In 2012, the Oregon Cultural Trust awarded over $1.5 million in grants to arts, heritage and humanities non-profits across the state. Grants went to large organizations like the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and to grassroots projects like the Western Arts Gathering of Cowboy Poetry in a town that is actually named Eastern Oregon. Other funds support Oregon’s Poet Laureate, who uses the power of poetry to connect with children and adults in schools and libraries.
The Cultural Trust can only make these pivotal grants because of voluntary donations from Oregonians s who appreciate that culture makes Oregon’s communities vibrant and strong.
There are now two weeks left in 2012 to donate to Oregon’s cultural non-profits, and take advantage of a unique tax credit when a matching gift to the Cultural Trust is made. Gifts must be made by December 31, 2012 to qualify for this credit in tax year 2012.
The Cultural Trust is unique in America in that it requires donors to support one or more of 1,300 Oregon cultural non-profits in order to access the cultural tax credit. This encourages giving, not only to the Trust, but to the many arts, heritage and humanities organizations that keep Oregon communities vital.
Oregon’s cultural sector – the arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits connected to the Cultural Trust – employs close to 9,000 people, who offer programs, events and performances that bring people to Oregon, transform education for students and teachers, and stimulate the economy and our communities. Each year, the Trust supports activities that enable over 500,000 Oregon children, youth and lifelong learners to receive additional education through in-school residencies, after-school activities, summer camps, and community education classes. The Cultural Trust supports Oregon projects that cannot be outsourced.
Members of local museums and historical societies, donors to college foundations, theaters, dance companies, and preservation projects can tally their 2012 contributions to these organizations, including the tax deductible portion of membership dues, and match the total with a gift to the Trust.
Donors who want to know whether a favorite cultural non-profit is eligible for a Cultural Trust match can go to http://www.culturaltrust.org/what-we-support/participating-cultural-non-profits and search by organization name, city or county.
The Trust receives over 80% of its contributions in the last three weeks of the year, so the more money contributed, the more grant funding the Trust can award across Oregon. At 10 years old, the Trust has built a $17million permanent fund for culture; it will continue to grow that fund for the future.
www.culturaltrust.org/give
