As a non-profit organization, the Arts Bus Project depends mostly upon grants and private donations to fund its programming. In its pilot year (2010), the Bus made 79 stops during the months of May through September, and served more than 1900 toddlers, children and young adults in the communities of Bethel, Braintree, Brookfield and Randolph. In its second season, the Bus added the towns of Chelsea, Tunbridge and Williamstown to its regular schedule, made 134 stops and served over 2,100 individuals. As the word spreads, more requests for the Bus to appear just keep coming. If you would like to help to keep the Bus rolling, you can make a donation on line, by clicking on the PayPal Donate button below. PayPal will provide you with a receipt of this tax-deductible donation. You can also send us a donation by mail and we will send you a receipt. The address for the Arts Bus is:
The Arts Bus Project
c/o Kimball Public Library
67 Main Street, Randolph, Vermont 05060
(Please make checks out to: The Arts Bus Project)
The Arts Bus Project
c/o Kimball Public Library
67 Main Street, Randolph, Vermont 05060
(Please make checks out to: The Arts Bus Project)
Foundation and Charitable Trust Support
Encouraged by what it was hearing about the Arts Bus Project and the swarm of activity and goodwill around it in 2009, the board of the Dewing Foundation of South Attleboro, Massachusetts, which focuses its funding on innovative methods in early childhood education, provided a start-up grant of $20,000. With this gift, the project was underway. Since then the Lamson Howell Foundation, the Lego Foundation, the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Community Foundation, the Anne Slade Frey Charitable Trust, the Windham Foundation and the Oakland Foundation have provided support. In 2010, the Canaday Family Trust Foundation announced a three-year operational grant of $57,000. Also in 2010, the Henderson Foundation granted $20,000, to fund the Creativity Training Program (see Calendar and Events page).
Local Support
The Arts Bus has many local business supporters too: Randolph National Bank, Country Animal Hospital, The Frankenberg Agency, Booth Brothers and Magee Office Supplies have all contributed to the project. With a minimum donation of $250, a business receives an ad placard on the bus, which will advertise your business for a full Arts Bus season. Contact Cynthia Sandusky at artsbus@Chandler-arts.org for details.
Volunteer Opportunities
There is always plenty to do on the Bus, and we welcome volunteers. You can volunteer as an individual (18 years or older), or you can volunteer as a parent-child team (children must be 13 years of age, and accompanied by their parent). You can set your own hours: once a week, once a month--it's up to you! We ask that once you make the commitment, you plan on staying with the schedule agreed upon, so we can structure activities accordingly. There are lots of ways to be involved with the project: on-board help with art activities, special event staffing, fundraising and mailings. Contact Cynthia Sandusky at artsbus@Chandler-arts.org for details.
Comments? Questions? Send us an email!
The Arts Bus Project / c/o Kimball Public Library, 67 Main Street, Randolph, VT 05060 / 802-728-5073 / artsbus@Chandler-arts.org