Home > Resources > Articles > Shonda Rhimes Funds Endowment for Aspiring Playwrights in Los Angeles

Shonda Rhimes Funds Endowment for Aspiring Playwrights in Los Angeles

The mastermind behind such hits as Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder is looking to strengthen Los Angeles’ theater community by becoming a “patron of the arts” for IAMA Theatre Company.  The endowment will fund “Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission,” which will allow aspiring playwrights the chance to create new plays with the company. Funding will put “special emphasis on cultural inclusion — all with the goal of showcasing fresh, creative, thought-provoking work,” according to a statement from IAMA.Los Angeles may not have the strongest profile as a theater town and Rhimes is looking to change that.

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Cultural Enterprise Office

Welcome to the LinkedIn page for Cultural Enterprise Office. We are Scotland’s dedicated business support agency for the Creative Industries. We support innovative makers, thinkers and do-er’s with services and products designed for creatives by creatives. With free expert coaching, advice and mentoring services, tailored digital resources, Scotland's largest creative sector support directory and innovative development programmes we provide solutions that help Scotland’s creative sector create, grow and scale their creative business and career.

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Nonprofit Management

3 Soft Skills Every Fundraiser Needs

Article | July 12, 2022

"Soft skills" are a hot topic of discussion in recent years, especially in the business world. Many companies are beginning to prioritize hiring candidates with these interpersonal attributes because it’s easy to teach someone how to do a task. It’s much harder to teach people communication, problem-solving, and relational skills. Nonprofits are no exception. "Soft skills" are the unquantifiable abilities that help you build healthy relationships, communicate effectively, and make you an excellent fundraiser. Lacking these attributes could cause you to miss or misunderstand important things in conversations with current and potential donors (and your staff). Because so much fundraising happens online now (via websites, social media, and the telephone), it’s easy to assume that these soft skills are less valuable. On the contrary, they’re actually more important because every interaction carries more weight. We rounded up three soft skills every development professional should cultivate to boost your online fundraising.

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Nonprofit Management

The Ultimate Donor Relations Strategy to Increase Member Retention

Article | July 20, 2022

A common mistake nonprofits make is spending all their resources and efforts on marketing and attracting new donors or members. Your initial conversation rates may be great, but what happens after a year, when it’s time for them to renew? A lot of organizations struggle with their retention rates. They work really hard on their renewal appeals, only to see declining numbers month after month. Of course, a number of factors could be at play here: perhaps the donor is no longer interested; their financial situation has changed and they no longer have capacity; maybe they were supporting a specific program or project that has now been completed.

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Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit Cloud Spring 2020 Release: Accounting Subledger Deep Dive

Article | July 20, 2022

As a follow-up to last week’s blog on Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Spring 2020 Release features, we’re jumping into a deep dive of the Accounting Subledger product – the connection between fundraising and finance that will help you reconcile data and have consistency and transparency across accounting and fundraising operations.

Read More

Is Your Nonprofit Struggling to Retain Donors?

Article | April 23, 2020

If you gather a group of nonprofit professionals and ask what their biggest fundraising challenges are, many will likely say they don’t retain enough of their donors. Are you one of them? Do you find yourself asking, “why is my nonprofit struggling to retain donors?” It’s no secret that long-term, repeat donors help you raise more money. And we know that the average donor retention rate for nonprofits hovers around 45 percent. But why has this number remained flat for years while nonprofits continue to focus on donor retention? We find there are a few key reasons why nonprofits struggle to retain donors. And you know that no two donors are the same and there is no one-size fits all approach to fundraising. But while the solution for each nonprofit may be different, many are struggling to retain donors for similar reasons.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

What Are the Top Five Lessons for Your Non-Profit This Year?

Article | July 12, 2022

"Soft skills" are a hot topic of discussion in recent years, especially in the business world. Many companies are beginning to prioritize hiring candidates with these interpersonal attributes because it’s easy to teach someone how to do a task. It’s much harder to teach people communication, problem-solving, and relational skills. Nonprofits are no exception. "Soft skills" are the unquantifiable abilities that help you build healthy relationships, communicate effectively, and make you an excellent fundraiser. Lacking these attributes could cause you to miss or misunderstand important things in conversations with current and potential donors (and your staff). Because so much fundraising happens online now (via websites, social media, and the telephone), it’s easy to assume that these soft skills are less valuable. On the contrary, they’re actually more important because every interaction carries more weight. We rounded up three soft skills every development professional should cultivate to boost your online fundraising.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

What Does the Health of Your Nonprofit Website Mean and How Can You Improve It?

Article | July 20, 2022

A common mistake nonprofits make is spending all their resources and efforts on marketing and attracting new donors or members. Your initial conversation rates may be great, but what happens after a year, when it’s time for them to renew? A lot of organizations struggle with their retention rates. They work really hard on their renewal appeals, only to see declining numbers month after month. Of course, a number of factors could be at play here: perhaps the donor is no longer interested; their financial situation has changed and they no longer have capacity; maybe they were supporting a specific program or project that has now been completed.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

What Your Non-profit Should Know About Accepting Cryptocurrency Donations?

Article | July 20, 2022

As a follow-up to last week’s blog on Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Spring 2020 Release features, we’re jumping into a deep dive of the Accounting Subledger product – the connection between fundraising and finance that will help you reconcile data and have consistency and transparency across accounting and fundraising operations.

Read More

Is Your Nonprofit Struggling to Retain Donors?

Article | April 23, 2020

If you gather a group of nonprofit professionals and ask what their biggest fundraising challenges are, many will likely say they don’t retain enough of their donors. Are you one of them? Do you find yourself asking, “why is my nonprofit struggling to retain donors?” It’s no secret that long-term, repeat donors help you raise more money. And we know that the average donor retention rate for nonprofits hovers around 45 percent. But why has this number remained flat for years while nonprofits continue to focus on donor retention? We find there are a few key reasons why nonprofits struggle to retain donors. And you know that no two donors are the same and there is no one-size fits all approach to fundraising. But while the solution for each nonprofit may be different, many are struggling to retain donors for similar reasons.

Read More
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Spotlight

Cultural Enterprise Office

Welcome to the LinkedIn page for Cultural Enterprise Office. We are Scotland’s dedicated business support agency for the Creative Industries. We support innovative makers, thinkers and do-er’s with services and products designed for creatives by creatives. With free expert coaching, advice and mentoring services, tailored digital resources, Scotland's largest creative sector support directory and innovative development programmes we provide solutions that help Scotland’s creative sector create, grow and scale their creative business and career.

Related News

28 Hancock County nonprofits get $164,000 in Maine Community Foundation grants

Mainebiz | July 01, 2019

The Hancock County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded $164,133 in grants to 28 nonprofit organizations, it announced on Friday. Recipients include Island Connections, which will get $10,000 to expand services by transporting people to medical appointments and social outings with a new, donated minivan, and Annex Arts, which will get $7,350 to add a residency and other programs for writers. The Hancock County Fund is a permanent endowment that supports projects and nonprofits that strengthen communities in the county. Out of 60 applications received in the latest round, 47% received grants, and the average amount awarded was $5,862, according to data shared with Mainebiz.

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Weston Award for Nonprofits to Increase to $50,000

YES! Weekly | February 12, 2019

The Joel and Claudette Weston Award has honored and recognized leadership and excellence in nonprofit management at local organizations for more than 30 years. Joel A. Weston, Jr. was a senior executive at the Hanes Companies and an active member of the Winston-Salem community. He served as president of the United Way of Forsyth County Board from 1980-1982. Joel believed strongly that nonprofit organizations should be well run and efficient and he introduced many innovative programs designed to strengthen charitable organizations and the community. He passed away unexpectedly in 1984. The Weston Award Endowment was founded in 1985 at The Winston-Salem Foundation by family and friends of Joel A. Weston as a way to honor his vision and dedication to the community. In 1985 the Weston Award for Nonprofit Excellence was established to recognize local human service agencies that are performing at peak efficiency. Today, Joel’s widow, Claudette Weston, continues the family tradition of community involvement and philanthropy through her efforts on numerous boards and organizations and as a member of the Weston Award Committee.

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Coastal Baldwin forms endowment foundation to help nonprofits

Lagniappe Mobile | January 23, 2019

Leaders from three south Baldwin County cities are raising money to establish an endowment fund with the goal of awarding community grants to nonprofits.The Tri-City Community Foundation aims to serve Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and surrounding communities. It’s the latest of three established under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of South Alabama (CFSA) in Mobile, which serves Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties.“Civic leaders come together and say they want to be on an advisory committee to participate in a foundation for our community, basically to be able to give back to the community in perpetuity,” CFSA President and CEO Rebecca Byrne said. “To have some type of an endowed community fund for the benefit of that particular community. That gives those communities a chance to identify the issues they want to address.”Tri-City is still in the fundraising stage and will spend 2019 trying to raise seed money to generate interest. The fund got its start with a grant from the Coastal Resiliency Coalition (CFC), a local nonprofit created after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Disaster and focused on helping local Gulf Coast businesses and individuals survive, sustain and succeed, Tri-City Chair Michelle Hodges said.

Read More

28 Hancock County nonprofits get $164,000 in Maine Community Foundation grants

Mainebiz | July 01, 2019

The Hancock County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded $164,133 in grants to 28 nonprofit organizations, it announced on Friday. Recipients include Island Connections, which will get $10,000 to expand services by transporting people to medical appointments and social outings with a new, donated minivan, and Annex Arts, which will get $7,350 to add a residency and other programs for writers. The Hancock County Fund is a permanent endowment that supports projects and nonprofits that strengthen communities in the county. Out of 60 applications received in the latest round, 47% received grants, and the average amount awarded was $5,862, according to data shared with Mainebiz.

Read More

Weston Award for Nonprofits to Increase to $50,000

YES! Weekly | February 12, 2019

The Joel and Claudette Weston Award has honored and recognized leadership and excellence in nonprofit management at local organizations for more than 30 years. Joel A. Weston, Jr. was a senior executive at the Hanes Companies and an active member of the Winston-Salem community. He served as president of the United Way of Forsyth County Board from 1980-1982. Joel believed strongly that nonprofit organizations should be well run and efficient and he introduced many innovative programs designed to strengthen charitable organizations and the community. He passed away unexpectedly in 1984. The Weston Award Endowment was founded in 1985 at The Winston-Salem Foundation by family and friends of Joel A. Weston as a way to honor his vision and dedication to the community. In 1985 the Weston Award for Nonprofit Excellence was established to recognize local human service agencies that are performing at peak efficiency. Today, Joel’s widow, Claudette Weston, continues the family tradition of community involvement and philanthropy through her efforts on numerous boards and organizations and as a member of the Weston Award Committee.

Read More

Coastal Baldwin forms endowment foundation to help nonprofits

Lagniappe Mobile | January 23, 2019

Leaders from three south Baldwin County cities are raising money to establish an endowment fund with the goal of awarding community grants to nonprofits.The Tri-City Community Foundation aims to serve Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and surrounding communities. It’s the latest of three established under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of South Alabama (CFSA) in Mobile, which serves Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties.“Civic leaders come together and say they want to be on an advisory committee to participate in a foundation for our community, basically to be able to give back to the community in perpetuity,” CFSA President and CEO Rebecca Byrne said. “To have some type of an endowed community fund for the benefit of that particular community. That gives those communities a chance to identify the issues they want to address.”Tri-City is still in the fundraising stage and will spend 2019 trying to raise seed money to generate interest. The fund got its start with a grant from the Coastal Resiliency Coalition (CFC), a local nonprofit created after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Disaster and focused on helping local Gulf Coast businesses and individuals survive, sustain and succeed, Tri-City Chair Michelle Hodges said.

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