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Oregon’s Cultural Tax Credit Is More Valuable Than Ever!

A Cultural Trust donor since 2003, McLaren makes her donation to the Cultural Trust online using some Required Minimum Distribution funds from her retirement. “That way I avoid taxes on those funds,” she says. “The Cultural Trust is the best investment Oregonians can make in their culture,” says McLaren. “It’s a no brainer when a donation that nurtures a worthy nonprofit also provides a significant tax advantage to the donor.”

News and Updates

Double the impact of Giving Tuesday! If you participated in #GivingTuesday with a gift to any one or more of these cultural nonprofits, you are eligible to double the impact of your gift with Oregon’s Cultural Trust tax credit. There’s no reason to wait until the end of the year to match these gifts. Click to Give Now.

New tax laws make cultural tax credit more valuable

The recent change in federal tax laws had the unintended consequence of discouraging charitable giving by reducing the number of taxpayers claiming a deduction for their gifts, which makes the Cultural Trust tax credit an even more important tool for Oregon taxpayers. The tax credit is unaffected by the 2018 tax law changes. Working with the Oregon Department of Revenue, the Trust recently posted frequently asked questions

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Ensuring Oregon’s Arts and Culture Are Protected

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Hello Advocates,

We have good and bad news this week as some major legislation we’ve been advocating for has passed, but other important bills are hanging in the balance.

Most of our legislative work is contained in the larger omnibus budget and program changes bills that are assembled and passed in the last few days of session. If the Legislature does not resume its business before June 30th, the date by which the body must adjourn—many of our priorities might be lost. Right now, there’s not much we can do since the political breakdown is occurring between the governor and the legislative leadership.

In good news, the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission budgets were passed. Both agencies are funded at the governor’s recommended levels. We are working to find other ways to cover growing administrative costs estimated by agency leadership that were not approved and thus

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Your Voice Is Needed to Continue the Cultural Trust Tax Credit!

Your Voice Is Needed to Continue the Cultural Trust Tax Credit!

Your Voice Is Needed to Continue the Cultural Trust Tax Credit!

Hello Friends of Arts and Culture in Oregon! The time to engage with policymakers is now!

We’ve been preparing for all the action in the 2019 legislative session and the opening move is coming on Monday, February 18th when the House Committee of Economic Development will hold a hearing on HB 2052 — a bill to extend the sunset on the cultural tax credit for the next ten years. We hope you will contact your legislators to encourage them to support HB 2052 and to share with them the priority that you and other Oregonians put on access to creative expression in this state.

Oregon is unique in the Nation in having the Cultural Trust but we are far from the $200 million fund that was originally envisioned. We need to collectively raise our voices in support

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Grants, Winners, Poetry and Exhibit News from OAC February 2018

February 2018 News & Updates A new Arts Commissioner, lots of grant news and a powerful new exhibition in the Governor’s Office — plus a preview of the 2018 Poetry Out Loud contest! Visit our Website Matt Stringer appointed to Arts Commission Matthew Stringer, the executive director of Four Rivers Cultural Center and Museum​ in Ontario, Oregon, has been appointed to the Oregon Arts Commission by Governor Kate Brown​. Stringer fills the position previously held by Libby Unthank Tower, who completed her second four-year term in December. Link to full release Matthew Stringer Jess Perlitz named 2018 Joan Shipley Fellow Jess Perlitz, a Portland-based artist working in sculpture, performance and drawing, is the 2018 recipient of the Oregon Arts Commission’s honorary Joan Shipley Award. Perlitz leads a group of 19 Oregon artists selected from a pool of more than 120 applicants from 23 Oregon cities for the Arts Commission’s

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Cultural Advocacy Coalition 2015 Legislative Report

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2015 Legislative Report On July 6, 2015, at 6:04 p.m. the 79th Session of the Oregon Legislature adjourned “Sine Die.” Over the 155 days of the session, the 90 elected members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly convened the 2015 Legislative Session amid uncertainty around the strength of the Oregon economy, a looming Supreme Court decision regarding the PERS reforms adopted by the legislature in 2014 and investigations into possible misconduct by Governor John Kitzhaber and First Lady Cylvia Hayes. Eleven days after the start of session, Governor Kitzhaber announced his resignation and five days later Secretary of State Kate Brown was sworn in as Oregon’s 38th Governor. While most pundits expected chaos and a rough leadership transition to ensue, Governor Brown moved quickly to solidify her leadership team and to partner with Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney.

Culture in the 2015 Legislative Session

Overall this was a

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Legislature adjourns with support for Oregon Cultural Trust

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1,364 advocacy messages were sent this session to the governor and legislators. Key legislators received their constituent messages at the moment that decisions were being made in the committee process. Grassroots advocacy matters! Legislators voted to support arts and culture in Oregon with more funding for the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Oregon Arts Commission, the Oregon Historical Society and other cultural institutions. Now it’s time to say: Thank You!

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News from Oregon Arts Commission

Portland animal photographer Carli Davidson

December 19, 2012 Portland animal photographer Carli Davidson photographed at Wildlife Safari by Holly Andres for the Cultural Trust. 1300+ Great Reasons to Support Arts and Culture in Oregon! Ten years ago, the Oregon Legislature established the Oregon Cultural Trust to make sure incredible cultural experiences are available in communities in every corner of Oregon. 1300+ represents the number of arts, heritage and humanities organizations the Cultural Trust has recognized since.

The Cultural Trust is about preserving and growing culture in Oregon so that more Oregonians and visitors benefit from the good things the arts, heritage and the humanities bring — more educational opportunities for our children, more economic growth and development and more personal creativity and satisfaction.

I know you believe in the power of the arts and culture to inform our lives, to make sense of the present and to help us make better choices for

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