- Organization Name:
- Khmer Arts Academy
- Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
- A half-fold, four-color “Happy Khmer New Year” card celebrating some of Khmer Arts’ recent achievements. The card is part of a recently launched fundraising drive aimed at keeping donors and customers informed about and engaged with the organization. Khmer Arts sends out cards twice a year for both Khmer (14-16 April) and international (1 January) new years, the latter along with a fundraising appeal. By playfully manipulating photographs from four disparate programs in Photoshop and then assembling them within a fun and creative design in Illustrator, the card catches the recipients’ eye as well as brings a sense of unity to the organization’s many accomplishments.
- What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
- Khmer Arts is a Cambodian classical dance organization that supports itself through performance fees from theatrical venues, grants from charitable foundations and donations from individuals. The organization needed to develop a way to stay in touch with all three constituencies without overburdening them with too much information or contact. By creating cards that rely on imagery rather than text, that are playful and beautiful, and by tying these cards to festive occasions, the organization has created a souvenir that recipients are happy to put on their desks or tack to their bulletin boards. When the time comes to ask for support or promote a new tour, the organization is already on their minds.
- How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
- Since Khmer Arts began creating and distributing its innovative Khmer and International New Year cards in 2009, individual contributions have increased by 40 percent. In Fall 2010, it will produce its largest and most ambitious national tour ever. The organization predicts that by making these cards a regular semi-annual tool for keeping our contributors and customers aware of our exciting activities, we will continue to increase our earned and contributed support.
