New York, NY—Rehabilitation Through Photography (RTP) named a new executive director, Kelly J. Strantz, who comes to the position with a strong background in international fundraising for the arts in London, Oslo and Seattle, where her efforts produced over $23 million in revenue.
“We are very excited about the great progress that RTP is making in so many areas and about Kelly Strantz’s ability to help us sustain and extend this progress,” said Ron Sharpe, president of the RTP board of directors. “After 70 years we are so pleased to continue our charitable mission of inspiring individuals and illuminating their voices and vision through the power of photography and photographic instruction.”
Strantz excels at networking and creating new events for the charitable organizations she represents. She is passionate about art and photography and the role that Rehabilitation Through Photography plays in “helping transform lives through the power of photography.”
Having worked with visual and recording artists to create memorable events that have resulted in significant revenue for the charities she has championed, Strantz has been successful in securing sponsorships from major corporations, such as Absolute Vodka, Adobe, Amazon, AT&T, Bank of America, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, ESPN, HSBC, Microsoft, Sotheby’s, Starbucks, The Gap and Wells Fargo. She is looking forward to using her talents and connections to help the people and programs that Rehabilitation Through Photography serves.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to reengage past, present and future major donors, sponsors and supporters by creating a sustainable and attainable series of programs that will focus on fundraising, networking and PR events that raise awareness and status and create collation building activities to continue, expand and nurture photography programs in New York,” said Strantz.
RTP will also relocate from midtown Manhattan to 64 Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan, a historical building built in 1898 that is home to several other charitable organizations, which will create synergies and opportunities for RTP to expand their programs and reach. The building’s architectural legacy and aspirations from the 19th century is an excellent match for RTP as it celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. New York’s first paved river-to-river street, Fulton is one of Lower Manhattan’s only crosstown corridors, stretching from the 19th-century warehouses of South Street Seaport to the construction of the World Trade Center site to the west.
Rehabilitation Through Photography provides photography instruction and programs to veterans, the physically and emotionally challenged, the elderly, at-risk youth, the economically disadvantaged, the homeless and the visually impaired. This photography instruction engages individuals with the wider world beyond their limitations and empowers them to see and act in creative and life-affirming ways. RTP is entirely supported by tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is a registered 5013C charitable organization. rtphoto.org
