Regional Arts & Culture announces General Operating Support awards to 19 local arts organizations

PORTLAND, ORE – The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded an additional $215,886 in public funding to sixteen Portland-based arts organizations that qualify for General Operating Support. This is RACC’s third cycle in calendar year 2015 for distributing the City’s “arts tax” proceeds; the first two cycles were in January and May.

General Operating Support grants are awarded after a rigorous review conducted by a panel of community volunteers and RACC board members. Organizations are evaluated on artistic excellence and fiscal responsibility, and must demonstrate broad community support including a stable base of audiences and donors. The review also includes an objective third-party financial analysis from the Nonprofit Finance Fund to help measure operating health.

General Operating Support grants are funded by the City of Portland general fund, Multnomah County, and the arts tax.  These organizations also receive proceeds from RACC’s workplace giving program Work for Art.

Arts organizations in Portland receiving additional General Operating Support/AEAF funds this cycle:

  • Artist Repertory Theatre, $44,740
  • Chamber Music Northwest, $14,756
  • Disjecta Contemporary Art Center, $2,040
  • Echo Theater Company, $4,833
  • Ethos Music Center, $18,979
  • Imago Theatre, $1,000
  • Independent Publishing Resource Center, $1,000
  • Live Wire! Radio, $2,705
  • NW Documentary Arts & Media, $1,000
  • Oregon Children’s Theatre, $51,160
  • Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, $3,040
  • Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, $29,845
  • Portland Piano International, $12,064
  • Profile Theatre Project, $4,408
  • Third Rail Repertory Theatre, $21,953
  • Write Around Portland, $2,362

In addition, three organizations outside of Portland received $54,000 in General Operating Support for FY2015-16. These organizations do not benefit from the arts tax; their funding is provided by Clackamas County, Washington County, and other RACC resources. They include:

  • Lakewood Center for the Arts (Clackamas), $21,000
  • Bag & Baggage Productions (Washington), $10,000
  • Broadway Rose Theatre Company (Washington), $23,000

For more information on RACC’s grants program visit www.racc.org/grants. For a list of organizations and other nonprofits that have received arts tax funding, visit www.racc.org/AEAFgrants.