If you work at an arts organization, you know very well that the non-profit arts scene has been hit pretty hard amidst the economic state-of-things.

Music, theater, visual art–these are all important forms of expression and interaction in our culture, and it’s unfortunate that they are some of the first things to go when the going gets tough.  Even if they are doing everything right, some arts organizations are having to make the difficult decision to shut down due to lack of funds.

But something interesting is happening in response to this adversity.  Fans and friends of these organizations are finding a way out by raising money themselves to keep things going.  They’re asking their own networks of family and friends for donations.  The Friends of the Nevada Opera Association are one group of fans who have good news instead of bad.  They’ve raised almost $70,000 in a couple of weeks and have set a goal to raise $30,000 more online in order to reach their goal.  Check out the comments section on their fundraising page, where people are donating and posting words of encouragement and anecdotes about how important Nevada Opera has been to them.

Behold, the power of person-to-person asks for donations, combined with the ease of raising money online!    Kudos to you, and best wishes for continued fundraising success!  We’ve joined the supporters of Nevada Opera Association by making a donation to your page.