RACC Press Releases
July 31 , 2006
Work for Art Announces Results of 2005-06 Campaign
and Goals for 2006-07 Campaign
 WFA Fact Sheet; Reasons Why; Arts Org List; Oregonian Editiorial July 24
Work for Art, a workplace giving program for arts and culture, raised $44,318 in the campaign ending June 30, 2006 – primarily through employee pledge drives at 20 companies in the Portland metropolitan area. This program is administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts services agency, which re-distributes 100% of the money to more than 75 local arts and culture organizations in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties.
Between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006, employees at 20 companies participated in Work for Art campaigns: BOORA Architects, Bullivant Houser Bailey, City of Beaverton, City of Lake Oswego, City of Portland, Davis Wright Tremaine, 5th Avenue Suites Hotel, Metro, Multnomah County, ODS Companies, OHSU, PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, Portland Public Schools, Portland Oregon Visitors Association, Regional Arts & Culture Council, Schwabe Williamson Wyatt, Tonkon Torp LLP, Washington Trust Bank, and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca.
The three companies that raised the most money through Work for Art were: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca ($8,188), Multnomah County ($3,903), and Oregon Health Sciences University ($3,886). In all, 339 individuals participated in the 2005-06 campaign, and several companies matched their employees’ contributions.
The 2006-07 campaign is now underway and continues through June 30, 2007. Under the leadership of Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams, the City of Portland has announced an extraordinary dollar-for-dollar match on all Work for Art contributions pledged or received by June 30, 2007. (These matching funds come from a reapportionment of business licenses fees, and not the general fund, and are capped at $200,000.) With this incentive in hand, RACC has announced its campaign goal for 2006-07: $100,000 in individual gifts and company matches, coupled with $100,000 in City matching funds.
“The City match provides an extraordinary opportunity for residents to help our local arts and culture organizations succeed,” said Eloise Damrosch. “Our community is very generous, but with so many pressing needs, important arts and culture nonprofits sometimes get short-shrift. We are delighted to be leading this effort to generate new private contributions to help fuel the creative economy, enhance our children’s learning with important arts education programs, and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors.”
Another benefit of contributing to Work for Art is the Arts Card. Donors who contribute $60 or more (just $5 per month from their paycheck) will receive an Arts Card that provides a full year of 2-for-1 tickets, and other discounts, to hundreds of arts activities throughout the community. “We want donors to enjoy this opportunity to participate in the wonderful arts events that they help fund,” said Kathryn Jackson, the program’s coordinator. “This card makes it easy and affordable for them to do so as well as to explore some arts events that they and their family members might not have attended in the past.”
Several companies have recently added their support to the 2006-07 campaign, including First Independent Bank, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, The Port of Portland, The Standard, and Umpqua Bank. Some companies prefer to spotlight the arts through a special arts campaign (typically in the spring), while others choose to include Work for Art 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). As an editorial in The Oregonian recently noted, a giving campaign for arts and culture can be an exciting way for employees at innovative companies to support their community, and helps address the low- to average level of local public funding for the arts.
Local nonprofit arts organizations can access Work for Art proceeds 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, 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 are awarded a RACC General Support Grant or Project Grant receive both government funds and these workplace giving funds.
For more information about running a workplace campaign, contact Kathryn Jackson at 503-823-5424 or visit www.workforart.org.
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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RACC Staff to Contact
Jeff Hawthorne
Director of Community Affairs
503.823.5258
jhawthorne@racc.org
Mary Bauer
Communications Associate
503.823.5426
mbauer@racc.org
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