RACC Press Releases
July 31, 2008
Regional Arts & Culture Council awards a record $1.5 million
in General Support Grants to local arts organizations
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded a total of $1,500,653 to 43 arts organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. These General Support Grants provide unrestricted operating revenue to arts organizations in the Portland metropolitan area that demonstrated fiscal responsibility, artistic excellence, and community service through a competitive grant application process. These General Support Grant allocations are $193,085 more than RACC awarded through General Support last year.
“This has been a rewarding experience for everyone involved,” said Eloise Damrosch, Executive Director of RACC. “Not only did the average arts organization receive a significant increase, but we also welcomed eight new arts organizations into the General Support category.” The nonprofit arts organizations receiving General Support from RACC for the first time include Film Action Oregon, Portland Piano International, The Portland Ballet, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Live Wire!, Playwrite, Inc., NW Professional Dance Project, and Cappella Romana, Inc.
RACC receives funding from The City of Portland, Multnomah County, Metro, Clackamas County and Washington County to provide these grants along with other services in the community. This year’s funding increases were made possible due to funding increases from the City of Portland, as well as significant growth of the Work for Art program. Work for Art is RACC’s umbrella fund that raises
money and awareness for local arts organizations, primarily through workplace giving. RACC distributes 100% of all Work for Art proceeds to local arts organizations through RACC’s established General Support and Project Grant programs.
To qualify for a RACC General Support Grant, organizations must meet certain eligibility requirements, including a mission that centers around producing or presenting art; have at least one paid administrative staff member; and annual revenues of $80,000 or more. A panel of experts in non-profit management, organizational development, and the arts reviewed all applications, participated in interviews, and recommended funding to the RACC Board of Directors. The final award amounts are determined by overall merit, budget size, and compliance with past RACC grant requirements. Arts organizations apply for General Support every two years, and receive grants of a similar size for each of those two years.
The organizations that are receiving RACC General Support in 2008-09 are:
Artists Repertory Theatre - $53,192
Blue Sky Gallery - $10,656
Bodyvox - $21,213
Broadway Rose Theatre Company** - $27,040
Cappella Romana, Inc. - $10,000
Chamber Music Northwest - $50,287
Columbia Symphony Orchestra - $10,000
Do Jump Movement Theater - $25,897
Ethos Inc. - $16,530
Film Action Oregon - $14,230
Friends of Chamber Music - $18,225
Homowo African Arts & Cultures - $20,856
Imago Theatre - $26,385
Lakewood Center for the Arts* - $25,799
Literary Arts, Inc. - $39,105
Live Wire! - $9,000
Metropolitan Youth Symphony - $26,796
Miracle Theatre Group - $25,955
Museum of Contemporary Craft - $20,943
Northwest Children’s Theater and School - $22,142
Northwest Professional Dance Project - $10,000
Oregon Ballet Theatre - $79,697
Oregon Children's Theatre - $54,394
Oregon Repertory Singers - $24,779
Oregon Symphony Association - $139,746
PlayWrite, Inc. - $12,230
Portland Actors Conservatory - $13,295
Portland Art Museum - $184,686
Portland Baroque Orchestra - $19,155
Portland Center Stage - $85,003
Portland Chamber Orchestra - $13,377
Portland Gay Men's Chorus - $13,968
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art - $25,180
Portland Opera Association - $132,836
Portland Piano International - $10,500
Portland Taiko - $35,081
Portland Youth Philharmonic - $26,189
Profile Theatre Project - $21,054
Tears of Joy Theatre - $27,590
The Portland Ballet - $9,500
White Bird - $46,414
Write Around Portland - $16,375
Young Audiences of Oregon - $25,351
* denotes organizations that are headquartered in Clackamas County.
** denotes organizations that are headquartered in Washington County.
All other groups are headquartered in Multnomah County.
RACC will convene similar panels of volunteers this fall to evaluate Project Grant requests from artists, arts organizations, and other community groups who are proposing a variety of arts-related projects for calendar year 2009. An estimated 90-100 Project Grant awards will be announced in December, 2008. The next cycle of General Support applications will begin in early 2010.
RACC also provides Professional Development Grants for artists and arts organizations in two cycles each year; administers special City funds that help arts organizations respond to special opportunities and emergencies; and awards Fast Track Grants to schools that need help paying for arts education activities. For more information on these grant programs, visit www.racc.org/grants.
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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