(A FY2019 Cultural Trust grant is supporting a managing director position for Medford’s Ballet Folklorico Ritmo Alegre | Photo courtesy of Oregon Cultural Trust)

Once again generous Oregonians stepped up for culture in 2018, donating more than $4.5 million to the Oregon Cultural Trust. The funds will support fiscal year 2020 grants to cultural organizations across the state.

“Our donors are incredibly loyal,” said Cultural Trust Executive Director Brian Rogers. “Once they realize that the cultural tax credit really works, they tend to continue using it. As always, we look forward to investing their generosity in all of the great cultural activities happening across the state this year.”

“As the Oregon Legislature considers a bill to extend the sunset of the cultural tax credit,” said Cultural Trust Board Chair Chuck Sams. “We are proud that our citizens continue to demonstrate their commitment to working with us to strengthen our state’s famous quality of life.”

The $4.53 million fundraising total includes 8,821 donations and 1,352 new donors. It also includes $381,124 raised through a partnership with the Willamette Week Give!Guide.

More than half of the money raised will be distributed directly to Oregon’s cultural groups this summer; the remainder will grow the Cultural Trust permanent fund. Cultural Trust grants are distributed through five Statewide Cultural Partners — Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Humanities and the Oregon State Office of Historic Preservation — as well as to 45 county/tribal coalitions and directly to cultural nonprofits via Cultural Development Grants.

The 87 projects supported by Cultural Development Grants in FY2019 include:

• The development of Astoria’s Scandinavian Heritage Park to honor the immigrant tradition that brought thousands of Scandinavians to Oregon’s North Coast in the late 1800s and early 1900s;
• A remodel of Cottage Grove’s Cottage Theatre to increase seating, allowing 4,000 more patrons to experience performances each year;
• Funding to support Portland Center Stage’s JAW 2019: A Playwrights Festival;
• Restoration of the historic 1911 Belletable House southeast of Bend by the Fort Rock Valley Historical Society;
• A half-time managing director for Ballet Folklorico Ritmo Alegre in Medford, ensuring sustainability of community dance classes and performances; and
• Support of the “Re-TURN the Jantzen Beach Carousel” project, including the restoration of an original pony to illustrate the value of preserving an historic icon.

For a full list of Cultural Trust grant projects, including links to Cultural County Coalitions and several hundred county projects they are funding this year, visit www.culturaltrust.org.