Charter One has named Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit a 2013 Champion in Action® in the category of Arts & Culture. Mosaic will receive a $35,000 unrestricted grant and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding arts and culture work in the community. Charter One has given more than $600,000 grants and support to nonprofit organizations in Southeast Michigan through its Champions in Action Program, which gives awards for outstanding community service.
“Helping such a creative and talented group like Mosaic is truly gratifying,” said Ken Marblestone, president of Charter One, Michigan and Ohio. “This internationally recognized theater group is a civic gem for Detroit, and they represent all the qualities of a Charter One Champion in Action.”
“With this award, we look forward to working with Mosaic to help carry on and increase their rich tradition of art and culture in Detroit. They are an inspiration and we applaud them for investing their energies so positively and so creatively,” Marblestone said.
As part of the Champions in Action program, nonprofits receive financial, volunteer and public relations support.
Charter One will match funds donated to Mosaic through a month-long viral outreach campaign in October to help support Mosaic’s programs. To celebrate the end of the campaign, Mosaic will host a day-long community “Perform-a-thon” event in which more than 150 young artists will provide approximately 35 free performances at metropolitan Detroit area homeless and domestic abuse shelters, nursing homes, juvenile detention centers, hospitals and other residential facilities on October 26, 2013.
Mosaic, which was founded in 1992, was born out of the need to fill the void in arts education as it had been eliminated in many Metro Detroit schools. The organization provides three tiers of professional arts training split between entry level, intermediate and advanced categories to more than 400 students annually, many from Detroit’s most underserved neighborhoods.
Mosaic’s founder and CEO Rick Sperling said: “We are truly elated to be selected by Charter One as a Champion in Action. This award helps us continue our core-training program which provides young artists with access to professional artists and educators to gain invaluable experience for professional/college development. The award also helps increase our organization’s visibility and grants us the opportunity to have our senior staff interact with the leaders of Charter One. Our entire organization thanks Charter One for this honor.”
As a Champion in Action, Mosaic will receive:
A $35,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from the Charter One Charitable Foundation.
Volunteer support from Charter One.
The opportunity for the organization’s executive director to participate in a “president-to-president” mentorship with Charter One President Ken Marblestone, which allows the organization to further hone their partnership skills, corporate business acumen and increase stability and growth.
Extensive public relations support.
Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action® in all Charter One branch DCN screens and on its ATMs.
Exposure on Charter One’s Web site and through its social media platforms.
Launched locally in 2006, Champions in Action is an initiative of Charter One to recognize and support nonprofit organizations for their contributions to communities in Southeast Michigan. The Champions in Action program is part of Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities, the bank’s program designed to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities.
To date, 24 local nonprofits have been recognized and have received over $600,000 in grants and promotional support. This year marks the 11th anniversary nationally of the Champion in Action® program that has provided more than $6 million in support to more than 245 nonprofit organizations throughout the Citizens Financial Group footprint.
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