Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced Sept. 5 14 cultural organizations in Baltimore and 35 organizations in Denver have been selected to participate in the Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program. The invitation-only program seeks to strengthen the organizational capacity and programming of small and midsize cultural organizations within seven U.S. cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.  More than 200 cultural organizations across these seven cities have been selected to participate. A full list of participating organizations can be found here, including the organizations announced today in Baltimore and Denver.

Through the $43 million multi-year initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide unrestricted general operating support as well as arts management training in areas that include fundraising, strategic planning, marketing and board development.

“The arts inspire people, provide jobs, and strengthen communities,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “This program is aimed at helping some of the country’s most exciting cultural organizations reach new audiences and expand their impact.” The AIM program is part of Mike Bloomberg’s American Cities Initiative, an effort to help cities across the United States generate innovation.

“We are grateful for the partnership of Bloomberg Philanthropies to celebrate, support and grow arts and culture that define the character of our city,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “We have heard clearly from Denver’s people that they want more culturally diverse programs in our neighborhoods. The support of 35 of Denver’s small and midsized culturals will help us continue our pursuit of ensuring arts and culture are at the heart of this great city.”

The unique program focuses on multiple organizations in each urban area to encourage and support the healthy creative infrastructure of cities. AIM targets arts non-profits because of the vital role that they play in building communities, driving local economies and supporting artists. Since 2011, the AIM program has helped more than 500 small and midsized organizations in all creative disciplines, including theater, visual arts, music, film, literature and dance. Participating organizations reported significant improvements in board development, fundraising and overall income over the two-year program. This new round of funding increases Bloomberg Philanthropies’ support for this initiative to $108 million since 2011.

“The selected organizations in Baltimore and Denver join a strong cohort of 200 small and midsize cultural organizations that play an essential role in the creative ecology of seven U.S. cities,” said Kate D. Levin of Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Program. “We look forward to helping strengthen institutional capacity and generate even greater civic vibrancy.”

All organizations invited to participate in the 2018 expansion of the AIM program are nonprofits that have been in existence for at least two years. Organizations will be required to secure 20% of their AIM grant in matching dollars; reach 100% board participation in fundraising; and maintain up-to-date information in DataArts, an online management tool that assists arts organizations across the country in collecting, learning from, and using data effectively. The grants will be unrestricted to allow recipients to utilize the funds to address their greatest needs.

Previous AIM cities have included Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

Watch this video for an overview of the Arts Innovation and Management program:

Denver grantees

  • Access Gallery
  • Augustana Arts
  • Baroque Chamber Orchestra Of Colorado
  • Buntport Theater Company
  • Centro Cultural Mexicano
  • Cherry Creek Theatre Company
  • Chicano Humanities And Arts Council
  • Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
  • CMDance
  • Colorado Conservatory For The Jazz Arts
  • Curious Theatre Company
  • Denver Brass
  • Denver Children’s Choir
  • Denver Film Society
  • Denver Firefighters Museum
  • Denver Municipal Band
  • Denver Young Artists Orchestra
  • Downtown Aurora Visual Arts
  • Friends Of Levitt Pavilion Denver
  • Inside the Orchestra
  • Kim Robards Dance
  • Kirkland Museum Of Fine & Decorative Art
  • Lighthouse Writers Workshop
  • Museo De Las Americas
  • Open Media Foundation
  • Opera Colorado
  • Phamaly Theatre Company
  • Platteforum
  • RedLine
  • Rocky Mountain Arts Association
  • Stories on Stage
  • Su Teatro
  • Think 360 Arts For Learning
  • Wonderbound
  • Youth On Record