The Future of Philanthropy & Funding for Arts, Culture & Human Rights

We are experiencing groundbreaking policy shifts worldwide. Severe cuts to funding for the arts, humanities, and human rights organizations have left us with the question: How can we sustainably uphold our missions and continue to support the communities we represent in the face of such fundamental shifts in the landscape? How do we adapt to meet the needs of the people we represent and the rights and practices we have dedicated our resources to protecting and supporting?

These three interconnected panels bring together US and European leaders to discuss their experiences, expertise, and visions for the future of funding and philanthropy. Our speakers will unpack all that’s happening in the world of giving, the repercussions of the current climate on nonprofits and the communities we serve, and the changes necessary to ensure our collective futures. 

Panel 1: Mapping the Landscape

What does it take to promote freedom of creative expression and protect persecuted artists, writers, and human rights defenders in today’s world? What are the challenges when funding streams run dry, and what do we stand to lose if alternative resources don’t become available? Hear from Khaled Harara (independent artist/cultural entrepreneur), Gracie Golden (Senior Officer of Strategic Initiatives & Relocation, Artistic Freedom Initiative), Hendrik Trassaert (Director, Passa Porta Literature House, Belgium), and Elisabeth Dyvik (Program Director, ICORN, Norway) on what is at stake.

Panel 2: Working Together

Given that many of the most successful and effective ways to support artistic freedom and advocate for a more just society have been turned on their head, how can we fortify our connections to collectively ensure that our essential work continues? Join Ellyn Toscano (Executive Director, Hawthornden Foundation), Jake Goodman (Executive Director, Opportunity Fund), Diana Bucco (President, Buhl Foundation), and Omaid Sharifi (President, ArtLords) for a conversation about agility, community, and resilience in the face of change.  

Panel 3: Into the Future

In increasingly volatile times, predicting even next week’s events seems impossible. However, funders and philanthropists still need to plan for the long term. Anne Marie Toccket (Executive Director of the Posner Foundation), Rocío Aranda-Alvarado (Senior Program Officer, Creativity and Free Expression at the Ford Foundation), Kendra Ross (Head of Social Impact at Duolingo), and Stefan Hansen  (Sweden’s Cultural Counselor to the United States) share their five-year projections and how their foundations and organizations are positioning themselves to ensure a better world in 2030.

Note: Your ticket for “The Future of Philanthropy” reserves a spot for all three panels. While not required, we highly recommend attending all three sessions. 

Support for this program is provided by:

Note: This program will be hosted at the Foerster Student Service Center Auditorium at the Community College of Allegheny County (839 Ridge Ave SSC 360, Pittsburgh, PA 15212)

About the Panelists:

Rocío Aranda-Alvarado is part of the Creativity and Free Expression team. She joined Ford in 2018 after serving as curator at El Museo del Barrio for nearly a decade. In that role, she presented visual arts and programming that reflected the history and culture of El Barrio as well as the greater Latinx and Latin American diaspora. Prior to that, from 2000 to 2009, she was the curator at the Jersey City Museum. Concurrent with her work in museums, Rocío taught as an adjunct professor, consulted and curated independently on Latinx and Latin American art and culture, and published and advised (in both scholarly and curatorial capacities) at the Smithsonian Institution. She earned her PhD in art history from the City University of New York’s Graduate Center.

Elisabeth Dyvik is the Programme Director of ICORN (2007–Present) with responsibility for the ICORN residency programme for persecuted writers and artists, handling applications and placements, following up ICORN writers and artists with residency in the cities of refuge, as well as external network building. She has particular expertise in visa and migration issues. Elisabeth has a background in international affairs, culture, and free speech. She was the Head of the Secretariat for Freedom of Expression in the Municipality of Stavanger and project manager for the Norwegian Authors’ Union’s 100th anniversary celebratory conference on Freedom of Expression in 1994. She managed the Newsroom research and archive at the major Norwegian national newspaper Dagbladet for nearly ten years, and she worked at the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro while living in Brazil. Elisabeth holds an MA in Religion and Library Studies from the University of Bergen, and further studies in political science, migration, and development from the University of Uppsala, as well as Peace and Conflict Transformation at the master’s level from the University of Tromsø.

Jake Goodman is the founding Executive Director of Opportunity Fund, a Pittsburgh-based foundation that supports the arts and social and economic justice. Previously, Jake directed Auburn Seminary’s national LGBTQ+ campaign, Groundswell, and managed their media program to train multi-faith religious leaders to speak out through the media on issues of justice. Jake was a founding member of Queer Rising, a NYC-based group that, in its heyday, demanded full equality and dignity for all LGBTQ+ people through direct action and civil disobedience. Jake was the Associate Director of Storytelling (now Lab/Shul), worked for the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and was a LABA Artist Fellow at the 14th Street Y. As an actor, Jake has performed at theaters such as Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Berkshire Theater Festival. He is the co-creator and performer in “Kaddish,” a stage adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author Imre Kertész’s book, Kaddish for an Unborn Child. “Kaddish” has been produced in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, New York City, and other cities across the United States.

Stefan Hansen (he/him) is Sweden’s Cultural Counselor to the United States, posted at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C. since December 2024. Stefan was the Executive Director at Unga Klara, Sweden’s National Theatre for Young Audiences, from 2017–2024. After studies in producing Performing Arts at Stockholm University of the Arts, Stefan has produced works in theatre, opera, dance, and concerts at companies such as the Gothenburg Opera, Teater Sagohuset, and Mains D’oeuvres (Paris). Stefan has also served as Chairman for the Reference Group Performing Arts at the Swedish Arts Council, President of The Swedish Performing Arts Coalition, and Board Member of The Swedish Agency for Cultural Policy Analysis. Stefan is married and was born and raised in Malmö, southern Sweden.

Khaled Harara is a Palestinian rapper and cultural producer from Gaza, now residing in Sweden. In Gaza, Khaled was the first artist to organize hip-hop workshops for young people, focusing on lyric writing and alternative forms of self-expression. Due to his artistic expression and outspoken criticism, Khaled was labeled an “enemy of the state” by Hamas. Between 2013 and 2015, he was the ICORN resident in Gothenburg, Sweden. Having lived most of his life in a conflict zone, Harara pursued studies in cultural project management and leadership in Sweden to continue leveraging the transformative power of culture and music. Through cross-sectoral projects for artists and young people, he engages deeply with diverse communities across Europe and the Middle East, particularly in regions affected by conflict. Committed to empowering youth and communities, Khaled utilizes these tools to help amplify their voices and narratives through cultural engagement. 

Dr. Kendra Janelle Ross is Duolingo’s Head of Social Impact. She oversees corporate giving, employee mission connection, and external partnerships aligned with the company’s mission. Kendra is also a dedicated board member of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, Allegheny Regional Asset District Board, World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, Watering Hole Media Action, and Instituto Cimarrón. A proud Pittsburgh native, Kendra holds a BM in Music Business and Technology from NYU and master’s degrees in Liberal Studies and Anthropology. She earned her PhD in Community Engagement and was a professor of Entertainment Management at Point Park University. Kendra spent two decades in New York’s entertainment industry, managing label operations at Universal Music Group while cultivating her artistry as a songwriter, vocalist, and producer. Now back in Pittsburgh, she serves the community at the intersection of arts and culture, education, and technology through her consulting firm, ACT3 Consulting Partners.

Omaid Sharifi is an artivist and the President of ArtLords, a movement of self-styled artivists who use art for positive social transformation and advocate for artistic freedom worldwide. Omaid is a former fellow at Harvard University, the Atlantic Council, and the Asia Society, and a board member of CIVICUS, a global alliance that focuses on strengthening citizen action and civil society. He is also a recent recipient of the Solidarity Award from Vital Voices. With a career spanning over 20 years, Omaid has demonstrated exceptional skill in planning, designing, and implementing a wide range of projects focused on using art for freedom and democracy in Afghanistan, the Middle East, South Asia, and various other international locations.

Anne Marie Toccket has worked across the globe with social enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and individuals to build strong, lasting, effective institutions. She is the Executive Director of the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, a growing family foundation that uses diverse philanthropic tools to support solutions to social, environmental, and economic challenges around the world. Before joining the Foundation in 2019, Anne Marie was a sought-after consultant and facilitator. Anne Marie has won several awards, including the Sprout Fund Legacy Award, Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 award, and the Iris Marion Young Award. She is an adjunct professor at GSPIA, and she serves on several boards. Anne Marie has a master’s degree in public policy from GSPIA and three bachelor’s degrees in Spanish, international relations, and journalism from Penn State. In her free time, you can find Anne Marie riding her bike, walking in Highland Park, exploring Pittsburgh’s lesser-trodden City steps, and spending time with her partner, Eric Davis.

About the Moderators:

Janet Sarbaugh served as the Vice President of the Creativity Program for The Heinz Endowments until her retirement in December 2022. Under Janet’s direction, The Heinz Endowments’ Creativity program focused on Creative Artists and Organizations, Creative Places, and Creative Learning, and distributed approximately $16 million annually. Prior to her appointment as Vice President, Ms. Sarbaugh served as Director of Arts and Culture Programs at the Heinz Endowments and as a program officer at the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Heinz Endowments. Janet holds a B.A. from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia; an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and a Master’s Degree in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She has served on the boards of Chorus America, Americans for the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, and Leadership Pittsburgh. She currently serves on the boards of City of Asylum, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Cave Canem. She is a member of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.