The Wyoming Fine Arts Center is delighted to announce that in less than two weeks it has raised the money it needs to keep its doors open and to keep providing high quality arts programming to the Wyoming community and beyond.
On November 28, 2023, the WFAC announced that if it did not raise at least $60,000 by the end of the year, it would not be able to stay open. Without the typical support most nonprofits get from grants and donors, their business model relied heavily on program fees to operate. This had made WFAC particularly vulnerable to a decline in enrollment during the pandemic.
Since the announcement last week, WFAC has been humbled by the outpouring of support it has received from the community. In the days since that announcement, the Center has already received donations from more than 100 donors who share the vision for a vibrant community art center that is open to everyone. Thanks to the community’s generous contributions, the Center has not only hit its $60,000 goal, but surpassed it! As of today, the community has given $70,000. These donations ensure that the Center will not only remain open but it gives the organization the time to continue to implement its development plan.
According to Board Vice President Caroline Hyatt, “I have been so touched by the support we have seen this last week and a half. People have not only opened their pocketbooks, but their hearts. They have shared how much the Center means to them. They have offered to volunteer. Everyone just wants to know what they can do to help. I know that with their support, the Wyoming Fine Arts Center can not only survive, but thrive.”
With the current crisis averted, the Center is moving into the next stage of its end of year fundraising campaign. Donations need to keep coming in, but now, instead of merely keeping the doors open and the lights on, these donations will ensure that the Center can thrive in the future. In this post-COVID environment, a more stable and balanced revenue approach made up of grants and individual gifts as well as program revenue is necessary. The Center still needs to raise $250,000 every year. Some of that will come from grants, but to ultimately meet that goal, the rest of it will come from the community.
To this end, the Center is announcing a campaign to raise $150,000 by February 1, 2024.
Executive Director, Ramona Toussaint, had this to say, “We all agree that the pandemic was hard for nonprofit art institutions across the country. These organizations struggled even with the support of their donor base.” She added, “ Well, we didn’t have a robust donor base to draw upon in our time of need. We have to change our business model to ensure future stability and that means seeking grant funding and asking for financial support from individual donors. It is a relief to know we can count on our community; they value the arts and the services we provide … our community has shown up in spades!”
Donations are accepted via their website at www.musicartdance.org click DONATE at the bottom or by mail to, 322 Wyoming Ave. Wyoming OH, 45215
