Awaken Creative Startup Fund
Donation protected
Two things on which most people these days can agree: 1) the division in our world is at an all time high, and 2) the arts have great potential to make a difference. SO, what if that power was harnessed to address the division? What if the arts could bring people together to REhumanize the "other"? Awaken Creative Institute knows that it can ... that artists of all artistic disciplines can make a difference in their communities, especially if they join together to do so.
Awaken Creative Institute (ACI) empowers and mobilizes passionate and concerned artists, putting innovative tools in their hands to cross divides, open dialogue, and fuel community transformation. ACI was born the Summer of 2020, when the upheaval of the world seemed to have reached its zenith — the global pandemic, protests over racial injustice, social unrest, mistrust and misunderstanding running rampant. The arts-centered community engagement tools of ACI aim to heal devastating, relational divides in order to make real change possible in our communities’ greatest areas of felt need.
Through our lively performances, arts festivals, and engagement workshops, community members will have opportunities to explore common human experiences together, learning that the “other” also has a story, fears, triumphs, and heartaches. Our programs are designed with measurable outcomes and offer fun, engaging, and cooperative shared experiences alongside facilitated dialogue on tough issues in a safe, neutral space. Here, empathy and authentic, reciprocal relationships are built and barriers that block community cohesion and cooperation are broken down. We place the highest value on love and justice, unity in diversity, equitable opportunities, and peace-making in all that we create, teach, and do.
2021 is ACI's Launch Year. We received our nonprofit from the IRS in May. Our goal is to raise 50% of what we need for the entire year by the end of May, giving this new ministry wings, allowing us to focus on building our all-new programming, and to launch more formal fundraising efforts (applying for major grants, corporate sponsors, etc.). The 2021 budget will cover rent, insurance, accounting, event expenses for 8 events, marketing, staff stipends: TOTAL: $14,000.
My name is Lesa Brown, I am the Founder and Executive Director of Awaken Creative Institute. I have huge dreams for this organization ... to encourage and serve artists around the world and fuel the global movement of artists who use their art to target specific issues in their own communities and affect positive change. This is a lifelong dream, and I am so grateful to already have an incredible team working with me: a talented and knowledgable Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and staff.
I would be extremely grateful for your donation to our 2021 Startup Fund. Find tons more details about our programs and especially our gifts for donors on our website:
Awaken Creative Institute
Awaken Creative Institute (ACI) empowers and mobilizes passionate and concerned artists, putting innovative tools in their hands to cross divides, open dialogue, and fuel community transformation. ACI was born the Summer of 2020, when the upheaval of the world seemed to have reached its zenith — the global pandemic, protests over racial injustice, social unrest, mistrust and misunderstanding running rampant. The arts-centered community engagement tools of ACI aim to heal devastating, relational divides in order to make real change possible in our communities’ greatest areas of felt need.
Through our lively performances, arts festivals, and engagement workshops, community members will have opportunities to explore common human experiences together, learning that the “other” also has a story, fears, triumphs, and heartaches. Our programs are designed with measurable outcomes and offer fun, engaging, and cooperative shared experiences alongside facilitated dialogue on tough issues in a safe, neutral space. Here, empathy and authentic, reciprocal relationships are built and barriers that block community cohesion and cooperation are broken down. We place the highest value on love and justice, unity in diversity, equitable opportunities, and peace-making in all that we create, teach, and do.
2021 is ACI's Launch Year. We received our nonprofit from the IRS in May. Our goal is to raise 50% of what we need for the entire year by the end of May, giving this new ministry wings, allowing us to focus on building our all-new programming, and to launch more formal fundraising efforts (applying for major grants, corporate sponsors, etc.). The 2021 budget will cover rent, insurance, accounting, event expenses for 8 events, marketing, staff stipends: TOTAL: $14,000.
My name is Lesa Brown, I am the Founder and Executive Director of Awaken Creative Institute. I have huge dreams for this organization ... to encourage and serve artists around the world and fuel the global movement of artists who use their art to target specific issues in their own communities and affect positive change. This is a lifelong dream, and I am so grateful to already have an incredible team working with me: a talented and knowledgable Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and staff.
I would be extremely grateful for your donation to our 2021 Startup Fund. Find tons more details about our programs and especially our gifts for donors on our website:
Awaken Creative Institute
Fundraising team: Giving Week Ambassadors (3)
Lesa Brown
Organizer
Colorado Springs, CO
Danielle Smith
Team member
JANE SANDSTROM
Team member
