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Winter 2004 Newsletter
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Arts Groups Reach $400,000 Goal
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 It was a fast-paced three months for
eight area arts groups. Not only did
they kick off their performing and
exhibition seasons in September, they
also were busy meeting the ArtsMatch
challenge from The Norfolk Foundation.
Their goal was to raise $400,000 in new
and increased funds from donors by
December 31, which would result in
$200,000 in challenge grants from the
Foundation — $1 for every $2 raised.
Funds come from the Foundation's
unrestricted funds.
By December 31 all eight of the groups
had reached or exceeded their individual
goals.
Participating organizations were the
Chrysler Museum of Art, Contemporary Art
Center of Virginia, Virginia Arts
Festival, Virginia Ballet Theatre,
Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company,
Virginia Symphony and Young Audiences of
Virginia. The organizations used a
variety of marketing techniques such as
letters, phone calls and newsletter
articles. Their efforts were anchored by
billboards and print ads provided by the
Foundation. As a result more than 2,300
people signed on as new donors or raised
the amounts of their previous gifts.
"Everything about ArtsMatch has been
positive," says Robert Chelimsky,
managing director of Virginia Stage
Company. "It encouraged a lot of people
to support the organizations and
provided us a good avenue to talk about
funding cuts. It's been great in terms
of awareness."
The Foundation created ArtsMatch last
summer after the Virginia Arts
Commission and other state agencies
announced funding cuts of 50 percent
this year for the eight arts groups.
They faced a collective loss of $504,381
in state funding over the previous year,
and their funding had been dwindling for
years.
One of them - the Chrysler Museum - was
heading into its third year of receiving
no state funding. ArtsMatch proved that
people like to be challenged," says
Robert Cross, executive director of the
Virginia Arts Festival.
"It made people who had been attending
ours and other events get on board as
donors. Since the arts organizations all
took a big hit from the state, ArtsMatch
also provided critical bridge funding."
Participating arts groups are optimistic
that new and increased donors will
continue to be supportive. The Stage
Company's Chelimsky explains, "ArtsMatch
has gotten people to recognize the
impact of their money and what an
increase can do."
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