Board Officers President Marcia Wilson Hobbs The Design Magazine September 1, 2010 Chief Financial Officer Brenda Barnes KUSC Ms. Grantmaker Community Help Foundation 1234 Main Street Any City, Any State 90000 Trustees Sheila Bergman UCLArts Stacy Brightman, PhD LA Opera Laifun Chung Dear Ms. Grantmaker: Landscape Designer Jack Groban Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) is a tuition-free, public arts high school that serves 600 young artists from throughout Los Angeles County. At this time, the Arts High Foundation is asking the Community Help Foundation to invite its proposal for a grant in the amount of $25,000 to support its general operations. M ission, History and Accom plishm ents The Arts High Foundation was founded in 1984 in response to the near total elimination of arts education in California’s public schools due to shifts in public funding. Fearing the loss of entire generations of artists, the Foundation—established by Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson—along with committed citizens and public officials raised funds for the establishment and operation of a public arts high school in Los Angeles County. In 1985, Arts High was opened on the campus of California State University Los Angeles. The Foundation provides 30% to 45% of the school’s $2.2 million arts programs’ budget. Jack Groban & Associates Laurie Kaman Producer Vivian Rescalvo LA County Board of Supervisors, Third District Dale Rosenbloom Filmmaker Christopher Sampson USC School of Music George Simpson Arts High Principal Drew Skelly SmithBarney Sheila Weisman Civic Leader, Philanthropist LACHSA has been recognized as a California Distinguished School of Excellence and received awards from the Kennedy Center National Network of Creative Alliances for the Arts, the Music Center of Los Angeles and the GRAMMY Foundation. In 20092010 alone, Arts High students won awards for outstanding merit in 38 separate local and national competitions. In 2008, for the first time in the history of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s National High School Jazz Competition, students from one school, LACHSA, won first place in all three divisions! For the second year, it won First Place in Berklee College’s High School Jazz Competition. For the third consecutive year, the Shakespeare Festival at Cal Poly Pomona awarded LACHSA students First Place. LACHSA senior dancers have been offered two of the only 20 openings at The Juilliard School. One musician is a Finalist and nine other musicians and four visual artists were named Semi-Finalists in the Music Center’s 2011Spotlight Awards. LACHSA Program Description The best and brightest from among the County’s aspiring performing and visual artists are selected through a highly competitive process of juried auditions and portfolio reviews. Those who are selected to attend are held to high standards of academic and creative excellence. Trustees for Life Hal David Song Lyricist Dr. Edward Kantor Otolaryngologist Co-Founders Michael Antonovich Supervisor, L.A. County Caroline Ahmanson 1918-2005 Staff John Jackson Executive Director Kathleen Ulinski Director of Institutional Advancement Holly Witham Accounting Manager Erica Kermani Foundation Associate Each day, students attend college-preparatory classes from 8:00a.m.- 12:35p.m. and receive conservatory-style arts training from 1:30p.m.- 4:00p.m. LACHSA provides four years of comprehensive training in four disciplines: dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. Each discipline’s curriculum is aligned with the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards and includes required coursework, designed to supply Community Help Foundation September 1, 2010 Page 2 students with a strong foundation in both theory and technique, along with elective classes that enrich students’ experiences within their chosen discipline. Public performances and exhibitions are key elements in the curriculum. Current Program Need Fortunately, the Foundation has succeeded in meeting its arts program revenue goal for the school this year. However, securing funding to maintain its own expenses remains a challenge. This year, a robust plan has been put in place to significantly augment its unrestricted funding. To increase and diversify its funding base, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and staff are taking the following measures: • • • • • Board of Trustees o Increase the number of trustees from 13 to 35 and put a “give or get” policy in place for an annual minimum gift of $2,500. Planned Giving o Create a program to give supporters an opportunity to establish a legacy for the school and Foundation in perpetuity. Launching the legacy program will coincide with this year’s 25th Anniversary. Major Gifts o Triple the number of proposals that are submitted to grant-making institutions. o Continue to develop the new Honorary Trustee Society, which consists of leaders in the arts, business and philanthropic communities. Thus far, 48 people have joined. Annual Giving o Continue to develop the new Guild Leadership Committee, which consists of socially connected members that are strong believers in arts education and are willing to introduce people to the Foundation through fundraisers and cultivation gatherings. o Reach out to the larger community through direct mail and E-mail campaigns. Earned-Revenue o Begin to use entertainment contacts to explore potential for-profit collaborations. Project Budget Foundation General Operating Expenses Salaries and Benefits Accounting/Legal Investment Management Fees Development and Administrative Costs Total $350,246 $ 15,000 $ 30,000 $ 60,621 $455,867 A gift of $25,000 from the Community Help Foundation will satisfy the Arts High Foundation general operations budget. I do hope you will strongly consider our case and invite us to submit a full proposal at this time. By helping in this most considerate way, the Community Help Foundation will help sustain the efforts of the Arts High Foundation as it works to capitalize its ability to help maintain LACHSA’s award-winning programs for generations to come. Thank you for your thoughtful review of this request. Sincerely, John R. Jackson, Executive Director 1149 South Hill St., Suite H-100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 I (213) 225-7586 I Fax (866) 242-2878 I www.artshigh.org LOS ANGELES COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS FOUNDATION FEDERAL ID #95-3938009