Be a champion for arts education when filing your state tax return by making a contribution to the Keep Arts in Schools Fund.

According to the California Arts Council, students who learn arts at school score higher on tests, have better attendance records and significantly lower dropout rates, and are more than twice as likely to graduate from college.

Creativity is cited as the No. 1 desired skill in today’s job market, according to a recent IBM survey—yet less than half of California’s students have access to art at their schools. And those who stand to benefit the most, like low-income students and English-language learners, are the least likely to be given the opportunity.

This tax season, you can help keep arts in schools by making a tax-deductible donation of $1 or more to the Keep Arts in Schools Fund on your state return. One hundred percent of your contribution will go to support arts education programming supported by the California Arts Council.

The Keep Arts in Schools Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund can be found in Voluntary Contribution Section 110 (425) of the form 540 individual state tax return form.

:: Charlotte Alexander

By Charlotte Alexander

Charlotte Alexander is an award-winning author, editor, and publisher, with experience in media, higher education, and nonprofit settings. She has been writing reviews of local theatre productions since 2010, and her work has appeared in SLO Life Magazine, SLO Journal Plus, SLO City News, Two for the Show {Central Coast}, and most recently on her website WiseToTheWords.com. She is the co-author of "When Your Pet Outlives You: Protecting Animal Companions After You Die" (New Sage Press 2002; reprinted 2004), which won a Muse Medallion Book Award from the Cat Writers’ Association. She owns and operates C|C Imprint.