The Regional Arts & Culture Fund, a new workplace giving program for
arts and culture, has raised $35,225 in pledges from employees at 14 Portland-area
companies. This program is administered by the Regional Arts & Culture
Council (RACC), which will re-distribute 100% of the money to more than 70
local arts and culture organizations.
Over the past 25 years, 34 other cities
across the country have established so-called United Arts Funds as a way
to increase private support and public
awareness for arts and culture. These programs provide convenient payroll
deduction opportunities for employees to make charitable contributions for
local arts and culture organizations.
After a year of investigating national best practices and testing three
workplace campaigns locally, RACC’s staff and board launched a local United Arts
Fund program in the fall of 2004 under the name of the Regional Arts & Culture
Fund. Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts (NW/BCA) has been a significant
partner in this endeavor. Administrative expenses for this new program have
been underwritten by a three-year grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust, and
additional support has been received from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust
and the Oregon Cultural Trust. As a result of these gifts, the Regional Arts & Culture
Fund is able to pass on 100% of the money it raises to the charitable arts
organizations it serves.
Employees at 14 companies participated in RACC’s 2004-2005 workplace
giving campaign: BOORA Architects, Bullivant Houser Bailey, City
of Portland, Clackamas County, 5th Avenue Suites Hotel, Hampton Affiliates,
Metro, Multnomah
County, ODS Companies, Portland General Electric, Portland Oregon Visitors
Association, Regional Arts & Culture Council, Schwabe Williamson Wyatt,
and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca.
The three companies whose employees raised the most money for arts and culture
were Zimmer Gunsul Frasca ($5,144), Portland General Electric ($4,780), and
Multnomah County ($4,573). In all, more than 284 individuals participated
in the 2004-2005 campaign, pledging an average gift of $137.00. Several companies
matched their employees’ contributions.
Some companies prefer to spotlight the merits of Portland’s arts scene
through a stand-alone arts campaign (typically in the spring), while others
choose to include The Regional Arts & Culture Fund as part of the company’s
combined employee campaign along with other federations such as United Way,
EarthShare and the Black United Fund (typically in the fall).
Local arts organizations with 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status can access
proceeds of The Regional Arts & Culture Fund by applying for a General
Support Grant or Project Grant from RACC (guidelines and applications are
available online at www.racc.org/grants). Through this established process,
which distributes mostly government arts funding, organizations are adjudicated
by a panel of community representatives and scored on a variety of factors
including artistic excellence, proven service to the community, and fiscal
responsibility. Organizations that receive a RACC General Support Grant or
Project Grant will be eligible to receive workplace giving revenues from
the Regional Arts & Culture Fund as well.
Planning for the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 campaigns is now underway. John
Hampton of Hampton Affiliates has been named Honorary Chair of the 2005-06
campaign, and Mary Edmeades of Albina Community Bank has been appointed Campaign
Chair for 2005-06. The Regional Arts & Culture Fund’s fundraising
goals are $60,000 in 2005-06; $78,000 in 2006-07; and $106,000 in 2007-08.
Several additional companies are already scheduled to participate in next
year’s campaign, including the City of Beaverton, the City of Lake
Oswego, Oregon Health Sciences University, Otak, and Portland Magazine. For
more information about running a workplace campaign, contact Sara Gummere
at 503-823-5424.
Through vision, leadership and service the Regional Arts
& Culture Council works to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of
community life.
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