News Article

Last year, the first-ever national arts index revealed that national funding for the arts sector had declined. This year, in an improving economic climate, it seems some organizations are stepping up to help recover arts institutions.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the PNC Foundation will award more than $1.7 million in grants to nearly 40 Philadelphia-based cultural organizations. About $1 million worth of grants will be awarded to more than two dozen organizations as a part of PNC's Arts Alive program - a five-year funding effort currently in its second year.

The remainder of the funds are a part of PNC's Innovation Grants program, which is an effort that comes from its partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. The Innovation Grants program seeks to foster creative artistic endeavors that will attract new audiences, the source reports.

One of the biggest grants was awarded to the Philadelphia Orchestra. The institution received $80,000 toward its nonprofit fundraising to maintain subsidized student tickets, which also shows PNC's commitment to promoting arts education.

In concurrence with these grants, the PNC Foundation recently announced that it will award $1 million to 27 arts organizations in Southern New Jew Jersey. As in Philadelphia, these funds will go toward making art more accessible to local audiences, reports the Courier Post Online.