For generations, the Collaborative Campaign for the Arts has represented something uniquely Central Florida: the belief that when we invest in arts and culture together, our entire community thrives. That spirit of collaboration has never been stronger.
What began as a campaign that raised just over $2 million has grown into one of the nation’s most successful collaborative arts fundraising efforts.
This year, thanks to thousands of generous donors, participating organizations, community partners and incentive funding from Orange County, Florida and United Arts of Central
Florida, the campaign surpassed $12 million in charitable giving.
That’s an extraordinary milestone that reflects both the generosity of our community and the growing impact of Central Florida’s arts and cultural sector.
Growth brings new opportunities. Over the past several years, the number of eligible participating organizations has nearly tripled and donor participation has expanded dramatically.
United Arts has also invested more resources into stewardship and in promoting and administering the campaign while eliminating administrative fees for participating organizations.
An effort that once served a smaller group of organizations is now supporting a vibrant, diverse cultural ecosystem unlike anything we’ve seen before. And, as our community evolves, so must the campaign that serves it.
Over the past two years, United Arts met with arts leaders across the region to thoughtfully examine how the Collaborative Campaign can continue to grow while remaining sustainable,
equitable and donor-focused.
The result is a reimagined campaign designed to incentivize all donors to strengthen what has always made it special, while ensuring that it can continue supporting organizations of every size for years to come.
At the heart of this evolution is a simple idea: every gift matters. Whether someone gives to a beloved cornerstone institution or discovers a smaller organization making an incredible impact, every donor should feel that their generosity is meaningful and every organization should have the opportunity to grow.
Therefore, United Arts is introducing an updated donor incentive model beginning with the 2027 Collaborative Campaign. Under the new approach, the incentive pool of funds will be calculated based on each organization’s share of campaign contributions up to the first
$1 million raised to support them.
By incentivizing the first $1 million contributed to each organization, the campaign can better encourage growth across all participating partners while continuing to celebrate the spirit of the Collaborative Campaign. Ultimately, the goal isn’t to limit success—it’s to share its momentum.
With this change in place, we’re looking forward to another record-breaking year in 2027 and beyond.
