Arts Endowment Fund
Arts Initiative to help develop, promote and encourage the arts in Placer County
After conducting a series of community focus groups, Placer Community Foundation established an Arts Initiative to help develop, promote and encourage the arts in Placer County—for the benefit of our children and our local communities.
Over the previous four years, with support from the James Irvine Foundation and from individual donor funds managed by the Community Foundation, grants totaling $197,000 have supported a variety of arts and culture programming. Opportunities to support and sustain the arts abound—from music for young children to galleries and performance halls producing and exhibiting their works.
Contact us to learn how you can help continue the work of the Arts Initiative or support an aspect of the arts important to you, your family and friends, or your local community.
PCF offers a variety of funds that can be tailored to your personal and financial interests. For example, an endowed fund works by investing the principal of the gift—using only the interest to make grants in your community. The result is a gift that continues to grow and support the arts for many, many years to come. Whatever your choice, we are here to assist you in making a lasting gift that is right for you.
For generations, patrons of arts, music and culture have helped open eyes, touch spirits, enrich souls, connect people, create understanding, and overcome differences. Lifetime gifts and legacies keep the arts alive—supporting artists, promoting culture, and improving communities.
You can give to the Arts Endowment Fund online now, consider a bequest and/or establish a designated fund supporting the arts in Placer County.
Why support the arts?
It feels good. Art has a personal—and positive—effect on individuals. It surfaces emotions, sparks imagination, and uncovers possibilities. Ask people why they love art—chances are you’ll hear that it astonishes, energizes, empowers, inspires, motivates, surprises and teaches. Art touches lives for the better.
It does good. The value of art goes beyond its beauty and power to move individuals. Art has societal benefits as well. Research shows that art fuels local economic growth—contributing jobs, advancing tourism, and nurturing the creativity that is a hallmark of our region. Arts education helps kids succeed in school because it improves their ability to learn in other subject areas and increases their self esteem. And art brings people together—fostering social connections, bridging cultural differ¬ences, promoting deeper understanding of others, and encouraging civic engagement. Add it all up, and it is clear that art strengthens community.
It’s time now. It’s never been more important to take action. State funding for the arts is at an all-time low. Indeed, the decline has been dramatic and swift— funding dropped from $32 million in 2001/02 to $5.6 million in 2008/09. Today California’s arts funding is less then five cents per person per year—an amount that is less than almost every other state in the nation. The decline in state funding directly affects artists and arts organizations in Placer County. This loss in revenue cannot be offset by increased ticket or admission prices alone—revenues that account for less than half of the actual costs of operating most arts organizations. It’s up to us to ensure that the arts thrive in our community.