THE LEEWAY FOUNDATION RECEIVES $2 MILLION DOLLARS
PHILADELPHIA -- The Leeway Foundation announced today that it has received a $2 million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott as part of her recent $2.7 billion in donations to “high-impact” organizations. The donation will strengthen Leeway’s unique work in the Philadelphia area supporting women, trans, and gender nonbinary artists working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change.
“This is an incredible recognition for the community of artists and change makers that are the heart of the Leeway community,” said Leeway Foundation Executive Director Denise Brown. “These artists are powerful voices for individual and collective transformation, and their contributions have been especially crucial to bringing light during the past year of confusion, sadness and pain. Our society is facing great challenges and great possibilities for change in the struggle for racial, social, and economic justice and we know that art with a vision can make a profound impact on these discussions. We’re very thankful to Ms. Scott for recognizing the power of these artists and cultural producers and partnering with us to support them in their efforts to envision and help build a more just future. And we are honored to be part of this powerful cohort of organizations, many we’ve had connections with for many years.”
The foundation's annual grantmaking programs, the Art and Change Grant and the Leeway Transformation Award, fund artists living in the Greater Philadelphia area (Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties), who engage in art and social change work. These programs challenge the norms of traditional grantmaking and seek to recognize women, trans, and gender nonbinary artists whose work is often ignored, silenced, and marginalized because of what they create or who they are — such as people of color; immigrants; queer, and/or trans, and/or gender nonbinary people; poor and working-class people; and people who take risks with art form and content to share their social change vision. In 2020, Leeway distributed $343,000 in grants to 168 artists through its programs. Leeway also awards artist residencies -- opportunities for artists to expand their capacity and demonstrate the value of artistic process in diverse settings through working collaboratively in and with arts and other types of organizations.
In addition, Leeway launched the Window of Opportunity Relief Fund in April 2020 to provide emergency, no-strings-attached funds for individual artists in our community whose livelihood was devastated by COVID-related shutdowns. The WOO Relief Fund gave $75,055 to 112 Leeway grantees and was followed by the WOO Community Care Fund, which has given $65,765 in grants to date to provide support to impacted artists in 2021.
Press inquiries and photo requests should be directed to Brittnie Knight (215)728–9273 or bknight@leeway.org
*Leeway is a trans-affirming organization committed to gender self-determination, and we use the term “trans” in its most inclusive sense, as an umbrella term encompassing transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, Two-Spirit people, and anyone whose gender identity or gender expression is nonconforming and/or different from their gender assigned at birth.
