible and this does not exclude documentaries and photos of our activities, projects, programs, and expeditions. All programs and art projects will be available to the public through displays at festivals, events, and other public venues.

Our primary revenue is derived from donations.  We also accept supportive payments from a variety of commercial art venues where our participation is made possible by receiving payments used to cover the expenses involved.  

Mystic Arts Foundation

The Owl Club unites enthusiasts to become connoisseurs of pre-modern art while building meaningful relationships in the art world


Join THE OWL CLUB!

Owl Club Member $250 (yearly membership begins when you join)

Owl Club Benefits:

• Monthly invitations to in person events exclusive to Owl Club members
  Our private events include special visits to private collections, exhibition tours with 
  curators, tutorials in galleries, conservation studios and auction houses 
• Private guided tours and special events at art fairs*
• Access to all Athena Art Foundation podcasts and special events


Owl Club Benefactor $350 (yearly membership begins when you join)

Owl Club Benefactor Benefits:
• Invitations to events exclusive to Owl Club members in galleries, artist studios, auction 
 houses, and private collections
• Priority reservation privileges for The Athena Foundation fund-raising benefits and host 
 committees
• Private guided tours to museum exhibitions and art fairs*
• Access to all Athena Art Foundation podcasts and special events
• Invitation to additional special events exclusive to Benefactors

*artfair tickets not included

Athena Art Foundation - The Owl Club

Since 1968, providing quality fine arts experiences for students and our community through our summer camps and year round events.

Shell Lake Arts Center Inc

Reggie Stephens Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on providing youth athletes opportunities to thrive. 

**Our Mission:** At RSF, we empower youth in Santa Cruz City and County schools, and beyond, through sports, arts, education, and culture. Our programs support aspiring athletes, artists, and scholars by fostering personal development through athletic training, artistic expression, and academic enrichment. Committed to helping young individuals seek, believe, and achieve their goals, we promote excellence to make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

**About the Reggie Stephens Foundation**: Founded in 2018, the Reggie Stephens Foundation (RSF) was created to provide youth with opportunities to grow through sports, arts, education, and culture. What began as a vision to uplift young athletes has evolved into a dynamic organization offering programs that promote personal development, leadership, and academic success.

RSF remains deeply committed to the community, expanding initiatives like **Sunday Sessions, partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and the Central Coast Girls Flag Football All-Star Tournament**. With the support of donors, volunteers, and partners, we continue to create pathways for youth to thrive and achieve their dreams.

Reggie Stephens Foundation

Help us cultivate students' creativity and grow mutual empathy through the arts for a prosperous and peaceful future.

**[Rai·son d'ê·tre](https://icaf.org/about/why-icaf)**

The founding of the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) in April 1997 sparked a global movement to foster students’ creative and empathetic development through art and sports.

Creativity and empathy are the building blocks for a prosperous and peaceful future and are cornerstones of free enterprise and democracy. These critical human attributes are urgent now with the rise of AI and the risk of nuclear holocaust. Nelson Mandela famously stated, "Sport has the power to change the world… the power to inspire... the power to unite people in a way that little else does." In concert with art, sports can paint a whole new world.

ICAF’s intervention spotlights student identity development since it’s vital for their growth. Rather than categorizing themselves and others as artsy, athletic, nerdy, or tech-savvy, ICAF promotes the Artist-Athlete Ideal, which embodies a creative mind and a healthy body (*mente sana in corpore sano*). This holistic identity awakens their dormant “inner artist” or the slumbering “inner athlete,” helping them mitigate obesity risks and creativity slumps.

**[Research & Publications](https://icaf.org/resources/publications)**
ICAF’s seminal research has been published in several leading journals, including [The Lancet](https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673606699157.pdf) and [Dynamische Psychiatrie](https://icaf.org/resource/pdfs/CreativeEmpaths.pdf). Since 1998, ICAF has published the ad-free quarterly, the ChildArt magazine. Please preview the [AI & Art ](https://www.icaf.org/AI&Art/)magazine and the [Human Security ](https://icaf.org/resource/flipbooks/HumanSecurity/)magazine.

**[The Arts Olympiad](https://icaf.org/mission/arts-olympiad.)**
ICAF’s Arts Olympiad has evolved over the years into the world’s largest school art program. Its structured lesson plans culminate in art contests on the theme "My Favorite Sport." ICAF selects the most exceptional artworks and invites the young Artists-Athletes as delegates to the World Children’s Festival. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has granted ICAF an exclusive license to utilize the "Arts Olympiad" mark.

The 7th Arts Olympiad, currently taking place in nearly fifty countries, is projected to benefit more than half a million students worldwide. For more information about the program in select countries, please click [here](https://icaf.org/resource/pdfs/Arts-Olympiad-Stories-Texas.pdf).

**[World Children’s Festival](https://WorldChildrensFestival.org)**
The World Children’s Festival (WCF) offers a transformative experience, infusing creativity with empathy to give them hope. While learning is a biological process that creates new neural connections, developing empathy necessitates unlearning ingrained biases and prejudices to activate the “mirror neurons” that underpin empathetic responses. As empathy flourishes, divisions diminish, polarization lessens, consensus emerges, nations come together, and the world becomes more peaceful. The educational programming for this three-day public celebration of children's talents is rooted in STEAMS education, an innovative approach developed by ICAF that integrates Arts and Sports into the STEM disciplines. For an overview of the WCF, please click [here](https://www.icaf.org/resource/flipbooks/Creativity,DiversityandUnity/).

The 7th World Children’s Festival, held at the National Mall from June 30 to July 2, 2026, will also serve as a historic celebration of America's 250th birthday, seen through the eyes of children. We anticipate that total attendance at the WCF, free and open to the public, will surpass 30,000.

**Other Art Programs**
ICAF occasionally organizes [Peace through Art Programs](https://icaf.org/mission/peace-through-art) to restore the trust in humanity of children in conflict zones and [Healing Art Programs](https://icaf.org/mission/healing-arts-program) to revive faith in nature of child victims of natural disasters. ICAF also pays attention to [climate change](https://icaf.org/mission/climate-change) because of its impact on children’s lives.

**Sport Art Exhibitions**
As the largest children’s art organization, ICAF curates exhibitions worldwide to bring its unprecedented collection to significant venues and museums. ICAF exhibitions embolden children and kindle the inner child in professionals. Please watch this [3:22-minute clip](https://youtu.be/0Cv7qHQM7fM?si=XFAHo8MZDs2Sj7e_).

**Art & Sports Online Contests**
To engage children worldwide in the Paris 2024 Olympics, ICAF launched an online art contest for students aged 8 to 20. This inclusive platform allows participants to create artwork about their favorite sport, share it with family and friends, and receive votes from any sports fan or art lover, contributing to the selection of the winners.

**[Partnerships](https://icaf.org/about/partnership)**
ICAF has worked with the United Nations, the National Institutes of Health, the International Society for Education through Art, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. ICAF’s sponsors have included Adidas, Disney, LEGO, Four Seasons, Qatar Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. ICAF is ranked among the 25 Top Children’s Charities in the United States.



International Child Art Foundation

Help maintain the inheritance of the life and work of Vincent van Gogh.

Explore the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. 
 
Mission The Van Gogh Museum makes the life and work of Vincent van Gogh and the art of his time accessible to as many people as possible in order to enrich and inspire them.
 
Your support will help us to maintain the inheritance of the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. By donating through KBFUS you can make use of the tax benefits in the US. ​

Van Gogh Museum 

The Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum is based in Marion, KY and houses the one of the world's largest fluorite collections.

Ben E Clement Mineral Museum Inc

Become the partner of our community and millenary patrimony, the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille

The Abbey of Saint Wandrille was founded by Saint Wandrille in the mid-seventh century on the banks of the Seine, in Normandy (France). Today it is an impressive monument, a unique spiritual and cultural inheritance that the monks continue to inhabit.

Two major works are to achieve in order to preserve this architectural patrimony.

- **PROJECT #1: RESTORE THE GOTHIC CLOISTER**
The cloister of Saint-Wandrille, one of the two complete Gothic cloisters in Upper Normandy, suffers the ravages of humidity: soil in peril, stones and gnawed sculptures, development of moss and algae... The restoration has begun in 2018 but it is still in progress.
- **PROJECT #2: REHABILITATE THE "EAST" WING OF THE ABBEY**
Accidentally destroyed in the 19th century, the extremity of this building, of Maurist architecture, must imperatively be consolidated. The choice was made to extend it, which will allow the creation of new essential spaces: a library, to protect unique manuscripts and books of the Abbey, as well as an infirmary to care for the most fragile.

**MORE INFORMATION**
To know more about the restoration works in our Abbey, please visit: [https://st-wandrille.com/en/bathildis/](https://st-wandrille.com/en/bathildis/)
To learn more about our current life, spirituality, visits and spiritual retreats: [https://st-wandrille.com/en/](https://st-wandrille.com/en/)

Saint-Wandrille Abbey

Supporting collaborative artwork initiated by sculptor Prune Nourry to raise awareness and empower underrepresented communities. 

Catharsis Arts Foundation is a non-profit initiated by the sculptor Prune Nourry that supports collaborative artistic creation and enables art to have a long term, positive impact on the women, artists, artisans, and communities who contribute to and inspire the artwork’s creation.

The Foundation encourages the making of artworks with and by underrepresented communities, enabling them to tell their stories. The collective art installations then tour around the world to raise awareness before returning to their country of origin and funding their preservation, as well as educational and artistic programs for the local communities.

The foundation is inspired by Prune Nourry’s profound belief that art and sculpture can be a tool to recreate balance in a deeply unbalanced world. It will operate globally, with first programs being held in Africa in 2024.

Catharsis Arts Foundation

We serve pottery communities by developing conditions for their well-being, agency and autonomy. 

Pottery making tradition in Mexico is a millenary way of being in the world. Innovando la Tradición has worked alongside traditional potters only for twenty years. In the midst of its extinction, our goal is to make sure they have the conditions to continue another four thousand years by strengthening capacities in indigenous potters to challenge the future by creating bridges to the modern economy, developing skills, discover new narratives of indigenous identity, and making an archive of their knowledge.

The question we want to answer is: How can indigenous knowledge become a source of answers to the most pressing problems of our civilization?

Our mission is structured in what we call In Mexico, milpa. The milpa refers to an ancient Mesoamerican intercropping method of planting corn, squash, and beans together, as well as a variety of chiles and quelites, or young, edible greens. The way these species interact creates a balanced ecosystem that utilizes available resources—water, light, and soil—and produces a highly nutritious diet.

The Milpa of Innovating Tradition is made up of Four Movements, four guiding principles, four interconnected and complementary areas, not unlike the Mesoamerican milpas, that offer a comprehensive solution to the decline of traditional pottery and of the know-how of the communities.

Each Movement contains ideas like seeds that grow into pilot projects, then long-term projects.

MAIZE | LEARNING COMMUNITY OF POTTERS

An educational space where potters share their knowledge and develop skills in new fields of interest. This space is all about trust, collaboration, fellowship, and harmony, where we all have something to teach and something to learn.

The future vision of this movement is to create a bachellors degree and the University of the Earth.

BEANS | HOUSES OF CLAY

Our goal is to transform the dominant narratives, starting local, through a network of spaces (Houses of Knowledge) focused on pottery, hand-made objects, and the know-how of the villages. These spaces for workshops, sales, and exhibitions also allow potters, designers, researchers, educators, and enthusiasts to come together.

The future vision is to create an Indigenous Art Center in the city of Oaxaca where indigenous knowledge is showcase and strengthen, where artisans can develop economical autonomy, that has beautiful accomodation to host an international residency program and a gorgeous open kitchen to promote local gastronomy. This infrastructure will be connected to a series of spaces in the villages  to revitalize the learning process and social recognition.

The Bachellors degree and the University will be hosted in this network of spaces.

SQUASH | KNOWLEDGE IS HANDMADE

We document and share how we do what we do—our tools, processes, and principles—, as well as the artisans’ know-how, thereby fostering more collaborative projects and companies based on solidarity.

The future vision for this program is to have an archive of materials in the shape of books, collections, technical manuals, documentary films and digital material to inspire new generations and preserve old techniques from the wise potters that hold precious secrets in their fingers and memories.

CHILI | COOPERATIVA 1050°

As a social and cooperative enterprise, we take pottery to all corners of the world, opening new paths for more people to touch its deep wisdom and beauty. With a solidarity economy we achieve deep transformations in families of potters, supported by fair, stable and dignified economies. At the moment our cooperative integrates 15 women leaders from 7 villages and 3 states: oaxaca, puebla and chiapas.

Our future vision for the cooperative is to create an example of economía solidaria within capitalism that does not puts money at the center, but relationships.

We dream of having a cooperative integrated by all the pottery villages of Southeast region of Mexico.

It is funded by the Valle de Huajes Network, a group of more than 70 individuals in Mexico and the US.

Innovando la Tradición

At LPTM, Black and Brown boys express themselves; navigate life challenges; mentor their peers; and transform their communities.

Life Pieces To Masterpieces (LPTM) provides opportunities for Black and Brown boys and young men ages 3-25 to express themselves; navigate the challenges in their lives; teach and uplift others as mentors; and contribute positively to their communities. 

Boys enter the program as early as age three, with programming including a daily afterschool arts and education mentoring program from 3:00-7:00, which involves transportation and a meal, a college- and career-prep Saturday Academy for high school young men who also serve as mentors, a full-day six-week summer program, and family and community engagement. All programs are free for all youth and families. 

In all programs, LPTM provides an environment of love, security, and expression. Black boys and young men, from pre-school to grad-school and beyond, discover their authentic selves; awaken to a sense of purpose; have their brilliance and humanity valued and nurtured – and see themselves as the beautiful Masterpieces they are. In their artwork, advocacy, and model of mentorship, our Black boys and young men are protagonists of positive change.

Life Pieces To Masterpieces

Provides creative arts programs to young patients and families in children's hospitals across North Carolina.

Arts For Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting pediatric patients and families through arts education and engagement. By providing educational art programs, we enrich patients’ lives, nurture their minds and spirits, and encourage positive healthcare experiences for children and their families. Arts For Life helps children every day in three communities across North Carolina.

Arts For Life

Support the development of contemporary art in Mexico  

Patronato de Arte Contemporáneo was established in 2000 by an independent group of professionals of the arts to support curatorial, editorial, educational and theoretical projects that contribute to the development of contemporary art in Mexico. We accomplish our mission through out the programs we design to satisfy the needs of the current context of visual arts in Mexico. Our goal is to benefit our countrys' cultural development in the most complete and extensive possible way. Our main programs are:  - The International Symposium on Contemporary Art Theory (SITAC), it's an international event that brings together leading participants in the practice, theory, and history of art to discuss specific themes. The symposium allows a broader diffusion of the artistic ideas among the public, the students, the artists, and related disciplines.  - PACs Grants: Since 2000, we have supported more than 370 projects through this Program. For each supported project, in addition to the economic grant, it involves entering a network of independent projects, and a legitimization before other foundations and / or artistic institutions. Receiving these grants allows many projects to assume their profession as artists and managers.  - Nodos Program: Its a series of activities designed to encourage the exchange between cultural production of the different regions of the country. The main objective of these initiatives is to facilitate a horizontal, plural and multidisciplinary discussion.  - Patrons Program: Our funds come from individual and corporate patrons. This program is designed to be a manifestation of what is our ideology in PAC: to demonstrate the cultural diversity that exists in Mexico, to offer a place of knowledge and at the same time artistic encounters. In the same way that we support artists, we want to accompany each patron to enrich the conversation and learn from each one.  

Patronato de Arte Contemporeaneo, A.C.

The Sursock Museum is the first modern and contemporary art institution in Lebanon.


HISTORY
The Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum is the first modern and contemporary art museum in the Arab world. It opened officially its doors in 1961 thanks to a bequest of Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock, a philanthropist and a collector, who donated to the Lebanese citizens his Ottoman-Venetian style villa, built in 1912, and art collection. The Museum survived the turmoil in Beirut and has been open to the public for the last six decades with few interruptions.
Throughout its history, it lived through many tribulations. The various armed conflicts and tensions in Lebanon left quite a few scars. Healing has been long and arduous. 

Today, we are grateful for being able to celebrate the recovery of our cherished institution.
Soon after the Beirut blast on August 4, 2020, we started the rehabilitation of the museum, without the assurance that we would secure all the necessary funds. 
The solidarity of volunteers, local and international institutions as well as individual friends, enabled us to reopen in May 2023.
We are so pleased to give the Sursock Museum back to the Lebanese and to the
international friends of Lebanon. 
Increasing numbers of visitors and participants in our diverse activities are a source of energy and renewed dynamism.  
During the different phases of its history, it strived to be faithful to its calling: an inclusive space of encounter, education, innovation and cooperation. More concentrated efforts are ahead of us. 

The museum's new programming wants to engage with a diverse and wider public today. With its exhibition spaces, public library, auditorium, the Sursock Museum will continue to be a safe space for cultural dialogue, critical thinking and free expression. It is a platform for continuous learning, formative of future generations of art and cultural professionals, and we will continue to do so without compromising on quality, in dialogue at eye-level with international institutions.

GOVERNANCE
Following the will of Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock, the Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum with its building and art collection, was constituted in the form of a Waqf on 14 January 1953.
(The Waqf is not too dissimilar to the western legal form of Trust or Foundation). The role of custodian of the Waqf, the mutawali, was assigned to the president of the municipality of Beirut, regardless of which political regime exists at the time.


OUR CHALLENGES
Before the crisis, the museum's activities were mostly financed by a tax on building permits levied by the Beirut Municipality. It now covers less than 2 per cent of our expenses. 

This is our new challenge: financing this vital institution to survive amid complete financial collapse. With our board of trustees, our circle of friends and future supporters, will do so while still offering free access to art.

We cannot overstate the significance of your engagement with the Sursock Museum. Your support is vital. 
Today, supporting the museum is not an act of charity, it is an act of necessity!
Your support is vital. 

Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum

AFMM raises awareness among Americans and provides financial support, on a tax-deductible basis, for the Musée de Montmartre.

HistoryThe Musée de Montmartre is located in old houses on the Butte (hill of Montmartre). These residences, surrounded by gardens, housed the workshops and ateliers of numerous artists such as Auguste Renoir, Émile Bernard, Raoul Dufy, Charles Camoin, Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo. The permanent collection includes paintings, posters and drawings signed by Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Kupka, Steinlen, Valadon, and Utrillo. Together, the artworks recount the history of Montmartre, including the innovative studios at Bateau-Lavoir and 12 rue Cortot and the infamous animated cabarets of the Lapin Agile and the Moulin Rouge. The Museum includes an entire room dedicated to the French Cancan, while another features rare zinc plates of dreamlike scenes from shadow theatre such as Le Chat Noir, the first modern cabaret founded by Rodolphe Salis in 1881.  The collection was made possible by the History and Archeology Society “Le Vieux Montmartre,” which itself dates back to 1886.  The permanent collection presented will immerse you in the history of Montmartre and reveal its rich culture. The Musée de Montmartre was founded in 1960 and dates one of its buildings to the seventeenth century.  This building is the Bel Air House and is the oldest building in Montmartre.  During its heyday, 12 rue Cortot served as a residence and meeting place for many artists including Auguste Renoir, Suzanne Valadon and Émile Bernard, who held their studios here, as well as the fauve artists Emile Othon Friesz and Raoul Dufy.The Musée's attendees relive Montmartre's celebrated history through the eyes of Suzanne Valadon during the Musée's immersive media show. Attendees rediscover the atmosphere that dominated the winding streets of the Butte and the famous names that roamed them.  Valadon's humble origins, artistic training, contacts and success make her the perfect guide to introduce the visit and recount the history of Montmartre: she is an allegory of the Butte during its effervescence.  In July 2011, the Kléber-Rossillon Company took over the management of the Musée de Montmartre. It launched an ambitious program that expanded and restored the site. Exhibition space was doubled, the studio-apartment of the artists Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo was renovated, and the three gardens that inspired Renoir’s paintings were brought to their former glory.  Artists started to move to Montmartre in 1870 and the cafes and cabarets multiplied in the 1880’s. What quickly came to characterize Montmartre in the eyes of everyone was this effervescent bohemian spirit, a creative energy.  In 1912 Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo and André Utter settled into their atelier-apartment and left a symbolic trace at 12 Cortot. The spirit of the infernal trio has been restored: the frying pan can be found in its place, the mezzanine was rebuilt in the studio, and the walls of Utrillo’s bedroom still have their original panelling and barbed wire on the windows.  To give life to this reconstruction, the company Kléber Rossillon called upon the designer Hubert Le Gall, scenographer who has worked with renowned institutions (e.g., Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, Jacquemart- André). Hubert Le Gall was able to recreate the atelier-apartment, faithful to the letters and writings of the time and as portrayed in historical photographs - an ode and celebration of the past.Three gardens dedicated to Auguste Renoir surround the Musée de Montmartre. They are named in memory of the impressionist painter who lived on-site between 1875 and 1877, where he painted several masterpieces including the famous le Bal du Moulin de la Galette (“The Moulin de la Galette Ball”), La Balancoire (“The Swing”), and Jardin de la rue Cortot (“Rue Cortot Garden”). The Renoir Gardens offer breathtaking views of the vineyard, the Clos Montmartre, and northern cityscape of Paris.  The Musée de Montmartre captures the excitement of a time at the turn of the century (the Fin de Siècle) in a neighborhood where artists, musicians, poets, and friends gathered and created.  This time gave birth to modern art, pushing against the boundaries of the time.  The Musée de Montmartre is rooted in history.  The American Friends of Musée de Montmartre celebrate this time and very special place.

American Friends of Musée de Montmartre

MOWAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, expansion, and celebration of West African arts and culture.

At the core of MOWAA’s vision is a commitment to inspiring the next generation of creatives in West Africa. By re-evaluating the concept of the museum in a 21st century African context, MOWAA seeks to ensure relevancy to contemporary artists, artisans and cultural professionals.

To do this, we provide exceptional infrastructureand programmes for the preservation, display, research, learning and exchange in arts and culture in a range of locations from our world-class facilities and campus in the heart of the historic district of Benin City, Nigeria.

MOWAA

Help us heal and empower queer people and their place in the world! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzXj-I12Ka0

we.are.village in Berlin is creating new ways that queer communities can connect, transform and heal. For the last eight years, we have operated a unique space for queer masculinities and femininities, transgender, non-binary, genderfluid, intersex and other gender non-conforming people.


Our goal is to help queer people create and embrace healthier, better connected and purposeful lives. We do this by nourishing individual and collective growth through working with the body, mindfulness, artistic expression, consent and a range of self-empowering tools and strategies. In the process, we tackle loneliness, lack of self-esteem, intimacy and addiction issues, dealing with discrimination and other intersectional challenges that limit and impact queer lives.


We have created a diverse and continuously adapting program of weekly and monthly events, community evenings, weekend trips as well as art exhibitions, performances, salon discussions and offerings via our online platform.


Although it was never our focus, we  have become a model for other cities and countries. We regularly host visitors and participants from all over the world and have seen an increase in international interest from individuals, other organizations, activists, artists, politicians or other practitioners wanting to find out more about our innovative model and methodologies.

Please contribute to our fundraiser that will support this international vision through our Queer Bridges Berlin and Village Academy Training programs.

Download the PDF with our vision, goals and summary of our past successes here!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/66zmtyp86uub1tt/2023-WAV--KL-EN-DIN-A4%20.pdf?dl=0

We very much appreciate your time and attention!
Thank you !!
Kai Ehrhardt
Founder

we are village - queer matters

A unique, cutting-edge, and ecologically sensitive multi-media art space and cultural ecosystem in Uganda.

Since its inception in 2006, Bayimba has been working towards the sustainability of its programming that has shaped Uganda’s cultural landscape and influenced a vibrant creative industry within the East African region. Championing platforms like the Bayimba International Festival, the Kampala International Theatre Festival, Amakula International Film Festival and DOADOA: a regional network of professional stakeholders. Over the years, more than 5,000 artists have shared stage at the Bayimba events, and more than 15,000 industry professionals have been skilled for the market through the Bayimba Academy.

Through its hard work, careful saving and individual givers – the organisation managed to acquire Lunkulu Island - a leafy 92-acre semi-attached island in the midst of a lush environment at the shores of Lake Victoria in Mukono and Buikwe districts, with an idea of developing it to become a cutting-edge multi-media arts centre that uniquely serves the creative community from across the globe. 

From 2018, Lunkulu Island purposely accommodates Bayimba’s growing annual festivals and events, contributing to the long-term sustainability of Uganda’s creative arts. The development of physical structures is deemed necessary to further provide artists with a holistic safe-space that will enhance innovation, collaboration and creative development in East Africa. With a combined community of all mediums of art, professionally presented in one space where visitors can get a comprehensive artistic experience, creating jobs for the youth, preserving the local culture to a year-round tourism eco-system – the Bayimba Centre will be a hotspot for entrepreneurs where art, culture, and sustainability intersect—a place where creativity knows no bounds. 

But we can't do it alone. We need your support to make this vision a reality. Join us with a donation in building a brighter future for Uganda—where creativity, sustainability, and community thrive – so that together, we can create something truly extraordinary.

Bayimba Cultural Foundation Limited

Artonomics equips artists with tools to bridge creativity and business, fostering sustainable careers and economic empowerment.

Artonomics is a groundbreaking initiative founded by Halim A. Flowers to empower artists and creatives with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the business of art. Focused on bridging the gap between creativity and commerce, Artonomics provides education and resources to help artists understand the economic value of their work, manage intellectual property, and build sustainable careers.

Through workshops, mentorship programs, and partnerships with organizations, Artonomics equips participants with practical skills in monetization, branding, and financial literacy. The initiative champions the belief that art is not only a form of expression but also a driver of economic and social impact, fostering a generation of creatives who confidently claim their place in the global economy.

By redefining the intersection of art and business, Artonomics is transforming the way artists approach their craft, creating opportunities for economic empowerment, and ensuring the longevity of creative innovation.



Artonomics 

Center for Books Arts is a nonprofit that promotes active explorations of artistic practices related to the book as an art object.

For nearly 50 years, CBA has supported artists and uplifted the book arts by presenting exhibitions, lectures, readings, and performances; providing opportunities for artists, writers, curators and scholars through residencies, fellowships, publishing, and collecting; and empowering the creation of new book art by providing courses on book art related We are committed to providing a nurturing environment for our community in New York City and beyond to grow and learn together. Our studios and virtual educational programming make accessible the equipment and skills needed for artists and writers to take book production into their own hands, and giving creative voices a tool to self amplify without the need to rely on the gallery model or commercial pressures.

Founded in 1974, Center for Book Arts was the first not-for-profit organization of its kind in the nation, and has since become a model for others around the world, serving as a space for research, education, exhibition, making, and community building.

Center for Book Arts

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands. We tell the story of 800 years of Dutch history, from 1200 to now. 

**In everything we do we are vastly reliant on external donations and support. Much of the Rijksmuseum collection has been brought together thanks to individual gifts. All our activities, from exhibitions to research, are made possible thanks to your generous support. Whether your donation is large or small, every bit helps. So donate and support the Rijksmuseum!**

A museum of art and history with a representative survey of Dutch art and history since the Middle Ages, the Rijksmuseum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million objects, among which are some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. The museum also has a small Asian collection which is on display in the Asian pavilion.

The Rijksmuseum links individuals with art and history. Mission At the Rijksmuseum, art and history take on new meaning for a broad-based, contemporary national and international audience. As a national institute, the Rijksmuseum offers a representative overview of Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages onwards, and of major aspects of European and Asian art. The Rijksmuseum keeps, manages, conserves, restores, researches, prepares, collects, publishes, and presents artistic and historical objects, both on its own premises and elsewhere.

**Vision**
The Rijksmuseum links individuals with art and history.

**Mission**
At the Rijksmuseum, art and history take on new meaning for a broad-based, contemporary national and international audience.

As a national institute, the Rijksmuseum offers a representative overview of Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages onwards, and of major aspects of European and Asian art.

The Rijksmuseum keeps, manages, conserves, restores, researches, prepares, collects, publishes, and presents artistic and historical objects, both on its own premises and elsewhere.

Rijksmuseum 

CRXLAB is building a youth-led, community-centered movement of a new type of Civic Leader: Redesigners for Justice.  

Our mission combines education and civic engagement for racial justice & healthy living.
Creative Reaction Lab’s mission is to educate, train, and challenge Black and Latinx youth to become leaders designing healthy and racially equitable communities. We’re challenging the belief that only adults with titles (e.g. mayors, CEOs, etc.) have the power and right to challenge racial and health inequities. However, we are conscious that it’s not just the work of the people that have been historically underinvested to dismantle oppressive systems. Therefore, we are rallying an intergenerational movement of Redesigners for Justice.


Creative Reaction Lab

Breakout Foundation helps communities thrive by providing unrestricted funding to local changemakers.

Changemakers can't champion change alone. We know those closest to the problems are also closest to the solutions. Breakout is a social-impact experiential agency with a supporting 501c3 foundation committed to driving change.

We're here to amplify and empower the people, places, and stories that deserve the hype through unrestricted grants (while removing the red tape of traditional giving). Local changemakers deserve a platform they trust and a network of leaders to learn with and lean on. 


Breakout Foundation 

Celebrating the power of Space to bring the world together, educating and developing the next generation of explorers.

The mission of The SpaceKind Foundation (and associated projects Yuri's Night, Cosmic Odyssey Scholarship, AstroAccess) is to use the excitement and inspiration of space as a catalyst for educating and developing the next generation of explorers. We fulfill this mission through a commitment to empowering leaders, building communities, bridging cultures, encouraging science literacy, and promoting a sustainable and peaceful future. We are also launching a massive movement to get 50 million people to stand in the path of totality for the total eclipse of the sun on Mon April 8, 2024 in a 100 mile wide band from Mazatlan, Mexico to Montreal Canada to LOOK UP. The sight of the sun completely blocked by the moon, letting the stars shine in the middle of the afternoon, is breathtaking and worth driving a few states to see. I hope you will join us! www.eclipsefest.org

The SpaceKind Foundation

The International Beethoven Project, est. 2008 as a NFP, is on a mission to revolutionize the world of classical music.

​​**The International Beethoven Project (IBP) is on a mission to revolutionize the world of classical music.**

We're passionate about:

- **Celebrating Beethoven's extraordinary music and humanist legacy.**
- **Exploring new ways to present and perform classical music, inspired by Beethoven's revolutionary approach to the music world in his own time.**
- **Showcasing the most creative musical geniuses of past and present.**

**Our Vision:** By highlighting Beethoven's innovative spirit, we aim to inspire a new generation of music lovers, performers, and arts leaders. We're exploring cutting-edge approaches—from cool live events and educational programs to productions of films, recordings, digital media and even artificial intelligence—to bring classical music to life.

**Our Impact:**

- **Launched "International Beethoven Day" in 2021** to create a global movement celebrating Beethoven's enduring impact and classical music in general
- **Produced critically acclaimed recordings,** including a groundbreaking album featuring the first-ever recording of Beethoven's Trio Hess 47.
- **Created captivating music films and documentaries** that offer fresh perspectives on the classics and inspire contemporary artists.
- **Organized annual Beethoven birthday celebrations and multi-disciplinary festivals** that unite diverse art forms and musical genres since 2010
- **Pioneering explorations in web3/blockchain/metaverse/NFT and artificial intelligence** dedicated to classical music.

**Upcoming Projects:**

- **An immersive multimedia journey through Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas.** This ambitious project will feature recordings, films, contemporary interpretations and reinterpretations, readings of Beethoven's letters, and visual art. We'll share this experience globally and bring it directly to schools worldwide during the upcoming celebrations of the bicentennial of Beethoven's death in 2027.
- **Preparing an international conference** on the role and future of classical music.
- **Collaborations with other organizations** to cross-pollinate ideas.

**Join the Movement:**

Stay connected with IBP through our website and social media channels. Together, we're shaping the future of classical music for the next generations. If you're interested in joining the team in any capacity, please let us know!

And don't forget that **your support is the key to our success!**

**Visit[ www.internationalbeethovenproject.com](https://www.internationalbeethovenproject.com) to learn more.**

International Beethoven Project

Momus is an online platform for art writing and criticism (including Momus: The Podcast, mentorship programs, and publishing).

In October 2024, *Momus* celebrated its tenth anniversary. Our platform continues to grow in momentum and reach—finding new audiences at a time when many legacy publications are losing trust and relevance. We have raised our writers' rates by over 400% in the past decade. Momus is in a period of growth; in the past year, our readership has increased by over 15%, and the number of applications to our mentorship programs has more than doubled.

Our editors and contributors are experiencing an increased sense of responsibility in a diminished field; this is a vital moment for *Momus* to serve a growing audience and stabilize our future. We offer the kind of resources that have become increasingly rare and necessary to arts writing, criticism, and culture reporting. We have built an ecosystem for arts discourse that is multivocal, creative, and flourishing; a foundation to welcome new writers and readers for years to come.

*Momus* relies on the support of sponsors and individual readers. Please visit our Support page for how you can contribute to *Momus*: https://momus.ca/support/

Momus

Founder & Artistic Director, Anthony M. Laura, is a filmmaker & published playwright known for writing, producing, and directing.

Duality tells the story of Camilla Knightley who, while throwing a 75th birthday party for her grandmother, is forced to come to terms with a decade old trauma in the midst of a family gathering.

​Duality is the final part in Anthony M. Laura's memory trilogy.

The previous two installments, The Girl with the Red Hair and Shadows, premiered in 2022 and 2023, respectively.​​

​Your support for this project is vital to producing strong, important, independent theater.  Ticket sales alone are not enough to meet the real costs involved with writing, casting, rehearsal, theater rental, stagecraft, and performance.  Donors are so important to the growth of the immersive and transformational art form of live theater.  Your gift consideration is greatly appreciated.

By giving to this project you participate in empowering the direct emotional impact and personal entertainment value only possible through live stage dramatic performance in a theater and know that it matters.

Give today.

Duality: The Play

Did you know there's more than 1 million books in the Joburg CBD. Let's celebrate that.

Johannesburg, better known as Jozi or Joburg, is best showcased by the vibrant city centre at its heart. The area that residents refer to as “Town” is set apart by the combined bustling of hawkers, cross-continental traders, and white-collar office workers alike.

Between busy public transportation routes and the overall air of Afropolitan excellence, Town has something for everyone. This diverse and energetic part of the city is a prime showcase of the literary and artistic wonders that Joburg has to offer.

The Literary District runs on community support. We send thousands of books, new and used, for free to libraries across South Africa every year. We also work with community organisations that have literacy outreach programmes and donate books to their causes.

With more than 1 million books in the City Library and dozens of booksellers in the nearby blocks, our literary culture flows through the streets. We’re working with the Johannesburg Development Agency through its Our City, Our Block programme to highlight and expand this reading culture.
 
To start, that means keeping our streets clean. With the help of a grant from the Social Employment Fund, we have hired cleaners to help us keep the district looking refreshed.

Dozens of booksellers sell their wares in the LitDistrict. These booksellers provide easy access to books to the thousands of people in the city centre. We have fostered a relationship with these underground sellers, connecting them with publishers so that they can continue to provide the community with new books. We are working together as a neighbourhood to foster more of a reading culture that we hope will spread from our home to many others.

We are in the process of adopting the park that lies at the centre of the LitDistrict. The Library Gardens stretch out from the city library and is a popular gathering point for the community. We hope to turn this park into a literary hub by cleaning it up and filling it with books that are completely free to borrow and read.

We have adopted two outdoor township libraries – one in Alexandra and another in Soweto. We stock these libraries every month to ensure that these communities have access to an ever-changing and ever-growing selection of books. We plan to build more of these throughout Joburg, starting with Library Gardens.

With grants from the city’s Department of Community Development, we workshopped six storybooks in local languages. Three of these stories were accepted by Nal’ibali for translation into all 11 languages with free distribution, thanks to a grant from the Cadbury #InOurOwnWords campaign. See ‘The First Story Ever Told’ in isiXhosa here.

We have also worked on getting stories to print that have, up until now, only existed in oral tradition. In doing this, we hope to share South African stories further across the globe. 

Many South African books that would now be considered classics seem to have disappeared. Some were banned and never reprinted after the end of Apartheid, and others simply fell out the public consciousness but are taking on new resonance now. 

We have been working to publish new editions of such classics so that these stories can re-enter circulation.  We have reprinted a duology of H.I.E. Dhlomo’s ‘The Girl Who Killed to Save’ and ‘Valley of a Thousand Hills’. Dhlomo is a founding figure of South African literature whose work has become hard to come across – something that we are working to change. 

We host publishing workshops to help break down some of the barriers between writers’ ideas and books going to print. We also sell books from independent authors on consignment, helping their words reach readers.

We host Storytime Saturday every week, either at Bridge Books or around the corner at Ernest Oppenheimer Park. With this initiative, we hope to revitalise the art of oral narrative, and to give children a fun and enriching activity on the weekend. Our readers bring stories to life in all South African languages, depending on the week’s audience. We want the kids in the neighbourhood to know that kids like them can be on the covers of books, too.

We also work in collaboration with the Alliance Française. With monthly storytelling events, we support their mission of bringing South African cultures to French expats living in Joburg, encouraging them to introduce their children to more South African stories. Plenty of local children from our area come to listen, too, and to join in on the djembe drum circle. 

The LitDistrict is a part of the Johannesburg Inner City Walkable Network, which links neighbourhoods throughout the CBD to create a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for locals and visitors.
 
 In the LitDistrict, we are working to create a neighbourhood identity based on literature and community. Local kids stop by on their way home from school to do their homework and read together and young professionals hunker down together over coffee at Bridge Books. 
 
All in all, we want our home to feel more like a home – art on the walls, places to come together, books in hands.

African Book Trust

The Fondation Pro-mahJ contributes to the development of the collections of the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme in Paris.

The Fondation pour le musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme (Pro mahJ), in Paris, was created in 2003 on the initiative of Claire Maratier, daughter of painter Michel Kikoïne (1892-1968), to promote the work of artists from the École de Paris and mobilize its resources in support of the mahJ. As an essential supporter of the enrichment of the mahJ's collections and the promotion of its heritage and activities, the foundation is committed to supporting contemporary artists whose work is rooted in the École de Paris and resonates with the mahJ's collections.
Your support will help preserve one of the finest collections of works of art and objects illustrating the heritage of Jewish culture in Europe and around the Mediterranean, from Antiquity to the present day, preserved and hosted by the musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme (mahJ), as well as strengthening the museum's activities, particularly its educational initiatives. The mahJ is France's largest museum devoted to Jewish art and culture, and a place of reference for education, promoting cultural diversity and combating prejudice and discrimination, for people from all walks of life. 
The mahJ is also developing an active policy of research into Jewish history and archeologia, through conferences, symposia and meetings. It actively campaigns for better dissemination of Jewish history and heritage and for it to be taken into account in public policy.


Fondation Pro mahJ 

Make It Possible Ukraine is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to providing educational opportunities for Ukrainian displaced children

Make It Possible Ukraine is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit organization (EIN 85-2134081) dedicated to providing educational opportunities and fostering joy and positivity in the lives of Ukrainian displaced children, particularly those residing in shelters in western Ukraine. Our programs include English lessons, creative workshops, entrepreneurial classes, and summer camps for children in need.


Make it Possible is an organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities and fostering joy and positivity in the lives of Ukrainian displaced children, particularly those residing in shelters in western Ukraine. Our programs include English lessons, creative workshops, entrepreneurial classes, and summer camps for children in need.


Currently, our organization is running several programs in shelters located in Lviv, with a primary focus on organizing a summer camp within one of the city's largest shelters. The goal of our program is to engage and educate the children through a wide range of activities designed to inspire and bring smiles to their faces.

Together, we will create a friendly and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and has a great time, including the volunteers. Our main goal is to provide these displaced children with an opportunity to forget about their challenging reality and experience the joys of childhood to the fullest.

Make It Possible Ukraine

The Granta Trust is the charitable foundation that runs the leading literary quarterly Granta.

The Granta Trust is the charitable foundation that runs the leading literary quarterly Granta.

Relaunched in 1979, *Granta* publishes new work from established writers alongside unknown and emerging voices, including work in translation. Each edition of the magazine features a mix of fiction, reportage, memoir, poetry and photography. In its early years, *Granta* served as a critical go-between for transatlantic literary culture in a time before the internet allowed English and American writers to readily compare notes on literary developments. Today *Granta* – with a much wider, global readership – fulfils a more central mission for the literary world: it exhibits the writing of the future, much of which finds its way into book form years later.**** 

*Granta* publishes, on average, some eighty writers a year in print, and one-hundred-and-sixty in its online edition. In 2023, thirty of them were new talents, or new to an English-speaking audience. We feature at least two photo essays per issue, with many more appearing on Granta.com. The editorial team’s close collaboration with translators ensures that *Granta* enjoys a wide geographical reach. *Granta* takes pride in working with writers and photographers from all backgrounds and communities. Writing rarely provides a stable income, which makes it difficult for writers without sufficient means to develop their craft and establish important connections. *Granta* has a long history of finding and publishing under-represented voices, and providing young writers with a platform where they can be discovered by agents, publishers, and, most importantly, readers. 

Past contributors whose careers have been developed by the magazine include Kazuo Ishiguro, Richard Ford, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, Sally Rooney, Svetlana Alexievich and Binyavanga Wainaina, among many others. Our ‘Best of Young’ issues, released decade by decade, introduce the most important voices of each generation – in Britain, America, Brazil and Spain – and define the contours of the literary landscape. 

In 2023, as part of *Granta*’s mission to support new writers, we started a programme of writing workshops with our education partners, Professional Writing Academy. The Granta Writers’ Workshops are designed to help writers to improve their technical skills in a supportive and stimulating environment. Bursary-funded places are available on each course for those in financial need – so far, 40 per cent of the awards have gone to writers with a disability, and 60 per cent of the recipients are from the Global South. The courses are oversubscribed, and places are awarded on a competitive basis to writers showing exceptional promise. 

Part of the success of the magazine is reflected by the fact that writers first** published in *Granta* frequently go on to win prizes – in the past year alone contributions to *Granta* have won, or been shortlisted, for the O. Henry Prize, the BBC National Short Story Prize, the Forward Prize, and the Best of the Net prize. This year’s contributors to the magazine have won or been nominated for the Nobel Prize, the Booker Prize, the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Rathbones Folio Prize, and the Gordon Burn Prize. 

The magazine currently has a circulation of 23,000. We produce a regular, critically-acclaimed podcast, while Granta.com, our online platform, records more than 350,000 pageviews monthly. In addition to reaching a worldwide audience directly, we also offer institutional subscriptions, which give students across the globe access to our archive. The physical archive of *Granta*, which includes valuable editorial correspondence with our writers, is held by the British Library. 

Few literary magazines are able to thrive without external funding. The income from our endowment and from subscriptions, advertising and courses cover only a part of our costs. Without the generosity of individuals and organisations such as the Ford Foundation and the British Council, *Granta* would be unable to fulfil its mission of being the leading literary quarterly in the English-speaking world.

By giving to Granta Trust you help to publish new writers from all over the world, enable journalists to write long-form reportage that uncovers corruption and promotes justice, as well as develop the diversity and sustainability of the literary landscape. We hope that you will consider supporting us in this vital work.

Granta Trust

Artisan Global is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops sustainable jobs, strategies, and vocational workspaces in Uganda.

We are working together with local entrepreneurs in Uganda to develop the creative industries and address cycles of extreme poverty. Our global team (Uganda and the U.S.) designed the first creative workspace for innovation & impact in Northern Uganda.

Artisan Global

American Patrons and Friends of the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition

Join us and become a member of the American Friends of the Prix de Lausanne. Help underwrite the future of a young dancer and attend the Prix de Lausanne as a VIP guest. Find out more here below, by clicking on one of the fundraising categories in our profile, or by contacting us at demian.vargas@prixdelausanne.org

Please join us for the thrilling culmination of the **54rd edition of the Prix de Lausanne!** The busy weekend, **from Thursday February 5th to Saturday February , 7th, 2026**, is a highlight of Lausanne's cultural and social season and will include studio visits and privileged behind-the-scenes access, the selection of finalists followed by a festive announcement cocktail, the extraordinary finals competition, an exclusive gala dinner at the historic Beau Rivage Palace gathering esteemed artists, jury members, prize winners and international patrons, and the delightful Rising Stars performance, featuring some of today's biggest international names and most promising talents.

One of the world’s most prestigious and highly anticipated dance events, the Prix de Lausanne is an annual international competition open to dancers aged 15 to 18 from all over the world. Unique in its kind, the Prix de Lausanne has been recognized worldwide for over 53 years as a symbol of excellence and a role model for its exemplary ethics and focus on the dancers' wellbeing. Over the course of one intense week, it allows a selection of high potential artists to strengthen their skills through classes and coaching with world-class professionals, to reinforce their abilities on stage and, finally, to continue their training thanks to an annual scholarship or apprenticeship at one of our top-tier partner schools and companies.

The Prix de Lausanne enjoys key relationships with many American companies and their schools, such as American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, San Francisco Ballet and the School of American Ballet, as well as the Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet, among other prestigious institutions. 

**Your support as a Patron or Benefactor will help ensure that prize and scholarship winners continue their training at the highest level and join the ranks of the world’s finest dancers, following in the footsteps of Julie Kent, Alessandra Ferri, Darcey Bussell, Carlos Acosta, Gillian Murphy, Ethan Stieffel, Marcelo Gomez, Precious Adams and so many more.**

***In addition to the life-changing scholarships offered each year to the prize winners, the Prix de Lausanne also offers substantial support to dancers who need financial aid to attend the competition, as well as stipends to the dancers and coaches who enhance their training and visibility by participating in the Choreographic Project and Young Creation Awards.***

**If you are unable to assist in person, we invite you to help underwrite the future of a young artist by making a tax-deductible gift to the American Friends of the Prix de Lausanne Fund**. 

Thanks to the American Friends of the Prix de Lausanne, U.S.-based individuals and organizations can make payments of any amount via credit card, check, or wire transfer; all contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the United States Tax Code.

KEY DATES 2026
54th edition of the Prix de Lausanne: February 1-8, 2025
Competition's Finals: Saturday, February 7th, 2026 at the Beaulieu Theater
Gala Dinner: Saturday, February 7th, 2026 at the Beau Rivage Palace
Rising Stars Closing Performance: February 8th, 2026 at the Beaulieu Theatre

**More about the Prix de Lausanne:**

Since 1973, the Prix de Lausanne has successfully worked to promote the art of dance and choreography with the help of donations and grants to support young talented dancers in their pre-professional journey.

As a non-profit foundation, the Prix de Lausanne works year-round beyond the main competition to develop educational programs and initiatives with high added value for young dancers, such as the International Summer Intensive Program, the Partner School Choreographic Project, the Swiss Workshop, or the now famous Young Creation Award. Our international preselection rounds in Latin-America, Asia-Pacific, and other regions, aims to support young dancers from underprivileged areas while promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the dance world.

A pioneer in innovation, the Prix de Lausanne has developed a digital platform connecting its vast network of schools and companies with its candidates from around the world, allowing all candidates of the competition to receive offers of scholarships and apprenticeships through their participation. 

OUR FOUNDATION'S MISSIONS ARE:
• Discover exceptionally talented young dancers from all over the world, allowing them to be seen and recruited by renowned professionals and directors;
• Support their education and develop their talent by awarding them full training scholarships to the best schools and companies;
• Promote their school education (the dancer’s career is short, from around 18 to 38 years old, on average) by ensuring that they obtain an end-of-studies certificate;
• Raise awareness among young dancers on the absolute priority of their physical and mental wellbeing by applying a strict health policy and promoting exemplary ethics in the field of dance;
• Foster diversity and inclusion, promote contemporary creation and emerging artists;
• Encourage and develop outreach actions through community initiatives and local partnerships.

American Friends of the Prix de Lausanne

Artists' Television Access is an all-volunteer, artist-run, underground and experimental media arts gallery founded in 1984.

Artists’ Television Access is a San Francisco-based, artist-run, non-profit organization that cultivates and promotes culturally-aware, underground media and experimental art. We provide an accessible screening venue and gallery for the presentation of programmed and guest-curated screenings, exhibitions, performances, workshops and events. We believe in fostering a supportive community for the exhibition of innovative art and the exchange of non-conformist ideas.

Artists' Television Access

ACCELERATE ART is a charitable 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to uplifting emerging artists in the Web3 space.

Founded in 2021, ACCELERATE ART was created establish a supportive environment for the development of artistic practice in Web3. Our mission is to provide resources for artists and to support reflection and dialogue on art.

We are committed to supporting the ever changing definition of art by presenting a wide range of practices that engage a timely and critical exploration of art and technology. Through exhibitions, public engagement, educational programming and career opportunities, our objective is to support art's cultural, historic, social and political impact.

A2 Accelerate Art

MY Arts Association for Cultural Support is an interdisciplinary non-profit organization founded in 2015 by Yury Revich. The project aims to develop a new format that unites a formal classical music concert with a multidisciplinary concert incorporating other art forms, known as the "Concert of Arts."

One of the main focuses of the organization is humanitarian work through the cultural tools.

In partnership with UNICEF, the organization is raising funds for projects like building schools and water systems. The project of MY Arts “Dreamland” successfully raised funds for providing 10 schools in Alepo with hygiene and water systems, campaign «COMIFAR & Friends per gli OSPEDALI» for 3 hospitals in Italy in cooperation with Comifar, UNICEF Emegerncy Funds, and most recently the Water Project in Malawi.

Supporting the young artists through the concept of “Concert of Arts” which is based on a synergistic and dialogical collaboration between music, visual arts, applied arts, theater, dance, and fashion, with the goal of opening new perspectives to hear art and see music.


We aim to connect young creatives with established artists, respecting tradition while also working on the concept of the multidisciplinary artist of the future. 

Our mission is to set new goals and remove limits on creativity and freedom of expression.

We view culture as a powerful tool for promoting sustainability values. We have successfully organized several projects featuring classical music, theater, dance, and film screenings.

MY Arts is also dedicated to fostering and connecting young creative talent on a national and international level.



Our cooperation partners in past and present include renowned foundations and organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, UNICEF, the Princess Kira of Prussia Foundation, Art Basel Paris +, and many others.

You can find some of our live projects and screenings on the website [www.fnights.com](http://www.fnights.com/).

www.dreamland-charity.com

MY Arts 

Cape May County nonprofit dedicated to traditional skills & hands-on learning in nature. Nurturing Curiosity, Growing Community.

**Our Mission: Through nature and hands-on learning we help families develop personally, professionally, and spiritually.**

We strive to provide a social and enriching community to support families and create a new generation of thinkers and doers by providing opportunities to learn traditional skills, art, history, and farming.

We offer free clases , clubs, field trip opportunities, social events, a library, and resources to local families. There is always something fun going on at our Learning Center!

*Our goal is to create a community that respects a child’s curiosity, imagination, and love for learning while teaching kids, teens, and adults real world skills they can use for life.*

We yearn to elevate childhood and equip and encourage community families and establish a learning environment that fosters a child’s creativity. With our unique geographical location and proximity to the Coast Guard training center, we also provide a home for homeschooling or non-traditional schooling students as well as transient members of the community.

**Deeply Rooted Values**
Our core values guide every aspect of our work and interactions.

**Creating Community:**
Our gatherings transcend the boundaries of traditional schooling by providing a space where kids, teens, and adults learn hands-on skills not found in a classroom. We provide a space for all students after school, as well as homeschooling and non-traditionally schooled families where students, instructors, and members can connect, forge friendships, and build a robust community that supports each other's educational journeys.

**Exploring Nature:**
Through our clubs and classes we invite families to experience education in its most natural form—immersed in the great outdoors. By learning from nature, children develop an appreciation for the world around them, embracing its beauty and wisdom. By staying connected to nature, teens and adults lay the roots and foundation for personal and spiritual growth.

**Honoring Each Other:**
We celebrate the diversity of all families from public and private schooled, to homeschooling and non-traditionally schooled families, especially with regard to service families that move often. Every family's educational approach is unique, and our community honors these differences, creating a welcoming environment where every perspective is valued.

**Affordability for All:**
We recognize that families who choose alternative schooling paths may have distinct financial considerations. We also acknowledge that learning traditional skills can be expense and out of reach for many. By offering low to no-cost options for all our gatherings, we ensure that families can access enriching experiences without financial constraints.

**Excellence with Heart:**
With a heart-centered approach, we bring excellence to every activity and event we organize. Our commitment to quality education and genuine care for our community shines through in everything we do.

Deeply Rooted Learning Center (Deeply Rooted LC Inc)

Using art as a vehicle for social change, while connecting the shared history, values and futures of Africa and its Diaspora!

The experiences and cultural contributions of people of African descent have been marginalized throughout history and MoCADA’s mission is to undertake the responsibility of rewriting that history in order to give a more accurate portrayal of the contributions of people of African descent to the artistic and global landscape.

The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) uplifts the visual, literary, and performing arts as a conduit that connects the shared history, values, and futures of Africa and its diaspora, for the purpose of advancing dialogue on pressing social + political issues faced by these communities. We give platform within our safe spaces to artists whose work honor, celebrate, and expand this rich conversation while inviting our community in to explore, engage, and thrive within our collective evolution.

For 20 years, MoCADA has empowered vulnerable communities and instilled a sense of pride in visitors through representation and access to the arts including 100+ groundbreaking artists from 20+ countries (Terence Nance, Dread Scott, Wangechi Mutu, etc) whose voices have gone largely ignored; to Black, LatinX, Indigenous, especially, low income, children, women, immigrants, elders, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities etc from the communities of Central Brooklyn and beyond.

Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA)

On a mission to increase representation in the Entertainment, Gaming, Media & Tech industries, BRIC by BRIC.

BRIC Foundation has one main goal: to increase representation in Entertainment, Gaming, Media and Tech. By strategically engaging with leaders across these industries, along with Government and Education Partners, BRIC strives to Break, Reinvent, Impact and Change the foundations of these businesses and create inclusive opportunities for women and underrepresented people to be successful.

Bric Foundation

Culture Scholar Corporation enhances the lives of older adults through the therapeutic power of music, the arts and performances.


**About Culture Scholar Corporation's Music for Mental Health Initiative**

The "**Music for Mental Health**" initiative is designed to bring the profound benefits of music to seniors in retirement and assisted living communities. Music is a powerful tool for enhancing mental health, cognitive function, and overall well-being. 
Our program offers a variety of musical experiences tailored to the needs and interests of elderly residents, aiming to create a vibrant and supportive environment where music can flourish.

Since 2001 **Culture Scholar** has been the brainchild of Benjamin Barnes. 
In addition to being the Director and CEO of Culture Scholar Corporation 501(c)(3), 
Ben is an instructor and performer who creates and teaches the *Culture Scholar Music for Mental Health* classes and concerts. 

[Culture Scholar Corporation](https://www.culturescholar.org/) i**s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization**. **** 

**Thank You for Your Support**!

Culture Scholar Corporation 501(c)(3)

We preserve, develop, and promote the assets comprising the Domaine national de Chambord which is on Unesco's world heritage list.

Chambord has aroused admiration and fascination to the world for over 500 years. Placed on France’s first list of historical monuments in 1840, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, it is one of the most breathtaking construction of the Renaissance. Far from being a residential palace or a hunting lodge, Chambord embodies the values of humanism, inventiveness and human genius.

Preserving this heritage means constantly questioning how it can be made accessible to the widest possible audience. With this objective in mind, each year new developments and innovative projects are presented to visitors, a rich program of events punctuates the life of the estate, and ecological actions are implemented. The estate is also developing a strategy to diversify its own resources, notably by reviving its vocation as a food-producing farm.

Chambord’s projects are structured around four development priorities: Chambord cultural and artistic, Chambord educational and social, Chambord sustainable and agricultural, and Chambord innovative. To support us in this approach, we are looking for partners who share our values and wish to promote them.


American Friends of Chambord

Enhancing public understanding of 21st century design that makes positive impact on society and the environment.

The Museum of 21st Century Design (M21D) takes a new approach to serving the public. Your support allows us to advance our mission to enhance public appreciation for design that makes positive impact on communities and the environment. 

The museum operates in multiple places, avoiding the costs and burdens of a permanent gallery space. M21D collaborates with host institutions to create engaging programs and in-person exhibitions. We also operate a fellowship program, to coach recent graduates to become curators and authors, while diversifying the cultural sector. 

Your tax-deductible donation is critically important to help fund our activities, which cost much less than a traditional, museum organization. You are welcome to visit our website and reach out to us with any questions about what we do and how you can get involved. Please visit us online at:  https://www.m21d.org/

Museum of 21st Century Design (M21D) 

The Simple Good is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that empower youth from around the world through SEL Based Art Education. 

The Simple Good is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting the meaning of good from around the world to empower youth to become positive activists through art and discussion. Through mindfulness and social emotional learning (SEL) based art programming and public art projects, our mission is to transcend the message that no matter where you go in the world, good means the same to all of us and that is what connects us as human beings.



The Simple Good

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We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.