JazzWorks Needs Your Help - Now!

​Now in our 27th year, JazzWorks has grown from a two day jazz workshop at the Christie Lake Camp, to a year-round organization offering our Annual Jazz Camp, and Composers’ Symposium at the magnificent CAMMAC complex on Lac MacDonald in the Laurentians, monthly jam sessions and vocal open mic nights, jazz mentoring in Ottawa high schools, a variety of master classes and workshop sessions and our exciting new JazzWorks Presents Concert Series.

It is no exaggeration to say that JazzWorks has inspired many people to become seriously involved in music — young people learning their first jazz tunes and older people rediscovering their love of the music, performing and composing. To be more specific, hundreds of people have participated at Jazz Camp over the years and the Camp has changed their lives.

JazzWorks is having financial difficulties. Costs have risen substantially at CAMMAC, our terrific site. Tough economic times have also affected us:

• grants, which help us to keep fees down, have been much more competitive and were down $16,500 this year. Grants provide as much as 30 per cent of our revenues;
• funds raised from our July fundraiser were disappointing (although we received rave reviews from both the audience and performers);
• there was lower registration this year for jazz camp.

These factors have combined to put us in a tough situation, leaving us with considerably less money than we require to keep the organization functioning.
 
We pondered serious cutbacks to the 2019 Camp program, but in the end decided to proceed full tilt, maintaining the high quality of the experience for those who had registered.
 
To keep the organization viable and continue our programs, JazzWorks needs your help, now!
 
With the goal of greater financial stability for our organization and to have the necessary resources to continue to offer our programs, we have established a fund with the Community Foundation of Ottawa.
 
Under the direction of our Vice-Chair Tom Bryant, this long-term initiative will be supplemented with creative fund-raising endeavours and also by continuing our cost-efficient approach to spending.  Tom has made an initial donation of $1000 and we urge you to join him by making a donation (which is income tax deductible) to the fund.
 
Our immediate need
 
The immediate cash crisis is very serious. We need $15,000 to get over the financial hump. There are more than 300 on this email list, JazzWorks supporters and jazz campers past and present, many of you whose lives have been changed through participation in JazzWorks.
 
If each of you can give a little — and some can give more than that — we can get JazzWorks back on its feet, ready to swing into the next decade — and beyond.   
 
If you can send us $50 (or less) or $100 (or more!) we will use that money, to ensure that there is a Camp next summer, keep the fees reasonable, maintain our high level of Canadian faculty and distinguished international visitors, and to continue to provide Camp scholarships to deserving young musicians. All donations over $20.00 will receive a tax-deductible receipt.
 
Donations can be made by cheque payable to JazzWorks or by credit card, by phone (Visa and Master Card accepted). All donations over $20.00 will receive a tax-deductible receipt. To donate, please:

• Donate online through PayPal at our website:  http://www.jazzworkscanada.com/donate.html
• Make a cheque payable to JazzWorks and mail to address at the bottom of the email
• Pay by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) by phone--please contact Anna Frlan, our Administrator at [email protected] or by phone at 613-220-3819. 
• Donations to JazzWorks through the Ottawa Community Foundation  can be made at https://www.ocf-fco.ca/funds/en-jazzworks-fund/  To make a donation to meet our immediate need, please write “Flow-through Donation “ in the box provided at the bottom of the online form

Thank you so much for your help.
 
We hope to see you at our Jam Sessions and Vocal Open Mic Nights (third Thursday and second Wednesday of the month at Festival Japan), JazzWorks Presents Concerts and at Jazz Camp next summer.
  
Sincerely,
 
The JazzWorks Board of Directors: 
Marylen Milenkovic- Chair 
Tom Bryant -Vice-Chair 
Ira Abrams, CA - Treasurer 
Margaret Cameron- Secretary 
Elizabeth Hanson- Jazz in the Schools Outreach 
Judith Humenick - Executive Director/Producer