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Support Ossipee Valley!

Tax deductible
Who we are: In 1988--sick of 80s metal and pop music, a couple of friends went to their first bluegrass festival--Music In the Mountains in Tennessee. Allison Krauss and Bill Monroe were on the bill. That's when the idea started for The Ossipee Valley Music Festival. 

Ten years later--one of those friends, Bill Johnson, made the decision to start not just a music festival, but a non-profit organization that would support rural music education and community development,  but rather than start it near a large population center, he started it in the gorgeous middle of nowhere --Hiram Maine.


Now in it's 20th year--with a 9 person, female majority board of directors, and as a 501c3 non-profit organization , The North Atlantic Arts Alliance still hosts The Ossipee Valley Music Festival, with 5,000 attendees annually, and more recently The Ossipee Valley String Camp, with 100 students annually. 

Executive Director: Bill Johnson
Director of the Board: Molly Griffin McKenna
Fundraising Manager: Leo Norton
Treasurer: Teresa Drown of Bangor Savings Bank

We are a Go FUND ME certified charity via our umbrella IRS certifying organization The Country Dance and Song Society.



If you don't know our story--or you want the details of our non-profit work, please also read section B below! 

If you know us already,
maybe you don't know that we are a 100% volunteer run organization, or that 90% of our net income goes into funding our already-existing non-profit mission activities.

Although the festival is near capacity, because of the size of the grounds, the rural location, and the money it allocates to its free ticket, discount ticket, free camping, and scholarship programs,  the festival currently does not earn enough income to fund major infrastructure improvements, which after twenty years it really needs!  

We also want to continue to expand our scholarship programs, and while we are working on sourcing grant funds for those--grant funding is very competetive and difficult to achieve. 


Here's what we are asking for from you: 

         --Funding for new and 'full ride' scholarships for our string camp, ($6,000) and support for our Roots and Sprouts Program ($4,000)  for the next four years. Total funds  from all sources for the project will be $20,000. 

         --A new sound system (ours is from the 80s!)  $12,500 Total funds from all sources for the project will be $25,000 

        --New bathrooms and showers (ours are from the 70s!) $16,000 . Total funds from all sources for the project will be $45,000 (includes septic system). 

That's $38,500 from Go Fund Me, out of $90,000 total, which is a lot of money, but it's less than $5 per facebook friend! 

For the remaining 58% of the costs of the project beyond the $38,500 raised on Go Fund Me, we will be working with a combination of Grants, low interest loans, and funding from the owners of the fairgrounds, The Ossipee Agricultural Society. Any donor is entitled to recieve a full breakdown of the costs and funding sources, and attend our financial committee board meetings. Please email us for more information. 

As a donor you will also recieve a receipt for tax deductions by email immediately after your donation. 

So, we hope you'll consider giving $5, $50, $100, or sharing our campaign on facebook. Everything helps!! 

There are also rewards for each level of donation. 
See the bottom of this page! 

Please also share this page on your facebook page if you donate! That makes a big difference. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your consideration, 

Molly, Bill, Leo &
The Board of the North Atlantic Arts Alliance 


B. Details on our programs and mission: 

If you're wondering what we do, or why an event like a music festival is raising money--let us tell you a bit more! 

         
         We host The Ossipee Valley Music Festival and String Camp, in rural Maine.

      Our non-profit mission  is to enrich our rural Maine community by supporting live music, music education, local agriculture and sustainable practices. So far, we do this by providing: 

         --15+ partial-full scholarships for local and in-need    
             students to attend our string camp
          --free tickets for kids 17 and under to attend our  
             music festival
           --free camping at the festival
           --- discounts to locals & senior citizens to attend
                  the festival.
             --A free kids music camp at the festival with loner
                instruments
             ---support to 30 local farms at our string camp
             meals, and at our Farm to Table brunch.
             ---support of our rural economy by attracting  
                  tourists, valued at over 1.5m per year 
             --year round music workshops in public schools 



All fund raised will go directly to the Ossipee Valley Music Festival and the Ossipee Valley String Camp. Both events are run by the North Atlantic Arts Alliance and maintain IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit status through our certification umbrella agency,  Country Song and Dance Society.



You can also support Ossipee by sharing our campaign with your friends and family on social media.   If you’re interested in volunteering during the festival or with our year-round crew, get in touch on our website at www.ossipeevalley.com 

REWARD LEVELS: 

Every person who donates to our campaign will receive a heartfelt, personalized thank you note in their mailbox. PLUS!

$5-$100:  OSSIPEE BUMPER STICKER!

$100-$250: OSSIPEE T-SHIRT OR HAT!

$250-$500: 2 TICKETS TO THE FARM TO TABLE BRUNCH!

$500-$1,000: DINNER FOR 2 FROM THE FOOD VENDOR OF YOUR CHOICE!

$1,000-$2,500:  ONE 4-DAY FESTIVAL PASS & BACKSTAGE MEET AND GREET!

$2,500-$5,000: TWO 4-DAY FESTIVAL PASSES or ONE TICKET TO STRING CAMP, and a MAINE STAGE BAND PERFORMS AT YOUR CAMPSITE!

$5,000 and up! LIFETIME FESTIVAL PASS! and a MAINE STAGE BAND PERFORMS AT YOUR CAMPSITE! 








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Donations 

  • Kevin & Jill Wiley
    • $250 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer

Leo Norton
Organizer
Hiram, ME
North Atlantic Arts Alliance
 
Registered nonprofit
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