International_Humanitarian_Foundation

International Humanitarian Foundation is a public non-profit organization registered in California. Our organization works for the benefit of disadvantaged children and supports educational and development programs for youth, including art and cultural studies. We promote and encourage children and young adults to learn about their native cultural traditions expressed in music, design, dance, and visual arts. An Art School for 100 children is part of our Foundation.

The non-profit academy and member of the International Humanitarian Foundation hosts students ages 4 to 86, catering to each individual's age and needs. The school offers classes in fine arts, sculpture, ceramics, art history, design (fashion, interior, architectural) and digital art where students receive certificates of completion and can also get credit toward a university for their work.

Our biggest goal is to encourage each student to use his/her mind to its maximum potential, to think creatively and not be afraid of the world or have complexes. I am not concerned with the necessity of our students becoming professional artists. It is rather my goal to see that each student learns to think creatively and cultivates their personality through artistic expression.

The New Age Art & Dance Academy was developed with this particular purpose in mind. It is here that students who have perhaps never used art as a medium before, in just a couple of lessons can begin to realize themselves through artistic expression. This expression manifests itself in portfolios and scholarship possibilities. The future of their lives is suddenly brought to light with the help of extraordinary teachers, all of whom work as professional artists in their field. The Academy has grown so quickly that there is another branch opening in North Hollywood, which will take up a whole building.

SUSTAINABILITY

We plan to continue to develop several ways of support and earned income for our organization:

1. Local community members and the Art School students and their parents. We experience a great deal of support from our community members in the Los Angeles area, especially from the grateful parents of our students.

2. Periodically from 2 to 3 times a year the Art School arranges an exhibition of the students' pieces of art in co-operation with local Glendale galleries. The proceeds from the sale of the works are divided between the artist and the School.

3. Our Fundraising Committee searches for private foundations - grant-makers for monetary and in-kind donations. We have applied with grant proposals to the following organizations: California Community Foundation; LA Shares: Pew Charitable Trusts; Annenberg Foundation; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation; J. Paul Getty Trust; William Penn Foundation; Ford Foundation; Rockefeller Foundation.