Philanthropist Martha Richards Donates $431,000 to Western Massachusetts Arts Endowment
Philanthropist Martha Richards has donated $431,000 from her Northampton-based nonprofit, WomenArts, to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. This significant contribution aims to bolster the Community Foundation's ValleyCreates arts initiative, which seeks to establish a $5 million endowment by December 2026. The transfer of funds, initiated in 2024, recently received approval from the state attorney general's office. Richards founded WomenArts in 1994, initially as The Fund for Women Artists, focusing on assisting artists with grant writing, fiscal sponsorship, and project production. The donation comes at a crucial time for the arts community, particularly following the National Endowment for the Arts' decision last year to withdraw numerous grants from individual artists and arts organizations. Community Foundation President and CEO Megan Burke highlighted the importance of private philanthropy stepping up to support the arts when federal funding diminishes.