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For More Information:
Eric Gurevich
ericg@fundforthearts.org
(502) 582-0132
FUND FOR THE ARTS CELEBRATES IMPACTFUL 2018 CAMPAIGN
The organization announces results at a volunteer thank you event
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 19, 2018) – Fund for the Arts announced the results of their 2018 campaign, with record highs in the number of grants made, organizations, schools, individual artists and counties served. The Fund shared these outcomes at their Volunteer Thank You event, hosted Thursday at the Old Forester Distillery, to show appreciation for all who assisted with the campaign.
Under the leadership of campaign chair Tammy York Day, the president and CEO of the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council and co-founder of the Unbridled Charitable Foundation, the 2018 campaign registered the following record successes:
– The Fund made 685 grants for 2017-18, compared to 650 the year before and 600 in 2016.
– This year saw 115 organizations served, a staggering jump from 63 in 2016-17 and 35 in 2015-16.
– Additionally, 257 schools were supported, compared to 251 last year and 211 in 2015-16.
– There were 64 counties served, a significant increase over the 47 served last year and 29 served in 2015-16.
– 50 artists received direct support this year as compared to 34 last year and 17 in 2015-2016.
– Among the 21 organizations who applied for sustaining impact grants, there was a collective increase of $569,013 in contributed income from last year to this year.
The organization is also driving innovative collective action initiatives including the activation of the Imagine Greater Louisville 2020 cultural plan, the Cultural Pass and a comprehensive promotional campaign for the arts through social media, print, outdoor and Louisville Arts Link.
In total, this year’s campaign raised $8.6 million, plus an additional $800,000 pledged for future campaigns.
This campaign was the first following the Fund’s change in its grantmaking paradigm, from traditional to a more impact-focused model. The purpose of this shift was to help activate and drive Imagine Greater Louisville 2020, the community’s plan for transforming the Greater Louisville region through the creative power of arts and culture. By changing the focus and method of its grantmaking, the Fund has been able to support a larger number of newer, broader groups and serve a wider range of the community – which in turn has bolstered the entire arts sector. And by taking on the role of leading large-scale collaborative initiatives, the Fund has been able to increase the impact of the arts, access to arts and culture and elevate the role of arts and culture as a key driver in talent, business and visitor attraction.
“At Fund for the Arts, we evaluate success by how far and wide the power of the arts impacts our community,” said Christen Boone, president and CEO of the Fund for the Arts. “When looking at the number of schools, artists, and organizations served, this year’s campaign is a fantastic victory for the entire region. We are honored by the community’s embrace of Imagine Greater Louisville 2020 and thrilled to be able to use these funds to transform our region through a strong, engaged and enriched arts and cultural scene. Thank you to Tammy York Day for her determination, guidance and unwavering passion, and thank you to everyone who supported this vital campaign.”
The top donors are Humana/Humana Foundation and Associates, Brown-Forman and Employees, Louisville Metro Government and Employees, Kosair Charities, Yum! Brands, Inc., LG&E and KU Energy Foundation and LG&E and KU Energy/IBEW Local 2100 Employees, Woodford Reserve, Churchill Downs and Employees, Norton Healthcare and Employees, and Jefferson County Public Schools’ Employees. Nearly 20,000 donors invested in the Fund for the Arts this year and with their support, the Fund for the Arts maintained its top national recognition as the highest per capita giving to the arts of any other united arts campaign. Fund for the Arts per capita is $7.16, more than three times the national average of $2.61.
“I am humbled by the outpouring of support for this campaign and immensely grateful to my Campaign Leadership Team, the folks at the Fund for the Arts, and above all, passionate members of the community who continue to invest in the future of the arts,” said Tammy York Day, 2018 Campaign Chair and President and CEO of the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council. “The Fund is helping to usher in an exciting era of unique, impactful and accessible arts culture, and by supporting these efforts, we advance our schools, economy, and region as a whole.”
Funds raised during this campaign go toward creating transformative arts experiences across the region.
ABOUT THE FUND FOR THE ARTS
Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to maximize the arts to drive economic development, education, and quality of life in our community. The Fund conducts one of the oldest united arts campaigns in the country and supports world-class institutions, community organizations, and arts in education. Fund for the Arts also hosts the nationally recognized NeXt leadership development program for young professionals and leads collective action across the arts and cultural sector. For more information, visit www.fundforthearts.org.
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