MFAA - Morton Fine Arts Association
Endowment Fund
Creating Access to the Arts. Building a Cultural Legacy for Morton
The MFAA – Morton Fine Arts Association Endowment Fund is an Agency Endowment established in December 2025 by the Morton Fine Arts Association (MFAA). The purpose of the fund is to provide annual grants to MFAA to further its charitable mission of enriching the cultural life of the Morton community through high-quality artistic experiences.
By creating this permanent endowment, MFAA is ensuring that music and the arts will remain accessible, vibrant, and affordable for Morton area families—today and for generations to come.
About the Morton Fine Arts Association
The Morton Fine Arts Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 with a simple but powerful mission:
to create and provide high-quality entertainment for Morton area families and to expand opportunities for residents to enjoy the arts—especially musical arts.
The organization was launched when Morton resident and businessman Phil Kuhl recognized a need for accessible, professional-quality performances close to home. What began as a vision for local concerts has grown into a beloved community arts organization with year-round impact.
Signature Programs and Community Impact
Fall/Winter Concert Series
Each year, MFAA presents a Fall/Winter Concert Series at the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center, featuring nationally recognized performers and outstanding tribute acts. Proceeds from ticket sales and business sponsorships directly support the organization’s broader mission.
Arts in the Park – Free Summer Concerts
One of MFAA’s most cherished contributions is the Arts in the Park concert series, held each summer at the Idlewood Arts Pavilion in Idlewood Park. These outdoor concerts are free and open to the public, providing families, friends, and neighbors an opportunity to gather and enjoy live music together in a relaxed setting.
Community Partnerships
MFAA has also supported and promoted major community arts collaborations, including Handel’s Messiah presented by the Morton Community Chorus—helping sustain large-scale musical performances that might otherwise be difficult to bring to a community of Morton’s size.
Investing in the Next Generation: Voices of Morton
In the fall of 2025, MFAA expanded its mission to include youth vocal performance by taking over the long-running Pumpkin Idol Jr. competition previously hosted during the Morton Pumpkin Festival. Reimagined as Voices of Morton, the event celebrates young local talent while creating a supportive, high-energy performance experience.
Voices of Morton is open to student vocalists ages 10–18 who live within the Morton School District or attend a Morton private school. With no registration fee and no preliminary round, the event removes barriers and invites students to simply bring their voice, confidence, and passion to the stage.
Top performers earn the opportunity to showcase their talent on the Morton Pumpkin Festival Entertainment Stage, as well as to perform as cameo artists at the MFAA’s annual Fall/Winter concert series, turning a local competition into a memorable community moment and encouraging a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
Why the Endowment Matters
Arts organizations rely heavily on ticket sales, sponsorships, and annual fundraising—sources that can fluctuate from year to year. The MFAA Endowment Fund provides a stable, long-term source of support that allows the organization to:
Sustain free Summer community concerts
Plan future seasons with confidence
Expand youth and educational programming
Preserve access to the arts regardless of economic conditions
Endowment earnings are distributed annually to MFAA, while the principal remains invested and protected—creating a permanent cultural resource for the Morton community.
How You Can Support the Arts in Morton
Gifts to the MFAA – Morton Fine Arts Association Endowment Fund help ensure that live music, artistic expression, and shared cultural experiences remain a defining part of life in Morton.
Whether you love attending concerts, value free community programming, or believe in nurturing young artistic talent, your contribution helps build a lasting legacy—one performance at a time.
To make a tax-deductible donation to this endowment fund, you can:
Donate by check: Make it payable to Morton Community Foundation and mail it to 135 S First Ave, Morton, IL 61550. Please write “MFAA Association Fund” on the memo line.
Make a tax-advantaged gift of stock…Visit our stock gifting page by clicking HERE.
For more ways to give, CLICK HERE.
Give online by clicking the button below.
Are you a Caterpillar Employee or Retiree?
The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the year-round Matching Gifts Program to support their employees, U.S. retirees and board of directors in their contributions to worthy causes. Eligible Caterpillar participants may request an annual total maximum 1:1 match of $10,000 USD each calendar year to eligible charities to which contributions are tax deductible. The Morton Community Foundation is an eligible charity. So, if you are an eligible Caterpillar participant, you may submit any donations to this fund for an equivalent match, up to your total maximum of $10,000 per year. CLICK HERE to link to the Caterpillar Foundation’s Matching Gift website.