RiverRun is pleased to announce it has recently received $160,900 in operating and project grants. These funds were contributed by six different foundations, both national and local: National Endowment for the Arts, The Millennium Fund, James G. Hanes Foundation, City of Winston-Salem, The Winston-Salem Foundation and Forsyth County Tourism Development Authority and John Wesley and Anna Hodgin Hanes Foundation.
“We are really honored to receive grants from these groups,” said RiverRun Executive Director Andrew Rodgers. “The future and sustainability of our organization relies entirely on the continued generosity of businesses, individuals and institutions. As such, the support from these local and national foundations, while representing just one of the important sources of revenue for the organization, will help us to expand our offerings and maintain the vibrancy of the Festival as we look to the future.”
In December, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced that RiverRun was one of 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant and would receive 2015-16 funding of $10,000. Art Works grants support the creation of art, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts.
NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “I’m pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works including the award to RiverRun. The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives.”
Also in December, the Millennium Fund, aimed at stimulating revitalization and economic growth in downtown Winston-Salem, awarded RiverRun $50,000 in 2015 for its continued work in making downtown a vibrant destination for residents and tourists.
In January, James G. Hanes Foundation awarded a supplemental grant of $5,000 to RiverRun in addition to a previous $25,000 commitment in 2013. These funds are to be used for capital improvements in collaboration with the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), one of RiverRun’s screening venues, for audiovisual improvements including a new screen and audio equipment.
The Winston-Salem Foundation announced In May that it will award 14 community grants to local non-profits, including $30,000 to RiverRun to support an additional development position starting in 2015-16.
After coordinating an outside panel to review and rate requests for funding, The City Council of Winston-Salem announced at a budget hearing in June that it is allocating $40,000 to RiverRun for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Also in June, the Forsyth County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) announced that it will again fund outreach efforts of RiverRun in the amount of $13,400, the largest amount awarded in 2015-16, as a part of its Arts and Events Marketing Assistance grant program. The TDA allocates up to two percent of its occupancy tax appropriation from its adopted annual budget for support of arts, culture, local festivals and events. As one of nine organizations funded, RiverRun will use the funds to promote the 2016 Festival outside of the Triad to attract tourists to the area for overnight stays.
RiverRun also received the second of a three-year installment of a $37,500 grant from the John Wesley and Anna Hodgin Hanes Foundation to help fund Festival operations and data management.
