The Arts Council of Winston-Salem workplace campaign

March 9, 2020

The following message was emailed on March 6 by Wake Forest Communications and External Relations to students, faculty and staff on behalf of Hu Womack, who is 2020 Wake Forest Campaign Chair for the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County:

TL;DR The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County does incredible, meaningful work in our community, and they need our support. Please consider a donation at any level!

Dear Colleagues,

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County successfully supports the arts community in this city, and we need to support the Arts Council!

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem is the biggest driver of cultural investment in Forsyth County. With the help of 54 workplace campaigns like our own, The Arts Council collectively raises $2.5 million for the Community Fund for the Arts. The work of the Arts Council supports our community and has a positive impact on our economy. Theater, dance, music, film, visual and other arts, and cultural experiences all play a role in the schools, in the streets, in our performance venues, and in our hearts.

The Arts Council staff and affiliates understand the importance of a well-rounded education and are committed to the education of over 30,000 children in Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools each year through enriching arts experiences and programs. By working together, we can advance our shared purpose through providing an education that prepares each participating student for a better tomorrow.

Arts Education Matters:

• A student involved in the arts is four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
• Students who take four years of arts and music classes average almost 100 points higher on their SAT scores than students who take only one-half year or less.
• Low-income students who are highly engaged in the arts are twice as likely to graduate from college as their peers with no arts education.
• 72 percent of business leaders say that creativity is the number one skill they seek when hiring.

Your gift today helps sustain grant programs that invest over $100,000 in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System by supporting 18 artist projects and reaching over 470 teachers in professional development programs.

In a period of shrinking corporate sponsorship, our contributions from the Wake Forest University community are critical for keeping that support strong. You can see that the benefits of giving begin at levels as low as $100, and every donation of any amount is deeply appreciated!

Last year, 160 of us contributed from the Reynolda Campus. I challenge our community to reach 200 contributions this year. We could reach that participation goal with 10 new contributors at the $25, $50, $75, and $100 levels! The goal of our campaign is $40,000.

Please consider making a donation to support the arts in our community. Our campaign will run from Friday, March 6 – Friday, May 22.

Donation options available include:

• Credit Card Option
• Check or Cash Option
• Payroll Deduction Option

Make a donation to the Arts Council and be included in drawings for a chance to win:

• Early Bird – Anyone that donates by March 20^th will go into a drawing for 2 free tickets to the River Run Film Festival (March 26^th – April 4^th)
• Finale drawing for all donors, 2 Friends of SECCA memberships for one year (Retail value $200)

I’m happy to come to a department meeting or team meetings to share more information, just email me at womack@wfu.edu or call me at 336.758.4314. And if you want to use the paper form to donate, just let me know. I’ll get a paper copy of the form for you and collect it from you as well!

You can learn more about the Arts Council at intothearts.org, and be sure to visit cityofthearts.com to view a full listing of cultural happenings.

Sincerely,

Hu Womack (BA ‘90, MBA ‘00)
Instruction and Outreach Librarian
Z. Smith Reynolds Library
2020 Wake Forest University Campaign Chair