Through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nonprofit Capital Project Fund administered by Pinellas Community Foundation, eligible nonprofit organizations across Pinellas County received funding to strengthen their capacity and expand services. While the program has now concluded, its impact continues to be felt through projects like this one from Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation.
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Since 1975, Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation (DSAF) has kept Scottish culture alive in a city that has worn its heritage proudly since its founding by Scottish families in 1899. Bagpipes have echoed through Dunedin’s schools since 1957, and today DSAF supports that legacy through lessons, classroom instruction, and two signature events each year: the Dunedin Highland Games and a Celtic Music Festival that draw pipers, drummers, dancers, and highland athletes from around the world.
“Bagpipes are woven into the fabric of Dunedin, as intimately as the wool in the tartan worn by the pipers themselves,” said David Everett, Executive Director at Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation.
For a city that may, in fact, have more bagpipers per square mile than anywhere else, these events aren’t just entertainment; they’re a connection to Dunedin’s roots.
But COVID-19 nearly silenced them. The Highland Games, the Foundation’s primary fundraiser, was canceled in both 2020 and 2021, cutting revenue for Scottish arts programming by over $90,000 in just one year. The Foundation lost the lease on the building it used for lessons, storage, and community rentals, forcing staff to shift event equipment into aging storage trailers. By the time events could resume, inflation had driven costs for the Highland Games up more than $60,000 compared to pre-pandemic years, and outdated payment technology left the organization unable to keep pace with the shift to contactless payments—creating long lines that cost the Foundation both revenue and goodwill with event attendees.
Support connected through Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) helped change that. A $31,859 grant from the ARPA Nonprofit Capital Project Fund allowed the Foundation to purchase new tires for its storage trailers, a modern sound system, and updated electronic payment equipment.
The results were immediate and lasting. The sound system, used both as a PA system throughout the year and as a stage system for cultural events, replaced aging rental equipment and saved the Foundation more than $5,000 the first year alone. And the new payment technology, put to work at the Foundation’s April event, eliminated the long lines that once frustrated attendees and cost the organization sales, saving another $3,200 in rental fees (savings the Foundation expects to see again year after year.)
Altogether, the equipment is saving Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation more than $8,000 annually, freeing up funds that would otherwise go toward rentals to instead support Scottish arts education across Dunedin, from elementary school pipe band programs to the World Champion City of Dunedin Pipe Band.
Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation’s reach extends deep into the Pinellas County community. Dunedin Highland Middle School, one of the Foundation’s primary partners, serves a student population in which approximately 65% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Additionally, a 2021 economic survey found the Dunedin Highland Games alone generated $8.1 million in economic impact for Pinellas County: proof that the Foundation’s work strengthens not just cultural life, but the local economy as well.
“The impact of our cultural events on the Dunedin community cannot be overstated,” Everett said. “The Dunedin Highland Games is an iconic event, continuing for over 50 years.” With its equipment restored, the Foundation is positioned to keep that tradition—and Dunedin’s Scottish heritage—marching forward for generations to come.
Inspired by what else is possible in Pinellas County? Learn how to establish a fund at Pinellas Community Foundation and put your giving to work: https://pinellascf.org
