Celebrating 15 years of sustained, community-centered grantmaking in the arts.
In 1995, Boston-based artist and philanthropist Fay Chandler was preparing for a major exhibit of her artwork when she had a simple but transformative idea: instead of returning unsold pieces to storage, why not donate them to local nonprofits where they could be appreciated and serve a greater purpose?
After her exhibition, she followed through. Fay invited community organizations to select original works of her own art to take back to their spaces. This gesture sparked the founding of The Art Connection, a nonprofit organization that matched donated artwork to schools, shelters, and other community-serving organizations. Currently operating in Rhode Island and Washington D.C./the Capital Region, The Art Connection became a model for making original art accessible to those who might never otherwise experience it, and it laid the philosophical foundation for what would become the Fay Slover Fund.
Later, when Fay Chandler established a donor-advised fund (DAF) in 2010, her mission was clear: to increase equitable access to art in underserved communities. Rooted in her lifelong passion for the arts, Fay envisioned a future where original works of visual art would not simply sit in storage after they debuted. Rather, Fay wanted art to be able to enrich physical spaces indefinitely and empower the communities that surrounded them. Her mission remains integral to this day.
Fay passed away in 2015, but her legacy continued to make a philanthropic impact through the evolution of her DAF into the Fay Slover Fund, which TPI has proudly supported the operations of since 2020. Over the course of nearly 15 years, the Fund awarded $3.2 million in grants to over 50 small nonprofit organizations and initiatives based in the U.S., Italy, and South Africa, helping to expand access to public art and creative expression in communities that needed it most.
The Fay Slover Fund’s grantmaking model builds directly on this legacy, showing how modest, strategic funding can yield lasting impact in the community arts and creativity space. By awarding 5–10 annual grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000—with the potential to renew up to a total of $75,000 over 5–7 years—the Fund empowered small nonprofit arts organizations to increase access to original, public art in underserved communities.
For the Fay Slover Fund, prioritizing sustained and flexible support rather than the scale of their grants was a catalyst for helping young organizations refine and replicate successful models like the Art Connection in new regions. A key factor in grantee selection was a focus on mission-driven work and community-led innovation in the arts. Not only are The Fund’s grantees avid proponents of such values; they collectively have placed thousands of works of original art across the United States and around the globe.
After 15 years, the Fay Slover Fund has closed its final chapter of grantmaking – but its impact is far from finished. From community murals and youth art programs to international exhibitions and cultural preservation efforts, the Fund helped make the arts more accessible and transformative for young arts nonprofits. Learn more about the Fay Slover Fund in a newly released impact report, The Fay Slover Fund: Elevating Access to Art, created and produced by TPI as an homage to Fay Chandler’s incredible contributions.
