WolfBrown helps funders, nonprofit institutions and public agencies understand their potential, set priorities and fulfill their promise.
At the heart of our work is the belief that every human being has a unique creative voice of intrinsic worth and that every community has a responsibility to awaken, nurture, and sustain its cultural capital.
News, Announcements, and Current Projects
A National Collaborative Evaluation of El Sistema-inspired Music Education The Longy School of Music of Bard College and WolfBrown have formed a strategic partnership to carry out a two-year study of the benefits of El Sistema-inspired programs for children in grades K-8. more>> |
Announcing a new Research Fellow at WolfBrown/Opportunity Lab Dennie Wolf and Steven Holochwost welcome Kerry O'Grady, a visual artist, museum specialist, teacher, and researcher, as a 2017 Research Fellow. more>> |
Building Capacity for Audience Research Alan Brown offers his reflections on the Audience Research Collaborative, an initiative of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Performing Arts Program. more>> |
Sign up for Tom Wolf's Free Online Fundraising Course for Philanthropy University Tom Wolf will continue to serve as part of the inaugural group of instructors for Philanthropy University this year. Additional sessions of his fundraising course are scheduled throughout 2016. Enroll now to participate. more>> |
Evaluating the Detroit Symphony's webcasts into classrooms An intensive focus on evaluation will surround the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s “DSO’s Live from Orchestra Hall: Classroom Edition" webcast program on April 28. Sean Fenton, Alan Brown and affiliated researcher Brian Kisida will be on-site in Detroit leading a series of focus groups, classroom observations, and an expert panel. more>> |
Chorus America to Release Major Study of Audiences for Choral Concerts On June 17, 2016, Alan Brown will present results of a new study of audiences for choral music concerts at the annual conference of Chorus America in Cincinnati, Ohio. Twenty-three choirs from across North America participated in the project to systematically collect audience feedback and Intrinsic Impact survey data from their audiences over two years. more>> |
Now Available: A Collaboration Workbook, Commissioned by Heart of Brooklyn - A Cultural Partnership Over a two-year period, six Heart of Brooklyn cultural institutions designed, pilot tested, and evaluated a process for conceiving and implementing collaborative programs that address community needs. A Collaboration Workbook distills what was learned. more>> |
In Order to Flourish: Musical Pathways, Opportunities to Build and Questions to AskThis document sketches out the processes that support -- and challenge -- young musicians seeking to enter the field of classical music, from early childhood through young adult professional lives. more >> |
Lullaby: Being Together, Being WellSince 2011, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute has pioneered a lullaby program that pairs skilled musicians with expectant or recent mothers, many of whom are raising young families under stressful conditions: single parenthood, temporary housing, or incarceration. This report by Dennie Palmer Wolf shares early, qualitative findings from 10 lullaby projects in the New York City region. more >> |
The Socioemotional Benefits of the Arts: A New Mandate for Arts EducationNew research, commissioned by the William Penn Foundation and conducted by WolfBrown and Johns Hopkins University, examines the impact and potential benefits of the arts on students and suggests that participation in the arts supports the development of specific traits that can help students achieve future success. The study also explores students' engagement in school in relation to their access to arts education. more >> |
Community MusicWorks: Community-Centric Concert Series EvaluationCan classical music concerts strengthen neighborhoods? In this report, made possible by funding from ArtPlace America, Chloë Kline and Dennie Wolf examine the power of music to create and support more cohesive urban communities -- a vital role in cities that host widening gaps in wealth and opportunity. The full report is available for download here. more >> |
Headline Findings from the U.S. National El Sistema StudyLongy School of Music of Bard College and WolfBrown present headline findings from the first-ever cross-site investigation of the ways in which orchestral learning affects young children's lives. In this report, we highlight key early findings, report on data collection, and discuss next steps in the collaboration. more >> |
Of questions and canyonsDennie Palmer Wolf's essay is one of 15 essays published in The Teacher You Want to Be: Essays about Children, Learning, and Teaching. This collection of essays explores questions about education stimulated by the remarkable pre-schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. more >> |
Four Keys to Cultivating a DonorFeatured in Guidestar's October 2015 newsletter, this article by Dr. Thomas Wolf discusses four key concepts for successful donor cultivation. more >> |
 No. 31 | published 2013Investing In the Long View How do we know the arts matter? Where is the added value? What is the evidence that investing in the arts has an impact? These are questions that arts presenters, administrators, and artists and performers working in the public sector are pressed to answer daily more >> |
