Local Motion Project
Our community is better when we give together! Want to enrich and support Alexandria’s thriving arts community? Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s Giving Day is our chance to do that together. Wednesday, April 26 is the day we celebrate the collective spirit of giving and the organizations that make Alexandria a vibrant place for everyone. There are 185 nonprofit organizations participating in Spring2ACTion, with 30 of them committed to promoting arts and culture in Alexandria.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on our country’s art sector. A 2022 Americans for the Arts research report found that artist employment is recovering, but slower than the nation’s economy. The financial losses to arts organizations were an estimated $17.97 billion as 99% of organizations had to cancel events and pivot to new ways of doing business.
“The recent pandemic has reshaped what it means to be a creative. From musicians to visual artists and singers to dancers, from organizations to individuals, the entire Alexandria arts sector was affected and changed in ways that are still felt. But the resilience and talent of the local arts community held strong and was a huge factor in the resurgence we see all around us today,” shared Jason Longfellow, President of the Alexandria Arts Alliance.
Last year, community members answered the call to support the arts and artists with 7,700 donors giving $2.65M to Alexandria nonprofits through Spring2ACTion. Here’s how Spring2ACTion donations made a difference for a few of our local arts and culture organizations:
Alexandria City High School Orchestra Boosters returned to in-person concerts and competitions.
Alexandria Choral Society
Alexandria Choral Society engaged student singers, commissioned local composers and those from underrepresented communities and offered pay-what-you-can pricing, making their music programs more accessible to all Alexandrians.
Local Motion Project made dance accessible to more young people through a no-cost year-long pilot program at the William Ramsay Recreation Center in the West End of Alexandria – students are growing in their confidence and learning the joy of dance!
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association shared the gift of music with audiences and provided a creative and wellness outlet for musicians.
These are just a few of the incredible stories of Alexandria’s arts community, to learn more about the impact of Spring2ACTion giving, click here.
This year, organizations are seeking funds for to bring high quality films to Alexandria, arts education and summer camp to young children, provide a resource center for reuse materials and a creative making space in Alexandria, new band uniforms for high school student musicians, teach creativity and life skills through art to underserved, unknown and unheard community members, and much more.
Longfellow reminds us that “the arts are an essential part of Alexandria's cultural identity and economic vitality, and with the continued help from events like Spring2ACTion and the community as a whole, Alexandria arts will continue to thrive, remaining vibrant and energized.”
Will you join us in giving back to the community we love? While the official giving day is April 26, early giving starts on April 12. To learn more about Alexandria’s Giving Day, visit: www.Spring2ACTion.org. Spring2ACTion is hosted by ACT for Alexandria and presented by Amazon and the City of Alexandria.
About ACT for Alexandria (ACT)
Launched in 2004, ACT is Alexandria’s community foundation and the home for philanthropy and people who want to make a difference. For more information about ACT and how you can support the pressing needs of the nonprofit community in Alexandria, contact ACT at 703-739-7778 or visit www.actforalexandria.org.
