About CACF
A small foundation with a wide embrace
Since 2010, the Collaborative Arts & Culture Foundation has worked quietly and steadily to support artists and cultural organizations — and to encourage the collaboration that makes creative communities more than the sum of their parts.
Our mission
Why we exist
The Collaborative Arts & Culture Foundation supports artists and cultural organizations and encourages collaboration — investing in the arts, culture, economic development, beautification, and filmmaking that make communities thrive.
We are headquartered in Mariposa, California — the gateway to Yosemite — and our portfolio reaches from the Sierra foothills to the Southern California desert. Wherever we work, the approach is the same: find the people doing the work, and give them the structure, stewardship, and support to keep doing it.
CACF is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 27-2143755), tax-exempt since December 2010. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
Focus areas
Where we put our energy
Arts
Direct support for working artists, ensembles, and arts organizations — from symphony orchestras to emerging makers.
Culture
Programs and partnerships that preserve and celebrate the cultural life of the communities we serve.
Economic Development
Creative-economy initiatives that turn artistic energy into local jobs, small businesses, and vibrant main streets.
Beautification
Public art, placemaking, and community beautification projects that make shared spaces worth gathering in.
Filmmaking
Support for filmmakers and film culture — production, screening, and storytelling rooted in place.
Leadership
Our board
CACF is governed by a volunteer board with deep roots in arts administration, nonprofit advancement, and community development.
Ellen Bergstone Wasil
President
Ellen brings decades of arts marketing and nonprofit leadership to CACF. She serves as Director of Marketing & Creative for the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, and her background includes leadership work with Portland Piano International and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. Her expertise spans fundraising, board development, and public relations for cultural organizations.
Dan Wasil
Secretary
Dan has spent his career advancing arts and education nonprofits. He serves as Director of Advancement at Portland Piano International, and previously led Friends of Lincoln High School as Executive Director, directed development at Young Audiences of Oregon, and served as a Program Officer at The San Diego Foundation.
Additional board members and advisors will be listed here. To inquire about board service, contact us.
Want to build with us?
Whether you're an artist, an organizer, or a donor — collaboration is in our name.