Ford Foundation Space for Change Planning and Pre-Development Grants

Space for Change is a program that supports select arts organizations and community leaders to imagine and plan for a 21st century art space. The qualities of these spaces are both a reflection of the physical needs and opportunities within a neighborhood as well as a reflection of the commitment of each organization to artistic excellence, cultural equity, and sustainable community development.

One dimension of LINC’s work in supporting artist space development is grantmaking. In April 2010 LINC issued a nationwide call for proposals for non-profit organizations intending to buy, build, renovate, become anchor tenants in, or help develop an art space to apply for early stage funding.

LINC’s core commitment to diversity —cultural, geographic, and genre—which extends to our grantee network spanning from Massachusetts to Hawai’i, has informed the design of the Ford Foundation Space for Change Planning and Pre-Development Grants. We encouraged a wide range of organizations with cultural facility projects in their pipelines to consider how the program could deepen their planning processes and help them to leverage a stronger position as collaborative partners with municipalities, developers, and local stakeholders, while also expanding their national network of peers.  

LINC received 700 applications from 49 states. After a rigorous selection process, 12 organizations were identified to receive planning and predevelopment support—funds that are not only often the most critical to a facility’s long-term success, but are also the hardest to raise. The grants provide a complementary suite of material support, with access to a national learning community, as well as technical assistance.