By Karlee Cemo-McIntosh, 2019 Inspire Giving Chair
Manager of Sacramento365, Visit Sacramento
2019 Will Bring Some Good Vibrations
I have proudly served on the Inspire Giving Leadership Council for almost four years, and now, it’s an honor to serve as the 2019 Chair. Year after year, I choose to remain involved with Inspire Giving because, to me, Inspire Giving uniquely epitomizes the greatness of Sacramento and our region at large: COMMUNITY.
Established in 2009, Inspire Giving is an endowment fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. Individuals contribute to the endowment fund to be able to collectively give a donation larger than they could give on their own. Every year Inspire Giving provides a $10,000 grant to help fund to a specific project for a local nonprofit. Through our leadership team, donors, and partnerships, Inspire Giving also provides in-kind services, donations, and support depending on the project needs. In nine years, Inspire Giving has supported nine nonprofits through $95,000 in grants and over $1,000,000 in in-kind support and services.
Creating a Vibrant Community
“In my own philanthropy and business endeavors, I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities….the arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement in our country.” – Paul G. Allen, Co-Founder, Microsoft
Investing in the vibrancy of our region through the arts should never be “just a consideration” but always an integral part of the plan. In a truly successful and sustainable local economy, arts are at the center. When we prioritize the arts, we’re prioritizing the people – and the spirit – of our city.
For the 2019 Inspire Giving grant, our focus on arts engagement aligns with the Metro Chamber’s 4-Point Business Promise to create a more Vibrant Community. Our request for proposals sought organizations with new projects that would bring diverse people together to foster improvements in livability and create a stronger sense of community.
Make Some Noise
DRUMROLL, PLEASE…It is with great excitement that we announce Department of Sound Sacramento as Inspire Giving’s 2019 grant recipient. Department of Sound’s mission is to provide opportunities for youth in underserved communities through music.
Officially launching in February 2019, Department of Sound will utilize the $10,000 grant to host four-week ‘Intro to Music Production’ workshops throughout the year in partnership with Mack Road Valley Hi Community Center and La Familia Counseling Center. Utilizing open-source, browser-based, free software, students will jump right in and learn the fundamentals of music production, working on their own tracks starting Week 1. Because of the software being used, students will be able to login to their accounts and continue working on their tracks from home or their school’s/library’s computer lab.
Students will complete the series having learned the fundamentals of music production and audio engineering and with an awareness of the jobs in the music, entertainment, and live-sound sectors. They will have a more confident approach to being creative on their own, which will carry over into other fields they choose to pursue. In addition to these direct benefits, making music in this manner – both solo or in groups – is a lot of fun, so this serves as a very positive extracurricular activity.
Sacramento Proud
Department of Sound co-founder and Executive Director, John Hamilton Hodgson, was born and raised in Sacramento. At 18, he moved to New York and now splits his time between his hometown and NYC.
When asked why it was important to him to bring the concept of Department of Sound back to his hometown, Hodgson said, “that Sacramento is already enjoying so much new attention and growth. There is huge potential for the city to further develop its music community and become a Creative Oasis for music creation, and this starts with our youth. The work we have planned with Department of Sound will help grow and sustain the music industry – and overall music community – in our city.”
Get Inspired in 2019 and Make Your Mark
Rooted deeply into Inspire Giving’s foundation is the saying, “A little is enough, if enough people do it.” It is not lost on me that there are quite a few people and businesses that have dedicated years of service both in their time and dollars to allow Inspire Giving the opportunity to create a real impact in our region and continue to grow and evolve. We thank you for your continued support and look forward to engaging with you in 2019.
Each year, all Founding and Legacy Members, along with individuals who have donated a minimum of $25 to Inspire Giving during the previous calendar year collaboratively select, via a voting process, how the endowment’s income will be distributed to a charitable organization within the Sacramento region.
New this year…In addition to voting on the grant recipient, all individuals (that donate a minimum of $25) in the first six months of 2019, alongside our Founding and Legacy Members will be given the opportunity to participate in the voting process to select the priority giving area for 2020.
So, here’s to a fantastic year to come! I am excited for our team to have the opportunity to work with Department of Sound to help bring their ‘Phase One’ to life, and for us to continue our cultivation and celebration of civic-minded leadership, volunteerism and philanthropic giving in the Sacramento region.