In my last “On Philanthropy” column,I talked about the tremendous importance of the role philanthropy playsin the funding of the arts in this country (as opposed to agovernmental role in most).

The habit of giving seems truly ingrained in the wealthy,which got me wondering: How is this philanthropicpropensity established? Surely, philanthropists are made, not born.When and by whom is this inclination to give installed in the wealthy(and those likely to become so)?

Kianga M. Ellis is one person who recognizes thatphilanthropists don’t grow on trees, and she has decided to take activesteps to encourage them. Ellis, a sometime corporate lawyer andfoundation program officer, is the brains, and most of the muscle,behind Avail Art LLC, which she described to me as, “a companythat develops programs to cultivate arts philanthropy among society’sfuture leaders.”

Avail Art was established last year, and this summer it isconducting its first “Summer Art Circle,” whose purpose is to create anew, streamlined way for cultural organizations to identify and courtfuture supporters. The group first met on June 9 and will run a seriesof activities until mid-August.

What Ellis has done is to match six of New York’s top lawfirms with 10 of its major arts organizations, specifically their youngsupporters’ and patrons’ groups.

She has set up a program of arts activities in which nearly400 of the law firms’ summer associates are involved. (For those whounfamiliar with the term, Ellis explained that “summer associates arethose entering their final year of law school in the fall. They gothrough a very rigorous interview process to be invited to join thefirm for the summer; most firms will eventually hire all of them. Soit’s an opportunity for the summer associates to get to know the lawfirm that they will probably join after graduating.”)

To entice these future graduates to join them, the firmstraditionally lay on a summer-long program of entertainment. “What’sdifferent about what we’re adding to the equation,” says Ellis, “ishelping people build their relationship with art. We’re helping youngprofessionals navigate the art world and helping to demystify the wholething and making some of the institutions and some of the ways that youcan get involved with them a lot more accessible.”

Already the Circle members have attended a special preview at Phillips de Pury & Co. where they enjoyed a demonstration and tasting hosted by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson; visited the Affordable Art Fair;been treated to special events at a string of galleries, artists’studios and museums; and attended a seminar on the arts and the law,hosted by Sotheby’s, with speakers including the general counsels of MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum and the New York Public Library.

I asked Ellis why she’d got herself into this. “The sparkwas my passion for artists,” she told me, “and my respect for theimportant work that they do for all us, both individually and as asociety. My feeling was that there’s probably not many more importantthings that I could do with my life than help artists tell theirstory.”