The Campaign for Folkmoot USA
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Building a World
of Year-Round Possibilities
In a world of rapid change, Folkmoot USA’s non-profit mission is more important than ever before: fostering understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures through dance, music, costume, handicraft, and culinary traditions.
Folkmoot USA is also embracing change like never before—seizing the opportunity to convert the historic Hazelwood School into a vibrant community center to serve Folkmoot USA, its neighbors, and other partners throughout the year.
The founders of Folkmoot USA crafted their mission 30 years ago, when the United States and the Soviet Union stood toe-to-toe in a nuclear arms race, and the Olympic boycotts of the 1980s twice diminished one of the great gatherings of people from across the world. Meanwhile, local leaders in Western North Carolina looked for ways to bring people together to celebrate their cultural differences, rather than emphasize their disagreements. Together, they created Folkmoot USA, best known throughout our region for our summer festival—a flurry of dance, music, culture, laughter, intrigue, and understanding held each July.
Through the summer festival and many other events during the past 31 years, Folkmoot USA has brought to our region 200 amateur performance groups from over 100 countries, attracted annual audiences of more than 100,000 local residents and tourists, educated local school children, and catalyzed over $9 million in positive, annual impacts on our regional economy.
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Much has changed since the 1980s—from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise of the Internet and the chaos of international terrorism. And while Folkmoot USA continues to play a unique role in helping us understand, preserve, and appreciate the diverse cultures of the world, Folkmoot is changing, too. We have expanded our mission to include more expressions of culture, such as handicrafts and culinary arts, and we have developed a strategic plan to realize this mission year-round. And now our biggest change and many of our greatest opportunities center on the historic Hazelwood School, Folkmoot’s home for the last 10 years.
Haywood County has generously donated the historic Hazelwood School property to Folkmoot USA. As a renter for the last decade, we have utilized this facility to host our summer festival participants and other events. Ownership opens the door to both new responsibilities and amazing opportunities, giving Folkmoot USA the potential to achieve its goals of offering year-round programming for local people and visitors and operating a center that brings the local and international communities together in a wide variety of ways, from hosting guests to creating venues for children and adults to enjoy international and community events, performances, and more. Given the historic school’s many positive features, including a full kitchen/cafeteria, an auditorium, a gym, and numerous classrooms, we see countless possibilities ahead.
To make the most of this time of change, Folkmoot USA has launched a capital campaign that will raise crucial funds to revitalize the historic Hazelwood School; convene our community and regional partners to plan robust community use of these facilities; and grow Folkmoot USA’s
programming and endowment funds. These efforts include six key areas of activity:
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Taking Ownership of the Historic Hazelwood School – $1,336,000
Haywood County is generously donating these facilities to Folkmoot USA. According to Haywood County tax records, these facilities are worth $1.336 million! Folkmoot USA will receive title in June 2014.
Revitalizing the Historic Hazelwood School – $375,000
Folkmoot USA must renovate these historic facilities, so they can better serve Folkmoot USA and
the local community. These changes include repairing/replacing the roof, renovating the auditorium and gymnasium, and making the building more energy- and water-efficient. These renovations will enable Folkmoot USA to host events throughout the year, while also reducing the buildings’ maintenance and operations costs and their environmental footprint.
Planning the Future of the Historic Hazelwood School/Folkmoot Community Center – $25,000
Folkmoot USA is very excited to work with the local community and regional partners to determine how best to fully restore the building and sustain our operations to serve both Folkmoot USA and the
surrounding community. These planning efforts are in their earliest stages, and we welcome your ideas as much as your financial support. The resulting plans will establish our “20/20 Vision” – and drive our efforts from 2015 to 2020.
Boosting Annual Programs – $125,000
In order to continue to provide free events for local children and families and to develop and offer new programs, Folkmoot USA must secure more program support. In time, increases in event revenue, endowment income, rental/leasing revenue, and other income sources will help sustain these programs.
Growing Our Endowment – $114,000
The Border Foundation, named for Folkmoot’s founder, Dr. Clinton Border, provides long-term support for Folkmoot USA. Only the annual income is spent from this fund, providing Folkmoot USA with about $20,000 per year of its current budget of $350,000 per year. We are seeking at least $114,000 to grow this endowment fund, which will, in turn, help maintain a more robust schedule
of community activities and Folkmoot USA programming at the historic Hazelwood School.
Supporting the Campaign – $25,000
We have assembled a high-quality team to orchestrate the overall campaign and related activities. Gifts from the board of directors have covered this $25,000 expense, which totals only 1.25% of the overall campaign.
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Thanks to the generosity of Haywood County and dozens of individuals, families, businesses, and foundations, we have already secured gifts totaling more than $1.5 million – 75% of our current goal of $2 million. However, some of our most important work remains: raising the remaining $492,000 necessary to revitalize the historic Hazelwood School, expand our programs, and work with the community to determine how best to utilize these facilities to support the long-term needs of the community and of Folkmoot USA.
With your donation to the Campaign for Folkmoot USA, you will help provide the resources necessary to make this important work happen—and in turn, help educate our children, advance cultural understanding, and support our local community and our local economy.
Please join us in building this “world of possibilities,” right here in Western North Carolina.
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Planning for the Future for Folkmoot USA and the
Historic Hazelwood School
| TIMEFRAME | GOALS | TOTAL VALUA/NEED |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2013 – March 31, 2015 |
|
$2,000,000 |
| July 2015 – July 2020 |
|
To Be Determined |
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The Campaign for Folkmoot USA
October 1, 2013 – March 31, 2015
Areas of Growth and Investment
TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE HISTORIC HAZELWOOD SCHOOL
| Donation of the Historic Hazelwood School from Haywood County | $1,336,000 |
REVITALIZING THE HISTORIC HAZELWOOD SCHOOL
Repair/replace roof$85,000- Volunteer labor will help keep this expense to this low figure.
| Initial work to prepare the school facilities for transfer to Folkmoot USA | $25,000 |
| Install new, energy-efficient windows and insulate roof and crawl spaces | $50,000 |
| Upgrade electrical and plumbing systems | $25,000 |
| Clean and paint 20 dorm rooms, cafeteria, bathrooms, and hallways | $15,000 |
| Renovate the auditorium space, including new seating, sound system, and more | $80,000 |
| Install new fire door and renovate four storage areas | $15,000 |
| Repair and paint the gymnasium | $15,000 |
| Architectural fees | $30,000 |
| Contingency | $35,000 |
| SUB-TOTAL | $375,000 |
PLANNING THE FUTURE OF THE FOLKMOOTF
COMMUNITY CENTER IN HAZELWOOD
| Visioning and planning of future activities at the historic Hazelwood School | $25,000 |
BOOSTING FOLKMOOT USA’S PROGRAMS
| Support free Folkmoot events and develop new programs/events across our region | $125,000 |
GROWING FOLKMOOT USA’S ENDOWMENT
| Add to the Border Endowment Fund to support community center & other expenses | $114,000 |
GUIDING THE CAMPAIGN
| The board has already donated all funds needed to carry out this capital campaign | $25,000 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $2,000,000 |
Sources of Support
| Donation of the Historic Hazelwood School by Haywood County | $1,336,000 |
| Initial cash gifts, grants, and pledges already secured through June 1, 2014 | $167,000 |
| Additional donations to be raised or pledged, June 1, 2014-March 31, 2015 | $497,000 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $2,000,000 |