Initiative Fund

The Initiative Fund was established in January 2009 to assist in capacity building efforts for organizations and journals in the Warhol Intiative. A total of $50,000 per institution was given to assist in renovation projects, website redesign, much-needed technology upgrades, strengthening of internal systems, and other capacity-related investments.

The greatest use of funds was relocation and facility upgrades. In some cases these were projects that had been put on hold indefinitely due to lack of funds. In others, as vacant spaces became suddenly available due to the economic downturn, organizations seized the moment as an opportunity to expand or secure a new location.

The second most common use of funds was for investments in the areas of technology purchases and website redesigns. It is well known that organizations cannot operate at their most efficient when working with donated or antiquated office technology; and this new equipment dramatically improved the infrastructure for many. As numerous organizations revamp their websites, many also took advantage of the online/virtual space as a means of raising their profile and interacting with and building their constituencies.

Several organizations used this time to undergo strategic planning processes, or worked with consultants to re-evaluate business, financial, or technology plans. Cash reserves, collaborative projects, and peer meetings rounded out the use of funds.