June 26, 2009
There are 135,479 not-for-profit organizations located in California; 31,826 make their home in Los Angeles County alone.
So when one of our patrons chooses to make a contribution with their ticket order or when a donation comes in the mail, I can’t help but feel grateful that out of all the worthy organizations they could donate their money to, they chose LACO. They took time out of their busy day to acknowledge that the service we provide (world class music!) is something they value. And I think that is fabulous.
LACO is a very special organization made up of talented musicians, generous board members and a very creative office staff. Here in our downtown office we recycle. Some of us volunteer at wilderness parks, others at animal shelters. We participated in a successful food drive last winter; we buy local produce at our Friday farmers markets; we take public transportation; we vote. All in all we are conscious citizens working to build a better tomorrow.
So it made sense that for our final campaign of the 2008-09 season we aligned our work and values to raise money for the community we love so much with a campaign aptly named caring for the community.
This campaign started with three of the Orchestra’s board members who were generous enough to offer to match donations to LACO, up to a total of $10,500 with gifts to other not-for-profits. Say hello to Stop Cancer, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and the Constitutional Rights Foundation.
Why these particular organizations? I’m glad you asked!
Joyce Fienberg, LACO vice president, and her husband Mal, chose to include Stop Cancer in the caring for the community campaign since they have been loyal supporters for over a decade. Joyce commented that “the organization’s dedication to research and the great accomplishments of the physicians it supports in the fight against cancer gives us hope that this dreaded disease will be conquered, sooner rather than later.”
Titus Brenninkmeijer, founder and CEO of his own business (also LACO’s treasurer), supports the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship because “it gives inner-city high school kids a chance to take control of their own lives by learning how to make their passion a basis for business. It’s a wonderful outreach program.”
Gene Shutler, LACO’s development committee chairman, supports the Constitutional Rights Foundation which “helps to provide our kids with a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution, while encouraging them to become active participants in our society. We need music, and we need a citizenry engaged with the ideals that underpin our government. Both make our lives better.”
The letters have since been mailed out and donations are starting to trickle in, each one warming my heart, knowing that on the other end of the transaction there is a person, a couple or a family reaching out and helping to make the world a better place.
Please join us in caring for the community – click here to give!