PITTSBURGH’S THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL IN 2021 | PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Top Pittsburgh philanthropic organizations and foundations donate hundreds of millions of dollars annually to arts organizations and other nonprofits. A recent study shows that that money is not being distributed equally, with only 18% of grant dollars serving underrepresented populations.

The study, “A Second Look: Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh,” aims to correct the gap between these discrepancies. The report was conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.

“Our goal with this project is to take a second look at the distribution of arts and culture funding by race,” says Morgan Kasprowicz, the Director of Research and Cultural Policy at GPAC. “The goal was to see where the field is now. Have we made any progress? What does that progress look like? And how can we take steps forward in Southwest Pennsylvania towards more racially equitable funding?”

Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the local Hillman Foundation, the report gathered data from more than 11,000 grants awarded to approximately 500 local organizations between 2018-2023. According to Allegheny County census data, 23% of the county are “global majority,” a term referring to Native American, African, Arab, Latin and Asian populations.

Only 18% of grant dollars went toward organizations serving that population, according to the study. That number represents an increase; GPAC’s previous study, which was published in 2018, tracked grant data from 2003-2017 and showed that only 14% of total grant dollars supported global-majority organizations.

“It really is on the funders to take up the call to make the change,” says Kasprowicz. “I hope they’re able to reflect on the reality of the data and can remain curious about where their organization fits into the overall picture.”

On a national level, the Center for Evaluation Innovation, a consulting organization for philanthropies based out of Washington, D.C., has found more organizations are making an effort to promote inclusion, diversity and equity in funding. In 2023, 78% of philanthropies reported making diversity prominent in their organizations, according to a survey of foundations. Since the Black Lives Matter movement began, there has been an increase in funding toward Black cultural and arts organizations.

The U.S. Supreme Court eliminated race as a part of college admission decisions in June 2023. While there has been no similar ruling against foundations creating race-related grant programs, some organizations are changing their application guidelines. An Atlanta nonprofit, the Fearless Fund, stopped its grant program, believing it discriminates against non-Black applicants.

“I hope people are able to reflect on the reality of the inequities that we see, and really take seriously the recommendations and look at opportunities within their own funding organizations to adopt some of those recommendations,” Kasprowicz says, “so that we can actually see measurable change in five years and 10 years — and we don’t continue to perpetuate the same inequities year over year.”