5 Days of Thanks: Day 1

This Thanksgiving week we would like to take some time to share some things we are thankful for here at OpenStage. Today, on day one, we are thankful for our grant support! This season, we have received grants from:

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) of Fort Collins “is a steward of the neighborhood at the heart of Fort Collins – the Downtown. Their mission is “to build public-private investment partnerships that foster economic, cultural and social growth in the central business district.” The DDA helps us to keep our warehouse storage that many arts organizations here in Fort Collins utilize. Read more about the DDA.

“The Fort Fund grant program supports arts and cultural events that enrich the creative vitality of the community, promote local heritage and diversity, provide opportunities for arts and cultural participation, help promote Fort Collins as a cultural center and tourist destination, and promote the health and well-being of all residents and visitors.” Read more about Fort Fund.

The Art Works grant is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). “The National Endowment for the Arts supports exemplary arts projects in communities nationwide through grantmaking, initiatives, partnerships, and events.” Read more about the NEA.

The Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) is a division of the Office of Economic Development & International Trade. They “believe in the power of creativity to inspire human connections, create social change and support economic vibrancy throughout Colorado.” Read More about CCI.

The City of Fort Collins Small Business Assistance Program is “a $1.6M financial assistance program through Coronavirus Relief Federal funds to provide relief to businesses and nonprofits that have been affected by the COVID19 pandemic. Read more about the Small Business Assistance Program.

Did you know that, on average, ticket sales only cover about 40% of all costs associated with our company? We rely heavily on other sources of funding such as grants, sponsors, and donors to help us survive and thrive from year to year! This year, with the pandemic and the loss of the ability to sell tickets, we rely even more heavily on these sources to help us make it until we can perform again. All of these grants have provided generous support to OpenStage this year (and some for many years past!), and we cannot thank them all enough!