Date
For Immediate Release
Organization Contact Name

(Name of your organization) is pleased to announce that it has received a matching grant of $_____ from the Ohio Arts Council. This grant was awarded through the (name of program) Program and will support (summarize).

State grants are awarded through a competitive process. This grant indicates that (name of organization) provides the highest level of quality in its programs, community outreach and administration. (Describe in more detail the public programs and the numbers of people who will be served by this grant. Indicate the amount of private dollars this grant leverages.)

(Put in a quote from your legislator. Draft a quote for your legislators to review and approve. For example, they could comment on how public support enables your organization to reach new audiences, foster community development, provide the highest quality programming, develop models for integrating the arts into the curriculum, etc.)

The Ohio Arts Council has a budget of $12,488,161 for fiscal year 2008. Ohio Arts Council grants are awarded on a matching basis. Organizations that receive OAC funds are required to match state tax dollars with additional public and private funds. In general, for every state tax dollar invested, 45 dollars are raised in matching funds by recipient organizations. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.