Purpose

Established in May 2019, the Creative Caregivers Fund was created by Meg Revelle, former Executive Director, and David Chapin as a gift to Arts Together to honor the teachers and staff — the people who directly affect students' lives. This fund is dedicated to supporting their professional development. By contributing to this fund, teachers and staff will continue to receive opportunities to learn and grow within their areas of expertise.

“We are honoring the human capacity of the organization — the heart and soul. I have seen firsthand the positive impact gained when we invest in our people — with enrichment classes, training, conferences, workshops, etc. It’s so important to take care of them so that they can give their best to our students. We know that arts experiences transform lives — at all ages. For us, it’s about both giving back and paying it forward to one of the places that gave our own children such a strong start in life and continues to enrich us, even now.” — Meg Revelle

 IMPACT

Arts Together is fortunate to have financial support for scholarships, programs, operations and building improvements. Let’s not forget the people who give so much to our students — the teachers and staff. Professional development funds have been used in these ways over the past five years:

• a Staff member enrolled in a multi-year Spanish class to better support our Latino families and also feed his love for travel

• a Dance Director dove into a week-long summer dance intensive at the American Dance Festival, bringing back that knowledge to share with students and fellow teachers

• a Preschool Director and Teachers attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference and gained new skills in working with children with special needs

• a Staff member expanded her leadership capacity at the annual NC Center for Nonprofits Conference

• an Art Teacher explored innovative techniques at a workshop and came back excited about teaching both children and adults

• a Staff member attended the Create Good Conference in Durham and returned with new skills in communications and marketing for the organization, then networked with a colleague, resulting in a new collaboration

• Nine Dance Teachers participated in an Accessible Dance Workshop with Axis Dance at the American Dance Festival, learning ways to explore dance forms through varying bodies and abilities and gaining skills to implement in their teaching practices

• and there are many other examples!

“Imagine the possibilities as we grow this fund! Our parents taught us the importance of education and making a difference in the lives of others. Please join us, and give to this fund to make it sustainable for generations to come.” — Meg Revelle

How to Give

 The Creative Caregivers Fund is an ‘endowment,’ a permanent fund designed to grow over time, returning an ever-increasing amount to the organization as a growing and reliable source of additional income each year. The bulk of the fund remains invested, with only a portion distributed each year. Nonprofit organizations need to establish stable, predictable sources of income for sustainability, operational and program needs. Many establish endowment funds to protect themselves from decreasing resources caused by economic uncertainty or declines in government funding or other revenue streams.

— North Carolina Community Foundation