Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: October 21, 2003
Author: Lorenz von Fersen
Phone: 604-871-6005
RTS No. 03721
CC File No. 2051
Meeting Date: November 4, 2003
TO:
Vancouver City Council
FROM:
Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:
2003 Arts Partners in Organizational Development Grant Allocation
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve an Arts Partners in Organizational Development (Arts POD) grant of $15,000 to the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team (VAST) for subsequent distribution to seven cultural organizations in the amounts indicated in Table 1 of this report, source of funds to be the Organizational Development component of the 2003 Cultural Grants budget.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the recommendation.
COUNCIL POLICY
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
This report recommends approval of the City's contribution to the Arts POD program for seven cultural organizations based in Vancouver.
BACKGROUND
Organizational Development grants
The Organizational Development category of the 2003 Cultural Grants provides for the City=s contribution to the Art Partners in Organizational Development (Arts POD) program. The program funds Vancouver's arts organizations to engage independent experts to assess their overall performance and to develop in-depth plans that address strategic issues.The Arts POD program was initiated in 1989 as a jointly funded partnership of the Vancouver Foundation, United Way, Department of the Secretary of State and the City of Vancouver. In 1997 the arts component of the program grew to include the BC Arts Council alongside the City, the Vancouver Foundation and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Capital Regional District (Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Saanich) joined the program in 2002. The program has been reviewed by outside evaluators in 1993 and again in 2000 to ensure it continues to meet real needs. These reviews reported improved organizational and financial planning results for the program participants.
Administrative support and management of grant funds is currently provided by the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team (VAST), whose specialty is organizational development work in the arts sector. VAST is in the process of concluding its mission; its expertise is expected to be rolled into a proposed new "Centre for Not-for-Profit Sustainability" supported by the same set of government and foundation partners and augmented by corporate sponsors. City staff are advising on this evolution, and note that the Arts POD program is recognized as an excellent model for the development of the proposed Centre's services.
DISCUSSION
A. ARTS POD requests
Requests are assessed on the basis of eligible activities and costs, documented need, clear activity plan and long-term benefits to the organization as a whole. Copies of the 2003 Arts POD brochure describing the program, including eligibility and evaluation criteria, are attached as Appendix A.
Although the program is province-wide, City funds are allocated only to Vancouver-based organizations, while the other funders contribute both to Vancouver groups and non-Vancouver groups. The contributions to the Arts POD funding partnership are set out below.
Arts POD funding partners:
City of Vancouver $15,000
Capital Regional District 10,000
Vancouver Foundation 25,000
B.C. Arts Council 25,000
Dept. Canadian Heritage 25,000
TOTAL
$100,000
Of the 30 grant requests received for all of BC, 11 came from Vancouver organizations who requested a total of $54,995. City funds are used only for organizations active in Vancouver, with additional support being provided from the other funding partners.
The following Vancouver cultural organizations are recommended for Arts POD grants. Where organizational assessments are indicated, these will be managed by the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team, and involve an outside consultant usually working for a flat fee.
TABLE 1
Organization
Purpose
Request
Approved
City share
Children's Arts Umbrella
New marketing and communications plan
$10,000
$ 7,500
$ 5,000
Ballet BC
Development of private sector fundraising plan
10,000
5,000
3,000
Carousel Theatre
Organizational assessment
4,000
2,500
1,500
Documentary Media Soc. (DOXA film festival)
Organizational assessment
2,465
2,500
1,500
Helen Pitt Gallery
Organizational assessment
3,210
2,500
1,500
Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Organizational assessment
2,000
2,000
1,250
Rogue Folk Club
Organizational assessment
2,000
2,000
1,250
Total
$33,675
$24,000
$15,000
Requests from the following organizations did not fully meet eligibility criteria or were not priorities for funding at this time:
Full Figure Theatre Company
$1,860
Gallery Gachet
$7,350
Lola Dance Society
$3,000
Mascall Dance Society
$9,110
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The budget for the Arts POD grants in the Organizational Development component of the 2003 Cultural Grant budget is $15,000. Approval of the recommendations in this report will leave no unallocated balance in this component.
CONCLUSION
The Director, Office of Cultural Affairs recommends approval of an Arts Partners in Organizational Development grant of $15,000 to the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team for subsequent distribution to seven cultural organizations as indicated in Table 1.
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