I’m a fan of the Royal Ontario Museum, and came across this article about a new initiative they’ve started to get young (er) people to become interested in giving to the Arts and Culture sector.

Sholem Krishtalka wrote the piece for the Toronto Standard:

The Young Patron’s Circle is just that: an ever-growing group of young donors to the ROM. The press release I was given described the YPC as a kind of training program, entry-level philanthropy. The basic door price begins at $600 annually. Broadly speaking, it’s a way of introducing successful young people to the world of cultural sponsorship. The age range of YPC members tends to be from about 25 to 40 years old, and most of the members tend to come from corporate professional backgrounds–PR, communications, law, with some members working in medicine and science. Instead of tedious trustee meetings, donors are treated to events like these: some wine, some cheese and crackers, a little light networking and a tour of the museum.

These forays into the research aspects of the ROM are more than just simply a treat for YPC members; it reflects one of the missions of the group. In addition to supporting the ROM, member donations establish a research fund (the inaugural fund recipient is currently in Oman, researching a rare kind of weaving indigenous to the area; members are kept abreast of her research via letters that are posted on the YPC website).

Click here for the full article