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Arts and culture are a big part of the quality of life enjoyed in the Edmonton area, and now residents have an opportunity to support the arts with a donation matching program.

From now until Nov. 20, endowment donations for qualified local arts organizations made through Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) can be matched up to 100 per cent by the Canada Cultural Investment Fund (CCIF), helping each group build up a crucial endowment fund.

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The exact amount of matching dollars depends on the availability of funding and the number of successful arts organizations that apply.

“It’s a great opportunity for people who love the performing arts to support a vibrant and thriving arts scene in Edmonton,” says Tina Thomas, chief executive officer with the Edmonton Community Foundation. “People can show their love even more by having their donation go further through this funding matching program.”

ECF is Edmonton’s largest non-government granting organization, providing more than $30 million in community grants and scholarships each year — thanks to generous donors — along with helping groups access government programs like the CCIF.

Thomas says donations made will go towards the arts organization’s endowment fund, rather than one-time projects or annual expenses.

“This is a very progressive and forward-thinking program from the federal government to encourage charitable organizations to build their own endowments through organizations like ECF, because that leads to long-term sustainability, viability and autonomy,” she says.

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Many performing arts groups faced major financial challenges during the COVID years when revenue from admissions plummeted, and Thomas says some only survived because of an endowment fund that was already in place.

She adds that endowment funds empower organizations to make strategic programming decisions and artistic choices because they can rely on the predictable and ongoing funding that the endowments offer.

Proof that ECF’s focus on endowment fundraising has been a success is evident in the numbers since the program first started 24 years ago.

Thomas says more than $36 million in donations and matching funds have been raised towards endowment funds, with the funds having since grown to a total value of $47 million, all while generating $14 million in grants to their organizations.

The benefits of the arts in Edmonton go above and beyond just economic and employment benefits: art enriches the lives of residents.

“We can focus on the things we need in life, but we also need the things that give us joy,” she says. “I think that art, in every format, speaks to people in different ways. But I feel it gives us that sense of being part of something more than ourselves, being in a community with others.”

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Thomas remembers a City of Edmonton event with author Peter Kageyama where he spoke about what it is that citizens love about their communities.

“They love a city because of the culture, the communities they are a part of, the things they can participate in and experience — the emotional connection they have to the peoples, spaces and places. I think a vibrant performing arts sector contributes heavily to that.”

While many Edmontonians already support their favourite local arts groups, this is an excellent opportunity to see those contributions go further or for new donors to join in — and every little bit helps, says Thomas.

“It can be anything – $5 to $5,000 – whatever amount is possible,” she says.

“And it’s a great way for people who have been patrons of the arts — who have bought a ticket, gone to a show – to take it the next step further and say, ‘I want other people to experience this, I want these organizations to be around for a long time. So, I’m going to do what I can today, and the federal government is going to help make that go even further.’”

Thomas says the Edmonton Community Fund’s involvement in promoting this program is part of its cross-sector efforts throughout the community.

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“We are a 360-degree funder. We fund every type of charity, every sector of the city, whether that is health care or education or the environment and of course, the arts.”

This year, the local arts organizations participating in the program include everything from small theatre groups and choirs, to larger entities like The Fringe, Edmonton Folk Fest and Shumka Ukrainian Dancers, says Thomas.

More information is available at DoubleTheSupport.ca, including how to make a donation.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Edmonton Community Foundation.

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