After establishing itself as an avenue of support for creatives, Kingston Creative was approved by the Charities Authority, Department of Cooperative and Friendly Societies (DCFS) to officially operate as a charity as of November 4, 2021.

Official charity status benefits its faithful donors like Red Stripe, CB Facey, Dennis Shipping and others  as, now, project support will reward them with traditional charity donation benefits. Section 13(1)(q) of the income tax act states that there is an allowable deduction of the amount or value of a donation to a registered charitable organization (however, the allowable deduction shall not exceed five per cent (5%) of the statutory income of the organisation).

Kingston Creative has also launched a Diaspora Giving campaign, and for their overseas donors, there is a tax benefit available through a new partnership with the American Friends of Jamaica, a 501(c)3 organisation. Caron Chung, president of the AFJ said “We are really pleased to put our full support behind Kingston Creative as they work to support Jamaican artists and transform Downtown Kingston into an Art District.” This partnership could not have come at a better time, as the United States celebrates the “National Day of Giving”or “Giving  Tuesday” on November 30th 2021.

The campaign is an effort to secure funds for Kingston Creative’s future projects slated for 2022, primarily the large-scale Paint The City mural project in Water Lane. Executive Director, Andrea Dempster-Chung, says “We are so excited about the new charity designation and the partnership with AFJ as this brings even more value to our donors.  We hope that everyone will visit our website (www.kingstoncreative.org) and support our efforts to develop Downtown Kingston into the creative and cultural force we know it can become.”