The Arts Council of Oak Ridge is asking for your support in this year’s United Arts Fund Drive.
The annual drive kicked off March 15 and ends April 30.
Here is the letter the Arts Council sent to arts supporters in March:
Dear Arts Supporter,
Oak Ridge has always had a strong arts community—even as a secret city—and the arts continue to be essential to the health and vitality of Oak Ridge and Anderson County today. They enhance community development, spur urban renewal, attract new businesses, draw tourism dollars, create an attractive environment for skilled, educated workers, and help make the Oak Ridge area a great place to live, work, worship, and play. The arts organizations in Oak Ridge are vital because they support and supplement school activities, attract tourists and visitors, and offer volunteer and participation opportunities.
The Arts Council of Oak Ridge has been supporting these organizations for 60 years. We are asking you, as a member our business community, to help us contribute to this vital mission by making a tax-exempt donation to this year’s United Arts Fund Drive. As an arts supporter, your business receives additional benefits. At the $200 donation level and above, your business name is listed in every printed program of every event presented by all eight member organizations, as well as in regional newspapers, magazines, our website, and our app for smartphones and tablets, reaching more than 50,000 residents. At the $500 donation level and above, our website provides a link to your website. Pledges must be received by July 31 to be included in programs and publications. Please see a copy of last year’s donor list on the back of this letter.
Please join the other businesses and individuals who give their support by filling out and returning the enclosed 2015 donation card with your payment today. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover for your convenience. Ninety-nine percent of all funds raised go directly to our member organizations!
Nonprofit arts organizations are blessed to have so many hard-working volunteers (you most likely know some of these folks) because they typically earn less than half of what is needed to sustain the operation. The rest must be raised through grants and donations. Even small fluctuations in revenue can mean deficits for many organizations.
Please give as much as you can, but please give something—every donation is important!
Sincerely,
Audrey Stelson, President
Arts Council of Oak Ridge
Dave Eckman, Executive Director
Arts Council of Oak Ridge
See a copy of the actual letter below:
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