DENTON MUSIC AND ART COLLABORATIVE

DMAC is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit with people from all walks of life who share a passion for supporting the arts and music community of Denton, TX. Our beneficiary members are required to live and/or work in Denton County while pursuing a career from the art or music they create and qualify as low-to-moderate income by Federal Government standards. At the heart of the County is the City of Denton, designated a Music-Friendly City by the State of Texas, with an established creative community that provides a unique cultural identity making Denton stand apart in North Texas. Our organization seeks to keep that creative community healthy, connected, and thriving. We do this through monthly financial assistance with health insurance, paid directly to all the major carriers on their behalf through our partnership with a local independent insurance agent. This enables them to afford to go to checkups, dental cleanings, eye exams, get medicines they need, etc. It means that if/when a major medical emergency happens, they are not forced to choose between their health and potentially crippling debt. They will remain healthy longer, so they can keep creatively contributing to the uniquely colorful expression of art and music that resides here. DMAC also provides networking opportunities for our members through required volunteer hours, as well as fundraising events. We have two anchor events throughout the year. The first is Amplify Denton, held in the spring in partnership with the Greater Denton Arts Council - a showcase of live music from local musicians and an art auction for visual artists. It also features a variety of vendors and offers food and beverages from local merchants. The second is Monster Dash, a 5k costume run held each October in partnership with the City of Denton's 31 Days of Halloween. It features a costume contest before the race, a Trick-or-Treat Trail with candy stops for children, and medals for the winners of multiple categories in the timed race. All the funds we raise are directed toward our primary purpose of keeping the creative community healthy by helping them to afford health insurance. We keep our overhead intentionally low at less than 5% of our roughly $100,000 annual budget. That means that at least 95% of any donation goes directly to our mission. Any donation amount, large or small, has impact. A commitment to monthly recurring donations allows us to plan, and DMAC has plans! We are currently serving up to 65 members with the funds we have secured primarily through community support, and from grants we have applied for. However, the need in the community is growing, and we have other programs we would like to fund. For example, we want to establish a Mental Health Fund to assist with payments for therapy, an Emergency Dental Fund, financial assistance for things like recording costs and application fees for juried art shows. Will you partner with us in supporting the people who make Denton such a special place to be?