AFS Moves Forward With Bloomberg Support

From a few friends watching movies, to running studio space, grant programs, and its own cinema, Austin Film Society has seen incredible growth. Now the movie loving non-profit has received the Bloomberg Philanthropies seal of approval, becoming the latest beneficiary of one of its major initiatives.

This morning, AFS announced it is one of the latest grantee recipients of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Arts Innovation and Management program (AIM), an invitation-only program designed to improve the processes, programming, and fundraising for small to medium cultural organizations in Austin, Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. In a statement, Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, said, “This program is aimed at helping some of the country's most exciting cultural organizations reach new audiences and expand their impact.”

This isn't the standard grant that goes into the coffers and pays for operations. Instead, the AIM program is designed to make organizations more resilient, improve their operating procedures, encourage collaboration on best practices, and improve fundraising strategies: So just as important as the grant will be the seminar programs, and one-on-one consultations and support for leaders and boards.

AFS CEO Rebecca Campbell said, “Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment in AFS provides critical support as we build our organizational capacity to meet Austin’s growing needs as a film and creative hub. We look forward to working even more closely with our incredible board of directors on our strategic growth as a result of this award.”