There’s an idea that the best way to make money is to have money. It’s an idea that the recipients of the 2008 Stanford Financial Excellence in the Arts Awards certainly take to heart.

Fine Arts Chamber Players ($10,000), Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas ($15,000) and the Dallas Museum of Art ($20,000) were all awarded grants last night at a reception at Arlington Hall in Lee Park

The grants, given by Stanford Group Company in conjunction with the Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, are distributed to arts organizations that prove they are solid managers of their fiscal resources. The idea seems to be: you’ve proven you can handle your own money, so we feel good about giving you ours.

Can’t argue with that principle.