The 2008 Arts Fund campaign fell roughly $13,000 short of its $207,250 goal at June’s end, so the Allied Arts Council pulled out the reserves.

The arts agency’s board of directors voted last week to tap into the Allied Arts Council’s reserve fund, which totals between $35,000 and $40,000, to cover the difference and help the Arts Fund drive attain its financial goal.

When the council set the initial goal at the end of 2007, executive director Teresa Fankhauser wasn’t aware that high gas prices and other economic factors, along with increased operating costs for community arts agencies, would affect the drive the way that they did.

“It was not anticipated that things would be tight so quick,” Ms. Fankhauser said. “The handwriting wasn’t big and large as it is right now.”

Kathy Hill-Bahner, president of the Allied Arts Council’s board of directors, said that there are still donations out and whatever donations they receive will be used to reimburse the AAC’s reserve fund. In past years, if the Arts Fund didn’t reach its goal, cuts were made to the budget of local arts agencies. But after failing to reach what Ms. Hill-Bahner said was a “very aggressive” goal, the AAC felt this year’s economic circumstances warranted an exception.

“We think it’s important that we stand behind our funded agencies this year,” Ms. Hill-Bahner said. “We don’t feel like we can ask them this year to take a cut.”

Blake Hannon can be reached

at blakehannon@npgco.com.