The League of American Orchestras has awarded grants to 25 U.S. orchestras to strengthen their understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and help transform organizational culture. Ranging from $15,000 to $19,500 each, the one-year grants comprise the final round of The Catalyst Fund, the League’s three-year, $2.1 million grant-making program, made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. The Catalyst Fund has made a strong impact on the field, with several orchestras receiving multiple grants over three years. Since its launch in 2019, 76 Catalyst Fund grants have been awarded to 49 orchestras of all sizes and types, each demonstrating a strong commitment to EDI work and systemic change. More than 80 percent of first-year grantees reported making either policy or programming changes as a result of their funded work, with most engaging board and musicians alongside staff. With Catalyst Fund support, orchestras hire EDI practitioners to help implement organizational-development activities including anti-bias trainings, institutional audits, the creation of formal EDI plans, and work to build consensus and integrate EDI into mission statements and culture. Learn more about The Catalyst Fund, including the 2021 grant recipients.
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