Matched Funding for Private Arts Philanthropy
11 August 2015 at 11:31 am
Australian artists and arts organisations have succeeded in raising more than $3 million in private sector support for projects and philanthropic partnerships which have been matched with more than $2.5 million in Federal funding.
The injection of more than $5.5 million into the Australian arts sector is through the Government’s Creative Partnerships Australia’s Plus1 and MATCH funding programs.
“Successful artists and arts organisations harnessed the opportunities presented through crowdfunding platforms and social media to build professional networks, cultivate new audiences and achieve national media coverage to reach their fundraising goals to receive matched Commonwealth Government support,” Minister for the Arts Senator George Brandis said.
“The Australian Government is committed to a sustainable arts sector through increased private sector support for the arts.”
The push for more private investment in the arts comes as the Australian arts community roundly condemned the Federal Government recently in submissions to a Senate inquiry on the impact of Budget cuts to arts funding.
The Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry is investigating the suitability and appropriateness of establishing a National Program for Excellence in the Arts, to be administered by Senator Brandis.
In May, Senator Brandis announced the diversion of more than $104 million from the Australia Council for the Arts – which funds artists and arts organisations through an independent, peer review process – to a new National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA) fund administered by his Ministry.
In addition, the Australia Council was ordered to find efficiency savings of $7.3 million this financial year. The 2014 Budget had previously made cuts of $28.3 million over four years.
However Senator Brandis said the Budget did provide for more matched funding opportunities.
“In the recent Federal Budget the Commonwealth Government announced an additional $5.3 million over three years for Creative Partnerships Australia to continue to deliver matched funding programs for the sector and foster private sector support.”
Plus1 provides up to $50,000 in matched funding to organisations to leverage new donor and business support, build stronger and broader networks and develop fundraising skills.
Some of the projects supported through Plus1 are:
-Australian Festival of Chamber Music: $85,250 raised from 32 donors and 3 businesses and $50 000 in matched funding for program and marketing costs.
-Circa, Brisbane: $42,021 from 162 supporters and $40 000 in matched funding for its new project Il Ritorno, which will premiere at the Brisbane Festival in 2015.
-MATCH provides up to $10,000 in dollar-for-dollar matched funding for independent artists’ crowdfunding campaigns. Some of the projects supported through the more than $326,000 in matched funding provided under MATCH are:
-Underbelly Arts Festival: $18,841 in private sector support and $16,000 in matched funding for two MATCH campaigns, which supported a total of six projects to appear at the Festival on Cockatoo Island in August.
-Creative Mullumbimby: $10,941 from 84 supporters and $10,000 in matched funding for the Mullumbimby sculpture walk, Mullumbimby NSW.
Creative Partnerships Australia said it works to increase investment in Australia’s arts and cultural sector by investing in the professional and business development of the sector.
The organisation recently released Plus1 program guidelines for 2015-16 and applications are now open.
