Dear Supporter,
Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA) has played a critical role in helping the creative community meet its legal needs for over 25 years. Now, WALA needs you.
The demand for WALA’s services is on the rise as the ongoing economic rollercoaster has uniquely challenged the creative community. Creatives, frequently working as independent contractors, have faced significant revenue declines with little or no financial net. The hard-hit media and publishing industries—the largest sectors of the DC creative community—have made dramatic cutbacks, impacting the livelihood of thousands of writers and technical artists. Likewise, many performing arts companies and other arts organizations have suffered debilitating financial setbacks with dwindling grant support and donations. According to the 2010 Creative Capital: The Creative DC Action Agenda report, arts funding experienced a 20-million dollar decline last year. Government funding is also reduced: reports indicate that the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities budget will face a 10% reduction in FY2011—a decrease for the third consecutive year—representing a half million dollar loss in support for the creative community. Compounding the impact of these precipitous revenue decreases: DC commercial real estate is now the most expensive in the nation, meaning that affordable artist workspace and boutique business space is increasingly scarce. There is a silver lining . . . .
The creative community is part of the solution. If the banks were too big to fail, the creative community is too critical to fail, for it holds the key to economic recovery: innovation. The creative economy is a vital force in the District, now a top 10 urban destination for college graduates holding arts degrees and creative entrepreneurs. In addition to the increasingly important role the creative arts have in our local economy, it is a lynchpin to economic development in underserved and impoverished communities. Community-based arts organizations are significant drivers in building stronger, more cohesive neighborhoods, which in turn leads to economic development and growth.
WALA serves a core function in developing a vibrant creative economy. Creatives need access to legal resources, especially those who cannot afford a lawyer. Corresponding with the recession, the demand for WALA services has grown every year for the last three years. To meet the increased need, WALA has strengthened its relationships with partnering law firms, volunteer attorneys, creative non-profits and entertainment business professionals. During 2009-2010, WALA has increased our impact within the creative community:
· Over 300 attorney, creative, law firm and arts organizations members, increasing by an average of 15-20% each year.
· Nearly 300 creatives acquired vital knowledge through WALA’s educational programs.
· Over 250 low-income and emerging creatives received one-on one legal consultations through legal clinics and pro bono or reduced-fee legal services.
· Expanded programming to new locations to serve creative communities throughout all of DC, including the first WALA programs held in Ward 8, East of the Anacostia River.
WALA intends to increase its impact within the DC arts community, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We seek to diversify our programming, to expand legal clinics and to include continuing legal education. Over 90,000 people in our city work in creative fields, and so the need for support is monumental. To meet those goals, we have expanded our Education and Outreach to bring greater awareness of our services to underserved populations and neighborhoods that can best benefit from the vital resources and services WALA has to offer. WALA has increased advocacy on issues critical for the revitalization of area communities, working in collaboration with other organizations to increase the presence of arts in unused and abandoned real estate space.
WALA has improved how members connect to the legal community and to each other. WALA has increased our online presence with a revamped website, the WALA blog and social networking presences on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. We’ve expanded networking opportunities through monthly social events. In the past year, we’ve doubled the number of innovative educational sessions we offer. These programs have been added to our core 12 legal clinics and 12 “Legal Basics” workshops, designed to serve artists and nonprofits, and to build the next generation of legal professionals in sports and entertainment law. We’ve increased access points for artists through bold new subcommittees in Film, Music, and Fashion that further diversify our informational offerings to members. And, still there is so much more to do, so much need to meet.
To maintain our current efforts and build fresh, innovative programming, we need you. Please make a tax-deductible donation to WALA, one reflective of your passion for the arts and your compassion for those in need. Consider making a gift of a WALA membership to a loved one or cherished organization. WALA membership is as low as $20 for students. We also need you to tell us how we can better serve you in the coming year. As we plan for 2011, your ideas and concerns are important to us. Your voice is critical in our future planning.
Every $1.00 spent with WALA is a $2.50 return investment to you and our community. Thanks to hundreds of dedicated volunteers, WALA is able to maximize every cent we receive. Still, we need to further build our infrastructure and diversify our capacities to better meet the varying and evolving needs of the area’s artistic and legal communities. Please join us in making our community stronger.
For this year’s annual campaign, we ask area law firms to consider becoming a member of the exclusive WALA Platinum 30, a donor tier reserved for firms that give at least $2500 to WALA. We also ask individual supporters to consider joining WALA’s Platinum 300 by making a generous gift of $250 dollars or more. WALA intends to provide unique exposure, marketing and networking benefits to those who are part of WALA Platinum. WALA also gratefully accepts any donation of $5, $10, $20—any amount that helps bring us closer to meeting our mission of supporting area artists.
Making a contribution is easy. You may send checks payable to WALA or visit www.thewala.org to make an online, tax-deductible donation. Assist us in continuing the work that has helped support our creative community for over 25 years. Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Warmest regards,
L. Michael Gipson
Executive Director
Laura A. Possessky, Esq.
Board Chair
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