Guelph Arts and Culture Gets $650,000 Boost

From Arts in Guelph- January/February, 2005

Through the exceptional generosity of Michael Barnstijn and Louise MacCallum, The Guelph Community Foundation has created a significant fund, entitled the Musagetes* Fund, to support arts and culture in Guelph and area. The donation of $650,000 will be used to endow a donor-advised fund, within the Community Foundation, with the first grants to be made in 2005.

"Our community has a vibrant performing, literary, and visual arts culture," says Louise MacCallum. "As community members, we need to encourage more support for the arts. Establishing this fund at The Guelph Community Foundation is an ideal way to provide this assistance, not only today but forever. Guelph has a very giving spirit, and we encourage others to build further support by creating their own fund at The Guelph Community Foundation."

"This is an exciting opportunity and a wonderful way to celebrate National Philanthropy Week," says Ken Hammill, Guelph Community Foundation Chair. "By investing this gift in a permanent endowment fund, the Musagetes Fund will provide grants to support the arts each year, forever. We encourage others to consider the Community Foundation as an opportunity to create their own everlasting legacy in our community." Sally Wismer, Executive Director of Guelph Arts Council, concurs. "Funding for the arts has been on a steady decline. We are thrilled with this generous gift to our community, as this endowment will help ensure growth in the wide range of arts programming in Guelph."

The fund will distribute up to $30,000 in grants annually. The Foundation's role is to invest the donation wisely, administer the fund and promote the opportunity to apply for these grants. Details about the application criteria and selection process will be available in early 2005.

The Guelph Community Foundation is an independent, volunteer-driven, charitable foundation whose purpose is to provide leadership in promoting community philanthropy and enhance the quality of life for the people of Guelph and surrounding communities. The Foundation pools the charitable gifts of many donors into permanent, income-earning endowments to make grants to support a variety of local activities. With this recent gift, the Foundation's assets are $1.5 million. Since its inception, just four years ago, over $120,000 in grants have been made to community programs.

For more information, contact Cindy Lindsay, Executive Director, The Guelph Community Foundation at (519) 821-9216 or clindsay.gcf@bellnet.ca.

* The name "Musagetes", a classical reference to Apollo as leader of the nine muses, was adopted by the donors as a symbol of their cultural interests.