Press Release: RACC awards record sum - $1.6 million - in General Support grants to 44 local arts organizations

June 21, 2010 –

RACC awards record sum — $1.6 million — in General Support grants to 44 local arts organizations

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) has awarded a total of $1,628,793 to 44 arts organizations in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. These General Support grants provide critical unrestricted operating revenue to arts organizations in the tri-county region. Each organization receiving general support has demonstrated artistic excellence, fiscal responsibility and community service through a competitive grant application process. This General Support grant allocation surpasses last year’s distribution by more than $39,000.

“These organizations represent the foundation of our arts community,” said Eloise Damrosch, Executive Director of RACC. “By investing $1.6 million this summer, we can provide 44 organizations with the working capital they need to achieve great things in the year ahead. Together, they have combined purchasing and payroll power of $71 million, and will present or produce more than 2.7 million high quality arts experiences – including more than 900,000 free and reduced cost admissions for children and other audiences. Clearly, these 44 arts organizations play a leading role in our mission to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of community life.”

Four arts organizations are receiving RACC General Support for the first time:  Children’s Healing Art Project, The Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Third Rail Repertory Theatre and Wordstock, Inc.

RACC receives funding from The City of Portland, Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties and Metro to provide these grants and many other services in the community.  Also included in each General Support grant, RACC’s disbursement of $422,604 raised in last year’s Work for Art workplace giving campaigns.

To qualify for RACC General Support, organizations must meet several eligibility requirements, including 501(c)(3) status; a mission centered on producing or presenting art; having one or more paid administrative staff members; and annual revenues of at least $80,000. A panel of experts in nonprofit management, organizational development, and artistic programming 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 reporting requirements.

Organizations receiving RACC General Support in 2010-11 are:

Artist Repertory Theatre, $55,282

Blue Sky Gallery, $10,986

Bodyvox, $23,244

Broadway Rose Theatre Company, $34,845 

Cappella Romana, Inc. $ 11,946

Chamber Music Northwest, $52,051

Children's Healing Art Project, $13,260

Do Jump Movement Theater, $28,097

Ethos Music Center, $17,304

Film Action Oregon, $17,569

Friends of Chamber Music, $20,004

Imago Theatre, $28,601

Lakewood Center for the Arts, $37,425

Literary Arts, Inc., $43,427

Live Wire! $10,814

Metropolitan Youth Symphony, $29,085

Miracle Theatre Group, $28,347

Northwest Children's Theatre, $27,983

NW Professional Dance Project, $13,604

Oregon Ballet Theatre, $85,500

Oregon Children's Theatre, $58,642

Oregon Repertory Singers, $26,875

Oregon Symphony Association, $142,616

Playwrite, Inc.  $15,586

Portland Art Museum, $192,488

Portland Baroque Orchestra, $23,094

Portland Center Stage, $88,916

Portland Chamber Orchestra, $14,815

Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, $13,585

Portland Gay Men's Chorus, $15,886

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, $24,355

Portland Opera, $138,419

Portland Piano International, $14,628

Portland Taiko, $37,024

Portland Youth Philharmonic, $29,415

Profile Theatre Project, $22,951

Tears of Joy Theatre, $30,173

The Portland Ballet, $16,628

The Third Angle New Music Ensemble, $10,600

Third Rail Repertory Theatre, $13,000

White Bird, $49,815

Wordstock, Inc. $13,260

Write Around Portland, $19,000

Young Audiences of Oregon and SW Washington, $27,646

Arts organizations apply for General Support every two years, and receive grants of a similar size for each of those two years.  The next open application for General Support will begin in early 2012.  RACC is currently accepting proposals from artists, arts organizations, and other community groups for one-time arts-related projects scheduled to take place in calendar year 2011. Approximately 90-100 “Project Grant” awards will be announced in December, 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.

Mary Bauer

Communications Associate

Regional Arts & Culture Council

108 NW 9th Avenue, #300

Portland, OR 97209

503.823.5426

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