About Us
Our History
On August 9, 2001, Governor Kitzhaber signed into law HB 2923, legislation, which provides funding and structure for Oregon’s Cultural Trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is a statewide cultural plan intended to raise significant new funds for investment in Oregon’s arts, humanities and heritage. The Trust distributes funds to counties and tribes to support local cultural projects and collaborations as identified in the priorities established by local cultural plans.
In September of 2002 Lane County Commissioners accepted applications for the Lane County Cultural Coalition Planning Committee (the “Committee”). This group’s charge was to draft a Cultural Plan (the “Plan”) for Lane County and to establish a Lane County Cultural Coalition (the “Coalition”) to award grants locally from the Trust’s funds.
Our Vision
The Lane Cultural Coalition envisions a vibrant cultural life for the people of Lane County.
Our Mission
The Lane County Cultural Coalition advances its vision through the distribution of Cultural Opportunity Grants funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust in accordance with the Lane County Cultural Plan and the direction of the Oregon Cultural Trust.
Cultural Opportunity Grants provide recognition and support to significant cultural programs and projects, preserving and enhancing Lane County’s diverse arts, heritage, and humanities efforts.
Our 3 priorities defined in the Lane County Cultural Plan are:
- Access
- Awareness
- Education
Oregon Cultural Trust
The Lane County Cultural Coalition disburses funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Annual amounts vary, as they are dependent on donations to the Trust and population size, but generally LCCC receives approximately $30,000 from the Trust.
The History of the Oregon Cultural Trust
The Oregon Cultural Trust’s mission is to lead in building an environment in which cultural organizations are valued as a core part of Oregon’s vibrant communities and economy. Since 2003, the Cultural Trust has played a vital role in building Oregon communities. Simultaneously, the Trust has built a permanent fund, now over $20 million and growing, so that our future generations may experience Oregon culture as we do today.
Through grant programs and encouraging philanthropy, the Cultural Trust helps fuel or economy, supporting cultural nonprofits that inspire our children, preserve our cultural treasures and foster Oregon’s reputation as an incubator for new ideas. The Cultural Trust supports these activities throughout the state, including its rural areas and hard to reach places through a network of locally driven Cultural Coalitions in each country and tribe statewide. More than 400 volunteers serve on Cultural Coalition boards.
Double your gifts for free by making a matching gift to the Oregon Cultural Trust and claiming the cultural tax credit! All Oregonians can be part of this vision by supporting any of 1,300 eligible cultural nonprofits, matching those gifts with a gift to the Trust, and taking Oregon’s generous and unique state cultural tax credit (up to $500 per individual, $1,000 per household and 2,500 per Class-C corporation.
