Helping arts in the county

Community Foundation, Arts Council collaborate to fund arts
programs
The Community Foundation for San Benito County and the San
Benito County Arts Council recently announced their collaboration
to promote the arts in the county.
Community Foundation, Arts Council collaborate to fund arts programs

The Community Foundation for San Benito County and the San Benito County Arts Council recently announced their collaboration to promote the arts in the county.

This partnership is a result of the Foundation’s most recent grant cycle where grant requests were considered in five fields of interest: arts and culture, education and youth, health and social services, agriculture and the environment and community enhancement. Several of the grant applications received by the Arts and Culture Committee of the Community Foundation were similar to applications received by the Arts Council.

“The Arts and Culture Committee of the Community Foundation made a recommendation to leverage the expertise of the Arts Council to re-grant funds to local art organizations and to bring art back to San Benito County school classrooms,” said Kathy Johnson, committee chair.

On June 10, the Community Foundation awarded a $9,950 grant to the Arts Council for a collaboration with the Community Foundation on an Artists in the Schools Program. It is anticipated that this funding will enable the Arts Council to develop and expand arts programs in grammar schools throughout San Benito County.

Gary Byrne, executive director of the Community Foundation, added, “We are here to help strengthen local organizations such as the Arts Council and in this case we also hope our support will enable them to leverage additional funding from sources such as the California Arts Council.”

Meanwhile, the Community Foundation presented six art-related grant applications to the Arts Council that it had received from local nonprofits during its spring grant-making program. The Arts Council considered these as well as other applications it had received directly from applicants, and re-granted $10,750 to nine local arts organizations in the county.

“We’re extremely pleased to partner with the Community Foundation and believe that this is the kind of innovative collaboration our community needs now,” said Cesar Flores, president of SBCAC.

The Community Foundation for San Benito County was established in 1992. The San Benito County Arts Council was established in 2006 and is a local partner with the California Arts Council.