The Sacramento Region Community Foundation is proud to celebrate nine grants that were awarded earlier this year — totaling more than $40,000 – through the Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists. Since its launch in 2015, the Fund has awarded more than $181,000, supporting young performers and strengthening the cultural vibrancy of the Greater Sacramento region.
The nine recent grant recipients include the following:
CLARA (E. Claire Raley Studios for Performing Arts)Filipino Community of Sacramento and VicinityThe Girls’ Jazz and Blues SocietyNatomas Charter SchoolNorCal ArtsNorthern California Children’s ChorusSacramento BalletSacramento Performing Arts ConservatorySacramento Philharmonic & Opera
The Sacramento Region Community Foundation proudly supports programs that expand access to high-quality performing arts education across the Sacramento region. “Each of these organizations is creating space for young people to explore their creativity in meaningful ways,” said Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. “The performing arts open doors to creativity, confidence, connection, and self-expression, especially for young people who may otherwise face financial barriers to participation.”
The grants will be used for a variety of initiatives including to highlight the cultural importance of hip hop through multiple art forms — including breakdancing, beatboxing, graffiti as visual art, and fashion (Natomas Charter School); to support a School of Ballet, which is gaining national recognition for offering high-quality training in an affordable and inclusive environment (Sacramento Ballet); and to bring young girls together through a shared love of jazz, empowering them to participate and lead in a musical tradition that has historically been male-dominated (The Girls’ Jazz and Blues Society).
The Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists is named in honor of Dennis Mangers, former Chair of the Foundation’s Board, whose own experience with financial barriers shaped the fund’s mission. It is a Field of Interest Fund, a type of charitable giving account that allows donors to focus their philanthropy on an issue they care deeply about, such as arts access and youth development. More information about the Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists is available here. Community members, businesses, and/or organizations interested in establishing funds in partnership with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation can learn more at www.sacregcf.org/donors. For more information about the center of philanthropy in the greater Capital City region, please visit www.sacregcf.org.