E-Newsletter February 2010
Cultural Organizations in MetroWest
Building a Sustainable Future: Creating an Agency Endowment
Board Trainings
Upcoming Events
Introduction
February might be a short month, but it has been a busy one here at the Foundation. We welcomed our new Development Officer, Renee Curtin, to the Foundation. You can learn more about Renee’s background on our website.
The cold weather makes all of us want to stay warm inside, and this month we wanted to highlight some of the wonderful cultural organizations in MetroWest that provide programming throughout the year. We’re also highlighting some organizations that have taken a step towards sustainability by establishing agency endowments through the Foundation.
Cultural Organizations in MetroWest
MetroWest takes pride in its rich cultural history and has a bounty of arts and cultural organizations. They are integral to community-building efforts, and are a large part of what makes MetroWest a wonderful place to live.
The Foundation’s focus on cultural institutions is not new. It has actually played an important role in building organizations in the region, including serving as a fiscal sponsor for The Center for the Arts in Natick (TCAN).
This past year, the foundation distributed $30,000 through out competitive grant process to organizations in the region. Here are a few of their stories.
One of the newer additions to the region is the Amazing Things Art Center of Framingham. The Center, founded in 2004, presents more than 300 performance and arts events annually in their main venue, known as the Amazing Firehouse, in downtown Framingham. You can go to the Art Center almost any night during the year and find a performance or event taking place.
During the week, audience members can attend events that feature community members, and on the weekend, established local and national acts perform. Community theater groups also host performances at the Center 8 weekends each year.
The Amazing Things Art Center’s mission is to broadly address performance and visual arts, so that audiences can experience a wide variety of theater, comedy, and music productions. They also seek to encourage community engagement with classes and workshops, especially reaching out to the underserved by offering affordable pricing for all performances.
For more information and to see their upcoming events, visit www.amazingthings.org.
Since its founding over forty years ago, the Reagle Players’ mission has been to “present the highest quality of musical theatre productions to enhance the quality of life in MetroWest”, according to Executive Director Robert J. Eagle. By joining talented regional performers with professional performers and staff and recreating Broadway sets, costumes, choreography and direction, the company provides both wonderful learning opportunities for amateur performers and great entertainment for audiences.
The Reagle Players is also in permanent residence at Waltham High School, key to furthering its mission for up and coming amateurs. There, the Company produces three summer musicals and three revues each year, as well as sponsoring vacation week and summer camp for more than 150 students from surrounding communities.
The Reagle Players have two upcoming shows – Herb Reed & The PLATTERS – a Valentine’s Weekend show taking place this coming weekend, and A Little Bit of Ireland in March. The Foundation is supporting the March show which is one of the Players’ original musical revues. For more information about the group, and to see a schedule of performances, visit www.reagleplayers.org.
According to executive director Eva Macarthur, “Commonwealth Ballet Company develops, fosters, and promotes the performance and appreciation of classical and contemporary ballet among the citizens of Massachusetts”. Like the Reagle Players mission for musical theater, the Company’s goal for dance performance is to demonstrate excellent quality for audiences and engage youth in educational opportunity.
The CBC has produced acclaimed dance performances for the MetroWest area for almost 20 years, while keeping ticket prices reasonable in order to attract families to its productions. “By performing in a local venue with free parking, CBC makes it possible for Metro West audiences to see quality dance performances at lower costs”, says Macarthur. In addition, the CBS conducts backstage tours, school lectures and demonstrations, and youth outreach programs, with a substantial number of free or discounted tickets given to MetroWest youth groups.
The Foundation for MetroWest contributed funding for the presentation of the CBC’s original ballet "The Nightingale" which will be performed in Weston in March 2010. A family ballet, this production will include Chinese and Japanese music and instrumentation as well as authentic interpretations of traditional Chinese folk dance. Says Macarthur, “The Nightingale” provides an opportunity to educate audiences & participants in traditional Chinese music, movement, costuming, style, and symbolism as well as formal classical ballet. This collaborative performance underscores the value of cultural diversity and enhances acceptance of the growing presence and influence of the Chinese community in MetroWest.”
For more information about the Commonwealth Ballet Company, and to see a schedule of performances, visit www.commonwealthballet.org.
Building a Sustainable Future: Creating an Agency Endowment
One of the Foundation for MetroWest’s main goals is to strengthen nonprofits in the region. To do so, we host a number of trainings and seminars as well as provide grants through Donor-Advised Funds and our discretionary grant process. One lesser-known program that the Foundation offers is its Agency Endowment Program.
For many organizations, the fundraising cycle is unending. Raising money to cover the year’s operating costs consumes a lot of time, and boards and staff are constantly looking for new revenue streams. Endowments provide a steady stream of annual income, which, depending on the size of the endowment, can make up a significant part of the annual operating budget. This frees up staff time to focus on mission, and for planning for future needs.
Currently, the Foundation holds the funds for more than a dozen agency endowments. Income earned on these endowed funds is either reinvested in the fund or paid out to the organization in line with the Foundation’s policies. All of the funds are open to donations. Here are the organizations that currently hold funds with the Foundation.
Adolescent Consultation Services provides services to court-involved adolescents and their families in the region.
To learn more about Adolescent Consultation Services, please visit www.acskids.org .
A private non-profit human service agency providing treatment services and support for mental illness-related challenges.
To learn more about Bridge of Central Massachusetts, please visit www.thebridgecm.org.
Nonprofit social service agency providing advocacy and services to children and adults with cognitive, physical or medical developmental disabilities
To learn more about the Charles River Center, please visit www.charlesrivercenter.org.
Provides services and support for young children with neurological and emotional disabilities
To learn more about the Community Therapeutic Day School, please visit www.communitytherapeuticdayschool.org.
Private, nonprofit public art museum providing education in the visual arts to Metro West community
To learn more about the Danforth Museum of Art Fund, please visit www.danforthmuseum.org.
Inspire enduring curiosity and love of learning through interactive discovery, hands-on inquiry and interactive investigations
To learn more about Discovery Museums, please visit www.discoverymuseums.org.
Offering ESL instruction to develop effective communication skills as well as basic Adult Education
To learn more about the Framingham Adult ESL program, please visit www.faesl.org.
This fund supports the New England Wild Flower Society, which promote conservation of temperate North American flora via education, research, horticulture, habitat preservation and advocacy.
To learn more about the New England Wild Flower Society, please visit www.newfs.org.
Demonstrate benefits of strengthened connection to the land via faming, forestry, and educational programs
To learn more about Land’s Sake, please visit www.landssake.org.
Support charitable agencies that provide a broad range of essential human service to people who live and work in Maynard, MA
To learn more about the Maynard Community Chest, please visit www.maynardchest.org.
Raises capital to fund innovative educational projects for Medway’s public schools
To learn more about the Medway Education Fund, please visit www.medwayschools.org.
Offer programs, services and facilities to enhance spiritual, physical, mental, and social quality of life for community members
To learn more about the Metro West YMCA, please visit www.metrowestymca.org.
The Civic League works to support the civic, educational, recreational, charitable and benevolent interests of Framingham and its people.
To learn more about the Framingham Civic League, please visit www.civicleague.net/.
Community-building organization raising funds, connecting volunteers, strengthening agencies and meeting the critical needs of the community
To learn more about the United Way of Tri-County, please visit www.unitedwaytri-county.org.
Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s Agency Endowment Program.
Board Trainings
The Foundation for MetroWest with a grant from Middlesex Savings Bank is pleased to continue its series of half-day seminars for non-profit boards led by Amy Cahners and Susan Donahue of Cahners & Donahue Associates. This seminar will include discussions about recruiting and nominating members, nominating board leadership, and board orientation. For more details, click here. RSVP by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Future seminars include:
Seminars run from 9 am until noon. Coffee and networking begin at 8:30 am. These seminars are designed for board members and staff. For maximum benefit please plan to attend together. Each participating organization may register up to 2 board members plus your executive director.
Upcoming Events
February 13th & 27th: Guided Snowshoe Tours of the DeCordova Sculpture Park >March 12 – 14th: Reagle Players’ A Little Bit of Ireland >
March 13th & 14th: Commonwealth Ballet’s Performance of the Nightingale >
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See our Events Calendar >
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