Ensure the Arts flourish in Greater Victoria through a federal matching opportunity!

On the heels of a summer of concerts, festivals and in-person events, and two long years of virtual or cancelled events, are you looking ahead to the opening of the “Fall Season” for Greater Victoria arts and culture organizations?

Lifting the Arts through challenging times

With the support of many donor advised fundholders, and those who support the Victoria Foundation’s discretionary Arts and Culture Fund, the Foundation has continued to support the arts and the artists through the pandemic – a time seriously impacted by loss of ticket and event revenue and declining volunteer engagement.

One way we do this is by partnering with local professional arts organizations in seeking matching funding through the Endowment Incentives program of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund, created by the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program provides matching funds, up to one dollar for every dollar raised, to create new endowment funds or enhance existing funds, and powerfully grows investment in the arts community while helping establish long-term sustainability for the organizations involved.

For 16 years, the Foundation has facilitated these kinds of gifts for many local professional arts organizations, including:

• Ballet Victoria
• Belfry Theatre
• Canadian College of Performing Arts
• Dance Victoria
• Early Music Society of the Islands
• Open Space Arts Society
• Pacific Opera Victoria
• Victoria Conservatory of Music
• Victoria Symphony
• Victoria Film Festival

Matching funds support emerging artists

In memory of the President of the Ballet Victoria Board of Directors, Ballet Victoria created the Rosemarie Liscum Legacy Fund for Ballet Victoria, following her passing in April 2021.

Rosemarie’s dedication was incredible, and she brought passion and life to the organization. Rosemarie was a dancer, a philanthropist and a patron of all the arts. Her legacy will continue through awards each season to one or more deserving emerging artists to support their development in dance. Each recipient will demonstrate the qualities Rosemarie was known for: passion, empathy, hard work, dedication, humour, generosity, humility and kindness.

Read more: Legacy Fund – Ballet Victoria

Support the Greater Victoria Arts community

Gifts of all sizes can be made through the arts organization, or directly to the Victoria Foundation, for the purposes of the organization’s endowment fund. With matching grants, every contribution counts. All gifts are held in perpetuity, while the annual grants from the fund act as a continuing source of support for the arts organization.

For eligibility for the 2022 match, please make your gift to the arts organization or the Victoria Foundation by October 31st to allow time for the application process. Gifts may be by cheque, credit card or publicly listed securities.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help keep the arts alive in our region, please contact us at 250.381.5532 or donorservices@victoriafoundation.bc.ca