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Encouraging Private Donations: Government of Canada Matches Funds to Arts Organizations in British Columbia
VANCOUVER, July 21, 2009 - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced that the federal government will match private-sector donations to 20 arts organizations in British Columbia. "These arts organizations provide access to diverse artistic performances that entertain ever-growing audiences here in British Columbia," said Minister Moore. "The Government is proud to match this local support to encourage further donations to arts organizations that contribute to our province's vitality." The contributions announced total $1,842,689. These amounts are in addition to those provided by private donors to the organizations' endowment funds. "This support is in addition to our Government's many efforts to ensure the long-term growth of this country's arts sectors, including our investments in cultural infrastructure, major festivals, and artist training," said Minister Moore. "For the Arts Club Theatre Company, the Endowment Incentives program has been a tremendous boost at the right time," said Howard Jang, Executive Director of the Arts Club Theatre. "One of the key principles of the Endowment Incentives program is to leverage support from the private sector--for the Arts Club, this has resulted in building new and long-term relationships with our individual and corporate supporters. Knowing that their donations would be matched by the Government of Canada was the perfect incentive to get on board. The legacy will be long-term sustainable support for the Arts Club Theatre Company." The funding has been provided through the Canada Cultural Investment Fund (formerly called the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program). This year, the Government of Canada is providing 72 cents for every dollar donated by the private sector. Since 2006, this program has provided more than $44 million to various endowment funds, while the private sector has provided $72 million, for a total of more than $116 million. This initiative complements other measures taken by our Government to encourage private-sector participation in arts funding, such as the tax exemptions on capital gains for donations of publicly traded securities to registered charities announced in the 2006 and 2007 budgets. The Canada Cultural Investment Fund aims to encourage modern management and greater financial stability in arts and heritage organizations. The Program's Endowment Incentives component provides funding to match donations. For more information about this program, visit www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ffsa-catf/index-eng.cfm. BACKGROUNDER The following organizations are recipients of the funding announcedtoday, provided through the Endowment Incentives component of the Canadian Artsand Heritage Sustainability Program. FOUNDATION | ARTS ORGANIZATION | AMOUNT | Arts Club Vancouver Theatre Foundation | Arts Club Vancouver Theatre Society | $186,334 | Central Okanagan Foundation | Kelowna Visual & Performing Arts Centre Society | $8,319 | Central Okanagan Foundation | Okanagan Symphony Society | $4,340 | Community Foundation of the South Okanagan | Okanagan Symphony Society | $6,872 | Kamloops Foundation | Kamloops Symphony Society | $13,723 | Kamloops Foundation | Western Canada Theatre Company Society | $9,042 | Sunshine Coast Community Foundation | Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts | $18,084 | Vancouver Foundation | Chor Leoni Men's Choir | $44,946 | Vancouver Foundation | École nationale de théatre | $2,532 | Vancouver Foundation | Island Arts Centre Society | $7,234 | Vancouver Foundation | The Vancouver Out on Screen Film and Video Society | $21,671 | Vancouver Foundation | Vancouver Bach Choir (1972) | $32,250 | Vancouver Foundation | Vancouver International Dance Festival Society | $8,471 | Vancouver Foundation | Vancouver Symphony Society | $108,504 | Vancouver Foundation | VDC Dance Centre Society | $95,484 | Vancouver Foundation | Visible Arts Society | $6,742 | Vancouver Opera Foundation | Vancouver Opera Association | $301,348 | Vancouver Symphony Foundation | Vancouver Symphony Society | $353,101 | Victoria Foundation | Open Space Arts Society | $107,428 | Victoria Foundation | Canadian Heritage Arts Society | $7,234 | Victoria Foundation | Pacific Opera Victoria Association | $255,245 | Victoria Symphony Foundation | Victoria Symphony Society | $243,785 | | TOTAL | $1,842,689 |
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