The Toronto Arts Council Foundation works hand in hand with the Toronto Arts Council. We share the same executive director and the majority of our board members also sit on the TAC Board. While the primary function of the TAC is to analyze and adjudicate requests for support from individual artists and arts organizations, the foundation’s mandate is to increase awareness of the arts and arts issues in the city and to improve the arts resource base – in a nutshell, raising new friends and new funds.

TACF’s signature event, the presentation of the Toronto Arts Council Foundation Awards at the Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch, reminds us of what makes Toronto a great community. It brings together a unique spectrum of people who invest their private and creative “capital” into making this city a better place to live. We salute artists, philanthropists, creative workers and community leaders. Their efforts make possible this celebration of creativity, and we thank them for the outstanding support.

Other equally important programs include Toronto Arts Coalition, through which we engage the people of Toronto in a discussion about the importance of arts activities in their lives; the Volunteer Program, which matches motivated and enthusiastic Torontonians with opportunities to give their time to the city’s arts organizations; and Block by Block, an initiative which seeks to connect even the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods with the transformational value of artistic activity.

Endowed Funds: In order to begin to meet the needs of our artists and arts organizations that make up the rich cultural fabric of this city, our endowed funds must grow. This is our challenge. This is our promise to the many artists and orts organizations that will depend upon us in the coming years.

Our board and volunteers could not operate without an exceptionally fine but small staff group – most of whom contribute evenings and weekends above and beyond the ‘portion of salary’ that the Foundation covers.

Diana Bennett
Chair
Toronto Arts Council Foundation