Giving Compass' Take:

• This ThoughtMatter post on Medium explores how cultural nonprofits can address the loneliness epidemic.

• Isolation can be a social determinant of health, so re-framing arts-based programs to address this problem and strengthen communities might be a way to develop a more robust dialogue.

• Here are ways that museums can comfort Alzheimer’s patients.

In late 2017 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest public health philanthropy in the U.S., put out a call for proposals for solutions adapted from international models to combat social isolation. More importantly, it backed the initiative with $2.5 million in grants. This year, the Humana Foundation is granting $7 million to organizations addressing social determinants of health, including Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), a San Antonio-based organization which works to reduce isolation and loneliness among seniors.

Activities that are being prescribed in other countries are offerings that arts and cultural nonprofits in this country already provide  —  they just aren’t necessarily being packaged or presented as such.

Three of the top six sectors funded by philanthropists in 2017 were education, human services, and health, all of which saw sizable growth rates from the year before. Even better news: arts organizations experienced the largest giving increase of any sector, receiving 8.7% more funding than in 2016. And the community- and connection-building activities that are being prescribed in other countries are offerings that arts and cultural non-profits in this country already provide  —  they just aren’t necessarily being packaged or presented as such.

Cultural organizations can get ahead of the curve in fundraising by re-framing their public programming as a key to combating loneliness and building social connections. When communicating with philanthropists and donors or applying for grants, these nonprofits can speak directly to how what they already offer can provide value to those who suffer from loneliness.

Read the full article about battling loneliness through the arts by ThoughtMatter at medium.com.