Creative Capital
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"Up" is the number of experts who agree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in the
field. "Down" is the number of experts who disagree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in field.
Headquarters Location: New York, NY
Founded: 1999
Mission: Creative Capital is a national nonprofit organization that provides integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing adventurous projects in all disciplines. Our pioneering approach combines funding, counsel and career development services to enable a project’s success and foster sustainable practices for its grantees.
Tags:
national, arts & culture, artist support, financial services, advising, professional development, grantmaking
Summary
Stories
Expert Reviews
Leadership
From the Nonprofit
Leadership
Ruby Lerner.
Ruby Lerner is the founding executive director and president of Creative Capital, an innovative arts foundation modeled after venture capital concepts. Creative Capital was established in 1999 to provide support to individual artists in all disciplines and has funded hundreds of artists' projects to date. Prior to Creative Capital, Lerner served as the executive director of the Association of Independent…
See full bio.
Financial Data
Overhead Ratio:
8.79%
Total Revenue:
$9,176,121
From the Nonprofit
The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at
feedback@myphilanthropedia.org
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Contact Info
Website:
E-Mail:
connect AT creative-capital.org
Phone:
212-598-9900
Facebook:
Address:
65 Bleecker St Fl 7
New York, NY 10012, USA
Twitter:
Story:
Creative Capital began as an experiment to see what would happen if artists were afforded the same opportunities as entrepreneurs in other sectors. Taking inspiration from venture capital concepts, Creative Capital’s program of support was built on the core principle that time and advisory services are as crucial to artistic success as funding.
In 1999, under the leadership of founding director—and now president—Ruby Lerner, the organization set out to award its first grants in four major arts disciplines: Emerging Fields, Film/Video, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. Innovative Literature was added in 2005 as the fifth discipline. In hopes of attracting a range of diverse artistic visions and practices, Creative Capital elected to offer an open application rather than the nomination-only process used by many peers in the field. Additionally, in its first years, the organization initiated a nationwide outreach campaign to encourage artists across the country to apply and was among the first art foundations to accept applications online and by mail, promoting accessibility. The strategy worked, and Creative Capital received about 1,800 applications in its first year. It continues to receive as many as 2,500 each grant-making year.
After announcing the first 75 grantee projects in 2000, Creative Capital began working closely with the artists to build its program of Artist Services, beginning with the first Artist Retreat, where dozens of consultants and arts professionals came together to exchange ideas and expertise with grantees, and this has continued since 2000. (Source: http://creative-capital.org/aboutus/story)
Expert Reviews of Creative Capital
Evidence of Impact Summary:
Experts note Creative Capital Foundation's impact on supporting less-traditional artists and shifting arts agenda to value creativity. They also note the professional development impact on artists receiving support.See expert comments.
Organization Strengths Summary:
Respondents cannot seem to say enough good things about the Create Capital leader, Ruby Lerner. Their program design and operations also receive high marks from multiple experts.See expert comments.
Areas for Improvement Summary:
Experts consider providing more resources and funding to artists as the major area for improvement at Creative Capital. A few others encourage the organization to collaborate more and share best practices within the field.See expert comments.
Expert Comments: Evidence of Impact
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Impact |
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They offer support for emerging artists and art forms. They provide support for experimentation - support that includes both cash and technical assistance. | ||
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With the departure of the NEA from funding individual artists and the diminution of funding at state arts councils as well, Creative Capital Foundation plays a critically important role in serving individual artists. Its impact is important not only in acknowledging and supporting the creation of new work, but in giving artists real professional development training. This training is available to their grant recipients and is provided in individual communities. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation has provided hundreds of mid-career and established artists with funding and guidance to increase the odds that they can make a life for themselves doing what they were put on this planet to do: to make art! Their business-of-being-an artist workshops (weekend seminars) are universally raved about by those who attend them, and the size of the grants - $35,000-$50,000 - they provide to individuals are substantial enough to genuinely alter, and positively impact, the course not only of someone’s career but of their life. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation was the first arts organization to apply the ideas of social entrepreneurship and social venture capitalism to supporting artists. In addition to its track record of positive impact on the artistic lives and career development of many of the artists it has supported, its new thinking about what artists need and what can be expected of them in learning how to managing their own careers has spawned at least one adaptation. A Philadelphia-based program called Artists U was created by Andrew Simonet, an artist who had received Creative Capital Foundation support. | ||
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I received a grant from Creative Capital Foundation that changed my career as an artist. They have funded many valuable projects. | ||
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They created a funding model that also included other types of professional support for artists. This model has had a big impact on the field as other arts funding was shrinking (especially those grants to individuals). | ||
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They developed a timely and effective new model of funding for individual artists. They really re-invented the sector. | ||
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They have an excellent selection process. Their innovative practices regarding artists making a living are important, too. They are fearless around content. | ||
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This non-profit has inspired both individual artists and managers of non-profits to re-consider what services and support artists need. For many years, it seemed that the bulk of the arts funding was going to education and/or buildings for the arts, rather than creativity. | ||
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This organization is granting directly to individual artists and giving them other support services that help them in creative process organizationally, providing also a support network for administrative and technical issues. The funding is significant enough to make a real impact on the ability for them to do their work. | ||
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They have had a programmatic impact on the field. They have an impact on the artist community--across arts disciplines. They have provided outstanding professional development that has had an impact on the sustainability, life planning, and work of their grantees and the wider artist field. | ||
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This is the State Research Project that helped Arizona and Maine map opportunities for artists; it is a good model of private dollars working with public agencies on behalf of artists. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation is supporting artists when few foundations will. Their understanding of art in culture and society is broad and expansive, and they strive to build the field through granting and broad skill development. They provide a smart model for artists to advance themselves. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation is a major source of professional development and funding for individual artists in the USA. This is a rare phenomenon in a culture that is disdainful of contemporary artistic developments and embraces only entertainment. They offer well organized programs of national impact and passionate advocacy for artists. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation has been an advocate and champion for contemporary work for over a decade. The impact of their support for contemporary artists has been -- more fully produced work, better infrastructure for artists, and higher level of work being seen in the U.S. and abroad. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation has aggregated funding that has helped to change the landscape for individual artists in the United States. It has successfully responded to the reduction in available funding for individual artists, although there is still a significant need for increased support to individuals. Its professional development series has been in-depth and comprehensive, providing artists with excellent tools to increase their reach. | ||
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Creative Capital Foundation provides resources, particularly grants, to individual artists and it does so in an exemplary fashion. | ||
Expert Comments: Organization Strengths
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Leadership & Operations |
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Ruby Lerner is a long standing and significant field leader. Warhol's funding model for Creative Capital (multi-million dollars over ten years) is significant. They have an open application process and offer broad promotion of the opportunity. | ||
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Their leadership is dynamic and inspiring. The rigor of the organizational practice is a model. | ||
Leadership |
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Ruby Lerner is a tremendous leader of this organization. | ||
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The biggest asset to the organization is the executive director, Ruby Lerner. She is truly a visionary who has found a way to combine monetary funding with important practical/professional support. | ||
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Ruby Lerner, the CEO, has not only in-depth experience but a powerful vision for the artists and what the organization can do to advance the entire field. They have done great planning, fundraising and started 11 years ago with a consortium of funders who pooled funds to form a revolving fund for artist projects. More than a decade later the organization has created professional development programs that benefit the wider field and has helped the artist grantees to greatly advance their work, support, and visibility. | ||
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They have visionary leadership responsive to artist’s needs. They are an exceptional model of support for the field. | ||
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They have outstanding executive leadership. | ||
Program Design |
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The quality of instruction at their workshops is top notch. | ||
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They offer an important, innovative model to support the creation of new art. They bring important wrap-around services in business, marketing, etc. | ||
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They are THE national individual artists organization. | ||
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Very effective at selection and working with artists with whom they work. They do a thorough job of working with the people and tailoring support to what is most effective for the person. They also publicize them and their achievements. | ||
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Creative Capital is one of the only organizations still making substantial grants directly to artists. They are strategic in the way they support artists, seeing not only the financial resources they provide, but the larger picture of helping artists to be successful. The fact that Creative Capital supports a broad geographic base, and has an encompassing view of art makes there impact particularly impactful. | ||
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They are an incredible resource for individual artists. They are one of the few resources that artists can look toward to capitalize their projects and bring some equity to the artistic relationship with presenters/producers. The Professional Development Workshops have been life-changing for many artists, providing ideas and methodologies to reframe an individual artist's career. I appreciate how they continue to adapt and modify to address the changing needs of artists and the world around them. | ||
Leadership & Focus |
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Ruby Lerner is an extraordinary leader, of Creative Capital Foundation and of organizations she has previously run. She is one of our most nationally potent advocates for artists. I would name Creative Capital's laser-like focus on its mission and programs as another great strength of the organization. | ||
Operations |
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Their leadership, finances, and outreach (getting word out about programs/impacts) are strengths. | ||
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This remarkable organization has visionary leadership, lean administration, and fully understands the creative process of individual artists. Their mandate to go deeper not necessarily with more artists is commendable. They have saved this country from a deep embarrassment since the National Endowment for the Arts killed funding for most individual artists. | ||
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The leader, staff, and mission all combine to create a better world for artists. Their track record is exceptional. They are great communicators. They are great leaders in the field. | ||
Staff & Program Design |
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Creative Capital Foundation has an exemplary team and system with a long-range viewpoint. Rather than offering support for one project, Creative Capital invests in the artists' maturity and security. | ||
Operations & Vision |
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The structure of their granting process and the involvement they ask artists to have before and after the granting is great. I think the vision behind the organization is new and vital. | ||
Collaboration & Infrastructure |
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They have a commitment to long-term relationships with artists, providing comprehensive resources to them (funding, advice, technical assistance, networking, etc.). This organization understands infrastructure and takes the whole/long view in working with artists. | ||
Leadership & Program Design |
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They enjoy a visionary and dedicated leadership, feet-on-the-ground approach with practical advice and courses for artists, run in good measure by well-qualified artists. They have a good focus on uses of technology by artists. | ||
Leadership & Funding |
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Ruby Lerner, Creative Capital Foundation's founder and leader, is an inspiration to the field. She has implemented a progressive vision and built an organization that is thriving as it provides essential support. Creative Capital Foundation’s long-term support from the Warhol Foundation gives it a base of funding that has been consistently matched, increasing the impact of the dollars the organization provides. | ||
Professional Development |
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Creative Capital has taken risks on artists and has supported and nurtured their work. Their convening and professional development programs are very effective. | ||
Expert Comments: Areas for Improvement
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Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
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Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Geographic Reach & Program Focus |
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They could use more geographic diversity in their grant making. They exhibit a bias toward experimentation and thus do not always recognize work that is experimenting in traditional contexts. | ||
Grantee Funding |
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My critique is that they have become so popular and there is basically nobody else doing what they do. The competition to win a Creative Capital Foundation grant is simply ridiculously fierce. The organization either needs to figure out how to spread the wealth around so that more deserving artists get a chance at earning their support. Or they could continue to scale the non-monetary support they provide e.g. the trainings, so that at least those coveted resources can reach more people. | ||
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Their granting could be more frequent and provide opportunities to more artists. | ||
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They should link support for artists more closely to how nonprofit arts organizations function. This nexus is extremely poor and "creative capital" is squandered in the process. | ||
Finances & Communications |
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After ten years or more of operation, they still must struggle with financial sustainability, since they abandoned the initial business model, which included the idea that artists whose Creative Capital Foundation supported projects ultimately became profitable would tithe some of those profits back to the organization. While its focused mission is a strength, it may be that they need to refresh its approach and objectives. Finally, their communications and marketing feel a little tired. | ||
Requirements |
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They are too encumbered by requirements in my opinion, but very valuable nonetheless. | ||
Expand Programming |
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Creative Capital Foundation could build more relationships with successful commercial galleries in New York. They network their grantees, but in this area, the contacts could be stronger. The organization could work harder to achieve the same success with projects from women artists and men artists. The organization needs to evaluate the reasons for the disparity. | ||
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They should give more grants to more artists! | ||
Transparency & Funding |
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Their funding process is not open enough. The staff not as helpful as they could be and they need more funding to make larger impact. | ||
Transparency & Funding Diversity |
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They could make their process more transparent so others can learn from it and replicate it. Everyone (org, artists, public) would benefit if they were promoted and better-known. I wonder about them helping organize artists presenting in schools and colleges or at least facilitate this in some way. They could also be more proactive about pointing out that a disproportionate number of their grantees are from a small geographic area. What would it take to diversify the geographic areas that are rich places for artists to work? | ||
More Collaboration |
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They could support dance and media collaborations. | ||
Keeping Best Practices |
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Perhaps in the area of documenting the impact, codifying new/promising practices that have emerged from the grants and programs as well as going beyond the visible demonstrations offered by the projects and the artists themselves. | ||
Diversity of Funding Sources |
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Perhaps their revenue streams and funding partners could be more diverse. | ||
Grant making |
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The organization does not have enough resources to grant to deserving projects. 15 projects a year, or every other year does not serve the entire field. | ||
Geographic Diversity |
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While great effort is expended to ensure that the artists who receive Creative Capital Foundation funding come from all over the US, the reality is that they primarily fund the east and west coasts. Creating ways to overcome this regionalism would benefit both the organization and the field. | ||
More Resources |
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They could use the same old answer: more resources, a bigger endowment, etc. | ||
Leadership
Ruby Lerner
Founding Executive Director and President
Founding Executive Director and President
From the Nonprofit
The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at
feedback@myphilanthropedia.org
with your request.