Blog

Every Gift Matters: Acknowledging Your Essential Role in Arts Education

The giving season is one of the busiest times of year, and it is also a time that reminds us to reflect on the importance of family and friends, kindness and generosity. Every winter, we shift our focus to value what matters most and strive to be our best selves. The act of giving sustains the human spirit in a way few other actions do, and for that reason it is essential to the human experience.

Giving thanks is an easy place to start. We are so grateful for the extraordinary altruism of the Northeast Florida community. From our corporate partners and individual donors to the educators, administrators and teaching artists we work with every day, your giving spirit has allowed us to provide tens of thousands of children and young adults with access to quality arts education and therapeutic services.

Your acts of giving, exemplified in so many ways, have guided the growth of CAP and inspired us for decades.

Even Small Gifts Have Big Impacts on Nonprofits

Gifts come in all sizes, and for nonprofit organizations, they come in many forms—a donation of food or supplies, monetary support, the volunteering of time and the building of relationships are just a few examples of gifts that sustain us. Without giving, the nonprofits that enhance our community in infinite positive ways would not exist.

Abess Park Chorus at Performing Arts Showcase | photo by Sindy Gonzalez

In the philanthropic sector, the big gifts receive the most attention, but the small-gift supporters make the greatest contribution to a nonprofit’s success. Small-gift supporters are loosely defined as people who contribute $100 or less to a nonprofit. It may not seem like your gift of $100, $50 or even $25 will make a difference, but it truly does.

Sustained support from small-gift donors allows for a diversified income stream for nonprofit organizations by providing financial stability throughout tough economic times. Many nonprofits offer the option to give monthly through recurring electronic donations. $10 a month may not make much of a dent in your wallet, but it gives nonprofits peace of mind knowing they can count on your support month after month.

Giving is the Gift Itself

CAP Art Counseling students show off their work

Giving is a mutually beneficial action. For the recipient, it is a gesture of support; and for the giver, it nourishes character and goodwill. It is an act that doesn’t have to be seasonal, but instead can be embraced year-round. At CAP, we recognize the act of giving as the gift itself.

As we approach the close our REIMAGINE Campaign, we would like to thank every person who has played a role in giving to us, no matter how big or small. Your giving has lifted the creative spirit of generations of children in our community.

You are the reason we are here today, and you are the reason we will be here for decades to come.

Please consider supporting CAP today to become our partner in creating brighter futures for young people in our community.

November 17, 2025

For media inquiries, please contact media@capkids.org.

Spring for the Arts is tomorrow and the silent auction is officially OPEN – you can place your bids remotely or in-person with the auction link in bio!

This annual event celebrates the impact you, our donors, have had on local students, and raises funds for CAP's REIMAGINE Campaign, with the ultimate goal of putting paint brushes, instruments, scripts and dance shoes in the hands of more children in Northeast Florida than ever before. Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow.🎉Happy bidding!
Cathedral Arts Project (CAP) is grateful to announce that we are recipients of the Find Your Light Foundation's 2026 grant! Their support allows us to to empower every child’s creative spirit, ensuring that students across Northeast Florida have access to essential arts education that recognizes, grows and amplifies every student's unique skills and strengths.

Find Your Light is dedicated to supporting exceptional arts programs where the need is greatest, recognizing arts education as an essential part of a young person’s development. 
Thank you, @Fylfoundation, for championing the power of the arts and helping CAP make a lasting impact! #TheArtsAddUp #ArtsEducation
It was a whirlwind weekend at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, where more than 1,000 Cathedral Arts Project students danced, acted, sang, drummed, and played their hearts out at the annual Performing Arts Showcase!

Thank you to our emcees, teaching artists, assistants, staff, volunteers, parents and students who made this weekend so special. Your dedication created a truly magical experience for everyone involved.

Special thanks to State Representative Kiyan Michael; Darryl Willie, Duval County School Board, District 4; and Melody Bolduc, Duval County School Board, District 7. We are grateful for leaders who champion the power of arts education and recognize its lasting impact on student learning and growth.

Huge thank you to our sponsors, The Willits Foundation, VyStar Credit Union, Cara & Scott Baity and Anne & Marc Mayo. 
Stay tuned for more Showcase photos! 🌟
"Through the Cathedral Arts Project (CAP), children discover what it feels like to give their full attention to something meaningful and in doing so they are reclaiming a skill that many of us have forgotten how to practice.
 
We used to think of focus as something we simply had or didn't. But what if it's more like a muscle that weakens when it's rarely used?

Hand a child a violin, a sketchbook or a script and watch time disappear. In that moment of total focus, something extraordinary happens. Learning deepens.  At CAP, that’s the quiet brilliance of arts education; it trains not just the eye or ear, but the mind to stay." 
- Kimberly Hyatt, President & CEO, Cathedral Arts Project 

Learn more at our link in bio.🌟
#TheArtsAddUp
CAP’s Encore summer camps keep students engaged and creating when school’s out. Spots are limited, so register your young artists now at our link in bio!🌞
Classes will be held at 4001 Hendricks Avenue, 32207.

CAP Summer camp offerings include:
Summer Music Exploration: Ukulele
Summer Music Exploration: Strings
CAPSO Strings Camp: Summer Musical
CAP Studio Artists: Summer Sessions
CAP Theatre Company: Summer Musical Experience

Enroll today! 🎻🎭🎨🎵
Only one month away! Join CAP for the 21st Annual Spring for the Arts on Friday, April 17 at Epping Forest Yacht Club. Get your tickets to attend or become a sponsor today at our link in bio.💜

At this signature fundraiser, CAP is honored to celebrate Kristine Cherek & Kirk Larsen as the 2026 Guardians of the Arts for their efforts to safeguard and advance the arts. Spring for the Arts also celebrates community engagement in support of funding arts education initiatives throughout the region. Generating over $9 million since its inception, it is the most visible event supporting arts education along the First Coast. Join us in support of essential arts education that recognizes, grows and amplifies every child’s unique skills and strengths.🎨🎻👯👯
Always wanted to volunteer at CAP? This is your opportunity! We need six volunteers for the Performing Arts Showcase on Friday, March 27 at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Experience the excitement of this annual event and support CAP through volunteering. Email melanie@capkids.org your availability and register as a volunteer at our link in bio.🎉

The Performing Arts Showcase is the highlight of the year for CAP performing arts students, teachers and families. The student performances include theatre, ballet, hip hop, strings, percussion, chorus and much more! 👯🎵🎻🎭
Learning an art form—whether dance, music, theatre or the visual arts—allows children and youth to gain essential skills, like creative thinking, perseverance, teamwork and self-discipline, that benefit them in all areas of their lives. The arts provide experiences that are personally enriching, building the confidence and character children need to excel. Learn more about our programs at our link in bio. 🎵👯🎭🎨 #TheArtsAddUp

JOIN THE CAP MAILING LIST