Allentown, Pa., September 20, 2024—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) has announced the distribution of $115,000 in Creative Sector Flex Fund (CSFF) grants for 2024-25, aimed at strengthening the region’s dynamic arts and culture sector in Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh and Northampton Counties. This year, 23 nonprofit arts and culture organizations across the region will each receive a $5,000 grant, a result of the collaborative effort between LVCF and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA).
The CSFF grant program was launched last year by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. It is specifically designed to support the evolving needs of arts organizations or programs in Pennsylvania with average annual revenues ranging from $10,000 to $200,000. This program reflects the state’s commitment to fostering the arts and the creative sector.
Monique Sauders Moreno, Program Officer for Arts, Culture & Creative Economy at LVCF, who oversees the grants programs, remarked, “The arts are fundamental to a thriving, vibrant community, contributing to cultural richness, community engagement, and economic vitality. We are deeply grateful to all those who submitted applications for the Creative Sector Flex Fund. The selection process was incredibly competitive due to the high quality of proposals. We are also thankful to our review committee, whose expertise and thoughtful deliberations helped guide this process. While this funding is critical, it highlights the need for even greater support for the arts, culture, and creative economy in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.”
A key feature of the CSFF is the flexibility it provides to recipients. The $5,000 grants can be used in a variety of ways, including administrative support, enhancing programs, or covering project-related expenses, ensuring that the funds can address the unique needs of each organization.
2024-25 Creative Sector Flex Fund Grant Recipients:
– Allentown Band, Inc.
– Appalachian Fiddle and Bluegrass Association
– Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission
– Bloom for Women, Inc.
– Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
– CEC of Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine, ODWU
– Chamber Music Lehigh Valley
– East Stroudsburg University Foundation
– Godfrey Daniels
– Interlace Cultural y Desarrollo Integral Mexicano de LV, Inc.
– Karl Stirner Arts Trail Inc.
– Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra
– Lehigh Valley Chorale
– Lehigh Valley Girls Rock
– Mock Turtle Marionette Theater
– Movement Moves Media
– National Scenic Visitors Center
– Pocono Concert Chorale
– Repertory Dance Theatre
– SATORI
– SouthSide Film Institute
– The Camerata Singers
– Young People’s Philharmonic
LVCF, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts through the Partners in the Arts program, plays a crucial role in distributing these grants to support projects involving artists throughout Region 5, which includes Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. This collaboration allows for greater access to arts funding, bringing the benefits of arts programming to a broader audience.
About Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
At the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, we connect donors who care with causes that matter. A leader in charitable giving in the Lehigh Valley for more than 50 years, we receive support from donors, manage funds to grow over time, and make high-impact grants to strengthen local nonprofits.
The Foundation manages more than 300 charitable funds, totaling over $80 million, and we continue to grow—both in size and in the way we fulfill our mission. We are evolving to engage more deeply with partners, serve more effectively as a thought leader on community issues, and explore more innovative ways to make life better across the Lehigh Valley.
About Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
These grants are made possible by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency, through the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) regional funding partnership. State funding is provided by Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. In Region 5, the PPA program is administered by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.
For more information about the Creative Sector Flex Fund and LVCF’s commitment to supporting the arts, please visit https://www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org/creative-sector-flex-fund/
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