[Heritage] A message from the Oregon Cultural Trust

[Heritage Info]

Hundreds of cultural groups across Oregon are helping to promote and market the Trust and Oregon's cultural tax credit.

Many organizations have agreed to send out reminder emails to their databases, encouraging their supporters to make a contribution to the Trust before the 31st of December.  Other cultural nonprofits have placed the Trust's logo along with a hyperlink and tagline ("Earn Credit for Culture") on the home pages of their websites.    

An email reminder to your database along with a logo and hyperlink on your home page are two easy and remarkably effective ways of increasing awareness and contributions to the Trust.

An updated toolkit section on the Trust's website contains downloadable ads, key messages and instructions for linking the Trust's website with your organization.  Find it all at www.culturaltrust.org in the right hand menu. Questions? Contact Jim Cox, Trust Manager at (503) 986-0089 or james.w.cox at state.or.us 

Here are some important facts about the Oregon Cultural Trust to share with your members, friends, audience members and colleagues:

Making the Case: Support the Cultural Trust in 2005

·	The Oregon Cultural Trust is an innovative plan to increase private and public investment in culture * the arts, heritage and the humanities.  Its goal is to build a $200 million permanent endowment to support cultural activity across Oregon, regardless of the economic and political climate in the state.

·	Oregon's innovative cultural tax credit is a national model for building cultural support, and one that is being examined and replicated by other states.  

·	Since 2002, Oregonians have contributed over $5.3 million to the Trust, responding to the incentive of the tax credit.  Each year, 58% of what is raised is deposited into the permanent Cultural Trust Fund, which now contains over $3.2 million.

·	In three short years, the Trust has awarded a total of over $2.6 million dollars to enhance and support culture in Oregon.

·	In 2005 alone, 108 cultural organizations received direct grant support from the Oregon Cultural Trust.

·	County and tribal cultural coalitions distributed local grants, greatly increasing the investment in Oregon's heritage, humanities and the arts.  

·	For an Oregon taxpayer, a gift to the Oregon Cultural Trust costs nothing, since a donor qualifies for a 100% tax credit if he or she first makes a gift to a cultural nonprofit in Oregon.  Your gift to the Trust is redirecting your tax dollars to support culture.  

·	The mission of the Cultural Trust is to build cultural participation across Oregon.   We support everything from Symphony concerts to bluegrass and jazz festivals, Chautauqua lecture series to projects in local libraries, productions of classical, contemporary and children's theatre.  Our funds support celebrations of ethnic culture, the preservation of historic structures and trails, literary gatherings and small presses.  We support and provide access to cultural events that make your community a great place to live, work, and raise your family.

·	It's easy for any Oregonian to contribute to the Cultural Trust * and gifts in any amount are important to us.  Give what you can, whether it be as little as $10 or as large as $500 dollars.  Then make a matching donation to the Oregon Cultural Trust to take advantage of a 100% tax credit.  You don't need to itemize to take advantage of the tax credit!

·	For every dollar contributed to the Cultural Trust, 96 cents goes directly to strengthening Oregon's cultural climate in the form of building the permanent Trust Fund and providing grants to cultural organizations!

·	Tax credits are better than tax deductions!  Your donation to the Trust * and use of Oregon's tax credit * is a direct reduction of your tax obligation, the taxes you owe to the State of Oregon.  The maximums allowed through the cultural tax credit are gifts of up to $500 for individuals, $1,000 for couples filing jointly and $2,500 for Oregon 

·	When Oregon's cultural tax credit was approved in 2001, it was authorized for ten years.  Show your support for culture to the State Legislature by either making a gift to the Trust this year * or buying an Oregon cultural license plate.  Sales of the license plates are increasing, netting over $25,000 per month to the Trust now.

·	By making a gift to the Cultural Trust, you are saying to elected officials that support of the arts, heritage and humanities in Oregon is of vital importance to you.  You will add your voice to a growing list of cultural advocates across Oregon who appreciate the economic and civic values of a strong cultural community.

·	Become a steward of culture in Oregon.  Make a contribution to your favorite arts, heritage or humanities organization this year * and make a gift to the Oregon Cultural Trust in 2005.
.. Please let us know if we can be of help to you as you raise funds for your organization through the end of the year - and please send us your own suggestions for how best to help the Trust meet our goals! 

Call us if you'd like the above set of bullets in a one page hand-out for your organization. 

Act now to increase giving to the Trust in 2005 ! Earn Credit for Culture in 2005 !


Christine D'Arcy
Executive Director
Oregon Cultural Trust
775 Summer Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97301-1280
(503) 986-0087 direct
(503) 986-0260 fax
christine.t.darcy at state.or.us 

Earn Credit for Culture : Contribute to Any Oregon Cultural Nonprofit.
Then Make a Gift to the Cultural Trust in 2005.
Learn more - or donate -  at www.culturaltrust.org 
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