At some point, every non-profit endeavor boils down to the often cringe-inducing task of sitting across from someone in your community and asking them for their money (or their time, which is even more precious for many).
When fundraising time comes, I know I’m not alone in wishing I was simply wealthy enough to cover whatever I happen to be raising money for out of my own bank account. (If ever I hit the jackpot, I will make one helluva philanthropist.) But that’s not the right way to look at it, at least not if you want to be a successful non-profit.
“Lean into fundraising as an expression of care for your community,” says Josef Krebs of Scandiuzzi-Krebs, a Seattle consulting firm that counsels community-building organizations as they strive to survive and thrive. He raises a vital distinction.
When I sit down to ask a donor for money, I’m not some roadside panhandler hoping to score some smokes and a Big Mac with your spare change. Nor am I some con man promising to double your money if you’ll just take a little risk today. On the contrary, I’m a local citizen, much like yourself, offering you the opportunity to join me in making our shared community a better place.
While we’re blessedly free of the profit motive that saddles all private enterprise, no non-profit is free from the need for money. Our motivations are to bring about some positive change in the world. But, pure as those motivations may be, without exception, bringing about lasting positive change requires money.
So, we buck up and we ask.
At NCW Arts, we’re not asking you for your money because we need it. We’re asking for it because, just like all the rest of us, you need it.
You need the culturally rich community that results from having a thriving arts sector locally. You need the creative economy that provides 20 percent of our state’s annual income to continue growing, creating jobs, drawing tourists, generating tax revenues and providing sources of community pride.
You need live music at a small winery on a Friday night; murals brightening the Avenue; thought-provoking sculptures along the Loop Trail; Apple Blossom musicals, writers conferences, movie nights, skillfully inked tattoos, adventurous culinary experiences.
“When we invest in arts and culture, we build more livable communities,” concludes one 2023 study conducted by Americans for the Arts.
At NCW Arts, that’s precisely the investment we’re making. Whether you’re attending one of our ArtBox pop-ups (this First Friday), signing on as a business member, setting up your free page on the Artist Index, or making your year-end donation, you become the one making that investment.
There are big things ahead for the Arts in 2026. As you wrap up your giving for the year, please consider putting your support behind the arts. Consider making a contribution to the NCW Arts Alliance. You can donate and/or find out more at ncwARTS.org.
