ORLANDO, Fla. — MAY 19, 2021 — United Arts of Central Florida announced today that the 2021 Collaborative Campaign for the Arts successfully raised $3,889,032 for local arts, science and history organizations. With an aggressive goal of $3.2 million set to unlock a $500K Challenge Grant generously provided by Orange County Government for a second year, the campaign raised 121.5% of its $3.2 million goal. This is the twelfth consecutive year the Collaborative Campaign for the Arts has exceeded its fundraising goal.
“The Collaborative Campaign is a huge, collective effort, bringing together arts and cultural organizations under a single fundraising umbrella.” said United Arts Board Chair, Brendan Lynch. “The record-breaking amount of donations we received during the campaign this year will help fill the gap that local organizations are facing due to smaller attendance and canceled events over the past year. It is remarkable to see the community come together and be wonderfully supportive of and invested in arts and culture.”
United Arts and 22 arts and cultural organizations worked collectively from February 1 to April 30 to raise funds in support of arts and culture in the region. As these local arts and cultural organizations continue to grow, so does the need for funding.
“This year’s Collaborative Campaign has been instrumental to our survival,” said Janie Pope, director of development and public relations at the Enzian Theater. “It created a camaraderie even stronger than years past, sustaining our organization and allowing our supporters’ donations to literally Save the Movies.”
Donations made through the 2021 Collaborative Campaign celebrated the tenacity and perseverance of arts and culture organizations as they continue to create diverse and innovative programming, grow their audience, and keep us connected. Dollars raised during the campaign provide vital funds to help sustain the arts community far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This has been a tough year for the arts community as we have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Paul Helfrich, executive director of Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. “While many organizations, including the Philharmonic, have been able to perform, it has been with reduced capacity and smaller audiences. The generous support provided by donors to the Collaborative Campaign will allow us to emerge from the pandemic with momentum and confidence; as our audiences return, we’ll be ready for them.”
Contributions designated to any of the 22 campaign partners through the Collaborative Campaign for the Arts were eligible for a 15% match by United Arts, increasing the impact of donations. Additionally, gifts to United Arts – Arts for ALL Fund will help support more than 60 local nonprofits, including the campaign partners, through annual grant programs.
“Opera Orlando is extremely grateful to United Arts and all of our supporters for truly coming through in this difficult and unpredictable time,” said Gabriel Preisser, executive director of Opera Orlando. “We have been fortunate to return to in-person presentations and, while many viewed online, we are ever grateful to be able to get back to the theater and keep the arts going. We could not have done so without the success of this campaign.” United Arts is extremely grateful for the support from donors who rose to the occasion and made this campaign the most successful Collaborative Campaign for the Arts in the organization’s history.
“This was Timucua’s first year in the Collaborative Campaign, and it meant a lot for us to be included. Not only did we raise essential funds, but we got the opportunity to introduce our organization to a huge new audience,” stated Christopher Belt, executive director of Timucua Arts Foundation. “Much of the support we received came from folks who had never donated to us before, and the recognition of being part of the campaign made our board, staff, and community very proud.”
The complete list of contribution options for the 2021 Collaborative Campaign for the Arts is:
1. The Art & History Museums of Maitland
2. Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
3. Central Florida Ballet*
4. Central Florida Community Arts
5. Central Florida Vocal Arts/Opera del Sol*
6. Crealdé School of Art
7. Downtown Arts District/CityArts Orlando
8. Enzian Theater
9. Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras*
10. Garden Theatre
11. Opera Orlando*
12. Orange County Regional History Center
13. Orlando Ballet
14. Orlando Fringe
15. Orlando Museum of Art
16. Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
17. Orlando Repertory Theatre
18. Orlando Science Center
19. Orlando Shakes
20. Snap! Orlando*
21. Timucua Arts Foundation*
22. United Arts – Arts for ALL Fund
23. Winter Garden Heritage Foundation*
*New to the Collaborative Campaign for the Arts
About United Arts of Central Florida
United Arts is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, governments and school districts, foundations, arts and cultural organizations, and artists. Its mission is to enrich communities by investing in arts, science and history. United Arts serves residents and visitors in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties through the more than 60 local arts, science and history organizations it supports. It does this by providing direct support through grants and contracts for services, collaborative fundraising, arts education opportunities, advocacy, and technical and administrative assistance. Since 1989, United Arts has invested more than $162 million in Central Florida’s arts and culture.
For more information, visit http://www.UnitedArts.cc or call 407.628.0333.