[Heritage] Oregon Cultural Trust grant deadline

[Heritage Info]

Oregon Cultural Trust Announces May 15 Deadline for 
Cultural Development Grant Requests

The Oregon Cultural Trust announced a Tuesday, May 15, 2007 postmark
deadline for FY2008 cultural development grant applications from
Oregon's arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits.  These grants
support projects of cultural significance taking place between August 1,
2007 - July 31, 2008.  Cultural development grants are meant to bring
cultural opportunities to more Oregonians and to preserve and enhance
important cultural assets.  Only Oregon 501(c)3 organizations, with
culture at the heart of their missions, are eligible to apply.

In calendar year 2006, Oregonians contributed a record-breaking $2.8
million to the state's innovative private-public cultural funding
program, adding significantly to the Trust's primary goal:  building a
permanent endowment to protect Oregon's arts, heritage and humanities.
 By law, up to 42% of the money raised each fiscal year (July 1 - June
30) may be returned to the cultural community. "Although many donors
give to the Trust ate the end of the year, contributions may be made any
time," explains Trust Executive Director Christine D'Arcy. "Gifts
received by June 30, 2007 will add to the pool of funds to be awarded
this summer."   

The Trust awarded over $1.1 million in grants this year.  In the last
round of funding, 150 cultural groups requested more than $2 million
from the Trust's competitive grant program.  .  Fifty-four grants
totaling $384,226 were awarded.  In addition to the statewide
competitive grants, the Trust supports the local grantmaking of
Oregon's 45 cultural coalitions.  These coalitions, each with its
own cultural plan, received one-third of the Trust's available grant
dollars, $376,974 for FY2007, with which they deepen Trust funding at
the grassroots level.  
 
Applications may be downloaded from the Trust website 
www.culturaltrust.org/programs/grant_opportunities.php or requested
from 503-986-0088 or cultural.trust at state.or.us. 

The Trust's cultural development grants provide recognition and
support to significant artistic, preservation and capacity-building
projects.  They four areas of concern to the Trust: 

- Access:  Broadening cultural availability to Oregonians
- Preservation:  Investing in Oregon's cultural heritage by recovering
and preserving historic assets and achievements
- Creativity:  Making and/or presenting artistic or scholarly work, and
the development of artists, cultural experts and scholars
- Capacity:  Strengthening cultural organizations to build stability
and generate public confidence