Within all of us, creativity lies waiting to be awakened and expressed, bringing new chances for confidence, connection, purpose and joy. Aroha Philanthropies supports the development of artistic and creative opportunities—and the personal discoveries that go with them—for everyone. Aroha fulfills its mission to awaken creative expression and build communities through its three program branches, each with a different area of focus: Discovery Arts: Sparking wonder through creativity for children and youth; Vitality Arts®: Inspiring creativity for ages 55 and better; Humanity Arts: Enhancing homes and empowering creativity for adults with mental illness. Aroha Philanthropies is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information, visit arohaphilanthropies.org. Vitality Arts® is a registered mark of Aroha Philanthropies.

Creative Aging Focus:

Aroha Philanthropies’ President and Founder, Ellen Michelson, is the leading funder in creative aging programming in the U.S. Since 2014, Aroha has partnered with Lifetime Arts to deliver capacity building and seeding programs across the U.S. They have initiated national partnerships to support creative aging including: the National Assembly of Arts Agencies, the American Alliance of Museums, the National Guild for Community Arts Education. Recognizing the need for these programs across the country, Aroha Philanthropies developed a major multi-year initiative, Seeding Vitality Arts (SVA), in 2016. Using a learning cohort model, Aroha is equipping SVA grantees with all the tools needed to create highly successful programs.