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Contact:
Rebecca Bromels
[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
513.325.7918
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ArtsWave Seeks to Grow Number of Donors and Dollars in 2012
Annual Community Campaign Celebrates Broad Benefits of the Arts
Cincinnati, OH – February 9, 2012 – ArtsWave launches its annual community campaign today with a goal of increasing participation from individuals around the region. The annual community campaign runs for twelve weeks and will conclude on April 25, 2012. Last year, over 38,000 people contributed $11 million to ArtsWave to support grants to about 100 arts organizations – large and small – throughout the region. “We are committed to growing the campaign this year, both in number of donors and dollars, because we believe that an increased investment in the arts will lead to greater economic vibrancy and a more engaged and connected community,” said Mike Micheal, President, Fifth Third Bank Cincinnati and ArtsWave 2012 Campaign Chair. Volunteers are committed to growing the number of donors to this year’s campaign to 40,000. The total fundraising goal for the campaign is $11.2 million, a 2% increase over 2011. For 2012, ArtsWave is planning a number of new initiatives for the campaign – building on its national reputation as a thought-leader and innovator in the field. For the first time, ArtsWave will offer multiple channels for micro-giving including text-to-give, a mobile donation page, and the opportunity to give directly through Facebook. The Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trusts, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee will generously match new, increased, and Step Up Leadership gifts ($1,500+) from individuals up to $100,000.
Formerly the Fine Arts Fund, ArtsWave adopted a new name and expanded mission to create community through the arts in 2010. Now, ArtsWave is embarking on a collaborative effort to measure the positive impact that the arts have on the entire community.
Working together, ArtsWave and many of the arts and culture groups supported by ArtsWave’s annual community campaign will gather data that demonstrates how a lively arts scene creates vibrant neighborhoods and brings people together. Beginning in 2012, arts organizations will provide this data through grant applications as part of ArtsWave’s new, impact-based grantmaking model.
“We know the arts are important to the people of Greater Cincinnati and this community campaign, the largest in the nation, is an opportunity for everyone to come together once a year and support the amazing array of arts experiences we enjoy year-round,” says Mary McCullough-Hudson, President & CEO of ArtsWave. Stories of how local arts groups are making an impact can be found in ArtsWave’s blog series, “Making Waves”, at www.TheArtsWave.org/blog [http://www.theartswave.org/blog].
ArtsWave’s signature community event, Macy’s Arts Sampler, returns for its twenty-sixth year with three Saturdays of free arts events all over the region on February 11th and 25th, and March 10th. More than 16,000 visitors attended Sampler performances in 2011. All events are free and open to the public thanks to the generous sponsorship of Macy’s.
New for this year, ArtsWave introduces the Macy’s Arts Sampler app, an interactive event calendar. The free event-based app is available on all platforms and provides an easy way for everyone to find, choose, and plan for festival events that match their schedule, neighborhood, and household interests. The Macy’s Arts Sampler app is in the App Store and Android Marketplace today. Find it by searching for ArtsWave or at www.TheArtsWave.org/apps [http://www.theartswave.org/apps]. A complete online listing of Macy’s Arts Sampler events can be found at www.TheArtsWave.org/sampler [http://www.theartswave.org/sampler].
For more information about ArtsWave, Macy’s Arts Sampler, and the community campaign, please visit www.TheArtsWave.org or call 513.871.2787.