The Importance of Philanthropy
Many define philanthropy as donating to good causes, but the full definition of philanthropy is: ‘the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.’
Arts Commons is fortunate to be supported by a number of donors and sponsors who generously give for this reason – to promote the welfare of others. Without their support, a ticket to any given show would be significantly higher than what patrons currently pay, arts education programs would be non-existent, and the mentorship and growth of local and emerging artists would not be possible.
The Nickle Family Foundation has supported Arts Commons from the beginning. Their initial gift was for the construction of the building in 1985. Since then, they have contributed generously to Arts Commons’ accessibility and inclusion initiatives, such as the addition of accessible seating in the Jack Singer Concert Hall in the late 90s, and the Indigenous Cultural Mediation Project during the 2021-22 season. Over the last two years, they have supported the Tribe Artist Society’s Rap University, an Indigenous-led rap night held Monday nights at Arts Commons, which brings youth from diverse backgrounds together for self-expression and empowerment.
Jodi Smid, of the Nickle Family Foundation, shared the vision and motivation for their ongoing support. “There has always been a great appetite in the family for supporting the arts. Specifically for Arts Commons, we want to push the 'commons' part of the name and help in the development of a fulsome arts community. Right now, we support the Tribe Artist Society. Organizations like them would historically be placed in a community centre, on the fringe. But providing an opportunity for varying artists and voices to come together in an artistic hub like Arts Commons, this increases visibility and advances reconciliation, inclusion, and diversity.”
The journey to reconciliation that Arts Commons is on is also important to the Foundation. “Being a good treaty partner means doing our part to support community spaces that are open to all, to create opportunities where Indigenous voices can be heard and seen. It should not be an anomaly; these spaces must become a true reflection of the communities that we all live in.”
Accessibility, inclusion, equity, and diversity are common themes among the donors and sponsors we spoke with. “Our social structures are multifaceted, and it is imperative that we support organizations like Arts Commons that create an environment and culture that allows all people to thrive,” says Evelyn Ferchuk, Director, Communications and Community Investment, ConocoPhillips Canada. “We have been impressed with how Arts Commons has embraced DEI, and how they continue to evolve and embrace people from all walks of life.” ConocoPhillips Canada is the title sponsor for both the National Geographic Live (NGL) series and the Hub for Inspired Learning and has been a supporter of Arts Commons for 14 seasons. “Organizations like Arts Commons require consistent support,” Ferchuk adds.
When asked about ConocoPhillips’ continued support during the pandemic, which was not typical, Ms. Ferchuk responded, “Yes! We chose to continue our support during the pandemic because we saw the important role being played by Arts Commons in keeping us connected.” Arts Commons was able to continue bringing the National Geographic Live (NGL) series to ticket holders by streaming events from its home in Washington, D.C., while implementing technology to facilitate Q&A sessions with the featured Explorer. Additionally, members of the Explorers Circle (membership supports Arts Commons’ public and student matinee presentations of NGL), received curated selections of food and beverages ahead of the event so that their membership benefits did not lapse. Ms. Ferchuk reflects, “Arts Commons found ways to keep us connected and safe at the same time.”
The NGL series has become a huge success and often inspires our patrons to support it, as it did with Doug Flaig and Helen Timmons, who have served as Engagement Sponsors for 8 years. “What is unique about Calgary’s National Geographic Live program is that there is a visible and tangible return on our contribution,” shared Mr. Flaig. “The evidence for this is that there are consistently sold-out presentations for the series; but most importantly for us is the outreach program benefiting more than 8,000 school children in Calgary. The unique vision by the Arts Commons leadership team to host several matinee programs for students inspired us to become contributors to the National Geographic Live program. We often wonder what life-changing impact the program may have on their career paths.”
Engagement Sponsors support Arts Commons in bringing the National Geographic Explorers to Calgary to share incredible first-hand accounts from the field, usually paired with high-definition photography and video. “Arts Commons is the nucleus for education in the theatrical and visual arts in Calgary of which the National Geographic Live program is just one of several flagship programs,” said Ms. Timmons. “The diversity of topics presented at NatGeoLive, ranging from natural history to the physical sciences, is what makes this series especially important to both of us, as an educator and earth scientist.”
The impact of philanthropy cannot be overestimated, and Arts Commons is grateful to those individuals, organizations, and funding bodies who have recognized the power and impact of the arts. And because of their desire to ‘promote the welfare of others’, we are able to do the transformative work that we do. Through these conversations, it became clear that philanthropic giving is transformative for the giver too.
