Walter and Elise Haas Fund

Founded in 1994, and led by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Creative Work Fund is a collaborative philanthropic effort to support individual artists in creating new works. As of August 2012, the Creative Work Fund has awarded more than 230 grants totaling approximately $8.5 million. It is unique among other local opportunities for artists because its guidelines stipulate that two-thirds of the project support must be paid to artists to cover their direct expenses. It also supports work in counties under-served by philanthropy and collaborations between artists and non-arts organizations. Roughly twenty artist/organization teams are chosen annually by peer panels of artists for significant grants of up to $40,000. Renewed support would help this vibrant program continue to support exciting new Bay Area performances. This supplemental grant covers two additional expenses not anticipate in the original proposal and grant award: 1) reissuing a grant to John Dukyers and Occidental Arts and Ecology (previous funds were misspent by the fiscal sponsor, Arts Council Sonoma County, that is currently in bankruptcy), and 2) awarding an additional grant in 2014 based on peer panel recommendations for funding.

Founded in 1994, and led by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Creative Work Fund is a collaborative philanthropic effort to support individual artists in creating new works. As of August 2012, the Creative Work Fund has awarded more than 230 grants totaling approximately $8.5 million. It is unique among other local opportunities for artists because its guidelines stipulate that two-thirds of the project support must be paid to artists to cover their direct expenses. It also supports work in counties under-served by philanthropy and collaborations between artists and non-arts organizations. Roughly twenty artist/organization teams are chosen annually by peer panels of artists for significant grants of up to $40,000. Renewed support would help this vibrant program continue to support exciting new Bay Area performances.

Founded in 1994, and led by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Creative Work Fund is a collaborative philanthropic effort to support individual artists in creating new works. As of August 2010, the Creative Work Fund has awarded more than 200 grants totaling approximately $7 million. It is unique among other local opportunities for artists because its guidelines stipulate that two-thirds of the project support must be paid to artists to cover their direct expenses; it supports work in counties that are underserved by philanthropy, and is willing to support collaborations between artists and non-arts organizations. Roughly thirty artist/organization teams are chosen annually for significant grants of up to $40,000. Previous support from the Creative Work Fund has brought artists significant accolades, including The Will Glickman Award for best new play for The People’s Temple—a collaboration between lead artist Margo Hall, Z Space Studio, and the California Historical Society—and a San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival premiere for Kieu, the first feature film created by Vu T. Thu Ha, in collaboration with Locus Arts and the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center.