A season of giving: Local Gifts

To the Editor:

Dear Friends, Neighbors, Donors and Appreciators of the Arts:

During this season of giving many of us are making careful decisions on how we will spend our charitable donation budgets on meaningful gifts to nonprofits which will benefit our communities and local economies.

The Mahoosuc Arts Council asks that you consider making a gift to support the advancement of the arts and humanities in the adult communities and school systems of the Greater Bethel Area.

It is also time for the Annual Phone-athon when we personally connect with you and welcome your input and feedback.

The council is a leader in collaboration having worked closed with Gould Academy and MSAD#44 for over 25 years. It is a member of the Bethel Area Nonprofit Collaborative, the Western Maine Arts+Business Collaborative, the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Alliance for Arts Education, the Maine Association of Nonprofits and the Western Maine Cultural Alliance.

In 2011, the State of Maine and Maine Association of Nonprofits recognized the council with the Dirigo Award for Nonprofit Excellence for the scope and effectiveness of our mission impact.

While our work continues to gain recognition for its importance and high quality, the economy keeps working away at funding sources which were previous reliable.

In addition to becoming creative and collaborative with our fundraising strategy, we are still forced to make some tough cuts for the first time since our founding in 1986.

Ultimately cuts mean less educational experience for our students, less money earned by artists, fewer customers drawn into Western Maine businesses and so on.

If you have not previously supported the arts council, we urge you to visit our website, www.mahoosucarts.org, to learn about this important work.

You can help build arts education for our students and economic opportunities our community by making a tax-deductible gift to the Mahoosuc Arts Council today, no matter how small. We would love to thank you with a returned gift of concert tickets to one of our upcoming performances.

Your support combined with our commitment and passion to uphold our mission will ensure quality educational and community impact for years to come.

Aranka K. Matolcsy

Executive Director

Mahoosuc Arts Council Board of Directors