CITY OF VANCOUVER
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: |
December 22, 2003 | |
Author: |
Alice Niwinski; Karen Hasselfelt | |
Phone No.: |
871 6007; 871 6045 | |
RTS No.: |
03881 | |
CC File No.: |
2051/4006 | |
Meeting Date: |
January 13, 2004 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director, Office of Cultural Affairs |
SUBJECT: |
2004 Advance Instalments: Cultural Operating Grants and Amendment to Vancouver Art Gallery Instalment Amount |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve advance grant instalments for Cultural Operating grants in the amount of $459,400 to the 47 organizations listed in Table 1, source of funds to be the 2004 Cultural Grants budget.
B. THAT the amount of the 2004 advance grant monthly instalments to be made to the Vancouver Art Gallery, which was adopted by Council on December 2, 2003 as recommended in the Administrative Report dated October 29, 2003, be amended from $60,383 to $160,383 per month; source of funds to be the 2004 "Other" Grants budget.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services recommends approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Cultural Operating Grants:
City Council approved the provision of advance grant instalments for Cultural Operating grants to applicants that meet specific criteria on December 14, 1989. As amended by Council on February 5, 1998, the three basic criteria for receipt of an advance instalment are:
· The applicant has received a Cultural Operating grant for at least three consecutive years.
· The applicant's Operating grant in the previous year was over $7,500.
· An initial review of an organization's current application indicates no critical concerns about the applicant's finances, organizational sustainability or overall performance in the past year.
· On February 1, 1996, City Council established the basis for calculating advance instalments for Cultural Grants as 40% of an applicant's Operating grant in the previous year.
Major Exhibiting Institution Grants:
It is also Council policy to provide the five Major Exhibiting Institutions with monthly instalments on their operating grants in advance of consideration of their annual grant requests later in the year.
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
This report recommends that Council approve advance instalments, as in past years, in the amount of $459,400 for the 47 Cultural Operating grant applicants that qualify for an advance on their 2004 grant. The report also requests an amendment in the amount of the monthly instalments for the Vancouver Art Gallery passed in a resolution by Council on December 2, 2003.
BACKGROUND
Advance grant instalments for the Cultural Operating grants category were introduced in 1990 to alleviate the cash flow problems that many arts organizations experience at the beginning of the calendar year, when they are in mid-season, but when government and foundation grant budgets have not yet been approved. Before that, only the five Major Exhibiting Institutions funded by the City received advances on their annual grants. Recommendations for advance instalments on Cultural Operating grants are usually presented to Council in January after a preliminary review of grant applications received in early December.
The report on recommendations for advance instalments for the Major Exhibiting Institutions was addressed by Council in December. These instalments allow each organization to manage its cash flow more effectively, as many funding agencies do not issue 2004 grant funds to the institutions until later in the year. The advance instalments for the Vancouver Art Gallery were approved by Council on December 2, 2003 but Recommendation A stated an incorrect amount that did not reflect the amount specified in the body of the Administrative report dated October 29, 2003. This report recommends an amendment to that monthly instalment amount.
DISCUSSION
Cultural Operating Advance Grant Instalments:
In 2003 the City provided 77 organizations with Operating grants totalling $1,292,000. For 2004 the City has received 86 Operating grant requests totalling $1,774,252, including nine first-time requests in this category. Following a review of these applications in the context of the advance instalment criteria described earlier, a total of $459,400 in advance instalments to 47 organizations is recommended, as listed in Table 1.
Table 1 - 2004 Advance Instalments
Cultural Operating Grants
Organization |
2003 Grant |
2004 Advance |
Alliance for Arts & Culture Soc. |
$40,000 |
$16,000 |
Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Soc. |
$90,000 |
$36,000 |
Artspeak Gallery Soc. |
$13,000 |
$5,200 |
Axis Theatre Soc. |
$14,000 |
$5,600 |
Ballet B.C. (Pacific Ballet B.C. Soc.) |
$82,000 |
$32,800 |
Bard on the Beach Theatre Soc. |
$10,000 |
$4,000 |
Canadian Music Centre - B.C. |
$11,000 |
$4,400 |
Carousel Theatre Soc. |
$21,000 |
$8,400 |
Chamber Music Festival (Van. Recital Soc.) |
$12,000 |
$4,800 |
Children's Arts Umbrella Assn. |
$15,000 |
$6,000 |
Children's Festival (C.I.A.Y.A.) |
$116,500 |
$46,600 |
Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Soc. |
$15,000 |
$6,000 |
Coastal Jazz and Blues Soc. |
$12,500 |
$5,000 |
Contemporary Art Gallery Soc. |
$43,000 |
$17,200 |
DanceArts Vancouver Soc. |
$17,000 |
$6,800 |
Dancing on the Edge Festival Soc. |
$9,000 |
$3,600 |
Early Music Vancouver (Van. Soc. for Early Music) |
$14,000 |
$5,600 |
EDAM Performing Arts Soc. |
$11,000 |
$4,400 |
Firehall Theatre Soc. |
$40,000 |
$16,000 |
Green Thumb Players Soc. |
$31,000 |
$12,400 |
Grunt Gallery - Visible Arts Soc. |
$12,000 |
$4,800 |
Headlines Theatre (Theatre for Living Soc.) |
$10,000 |
$4,000 |
Holy Body Tattoo Soc. |
$11,500 |
$4,600 |
Kokoro Dance Theatre Soc. |
$11,500 |
$4,600 |
Lola MacLaughlin Dance Soc. |
$10,500 |
$4,200 |
Music in the Morning Concert Soc. |
$8,000 |
$3,200 |
Or Gallery Soc. |
$9,000 |
$3,600 |
Pacific Cinémathèque Pacifique |
$22,500 |
$9,000 |
Pink Ink Theatre Productions Assn. |
$9,000 |
$3,600 |
Playwrights Theatre Centre |
$15,000 |
$6,000 |
Public Dreams Soc. |
$13,500 |
$5,400 |
Rumble Production Soc. |
$12,000 |
$4,800 |
Satellite Video Exchange Soc. |
$16,000 |
$6,400 |
Théâtre la Seizième |
$8,000 |
$3,200 |
Touchstone Theatre Soc. |
$20,000 |
$8,000 |
Van. Cantata Soc. |
$13,000 |
$5,200 |
Van. Co-operative Radio |
$9,000 |
$3,600 |
Van. Dance Centre Soc. |
$24,000 |
$9,600 |
Van. East Cultural Centre |
$72,000 |
$28,800 |
Van. Folk Music Festival Soc. |
$55,000 |
$22,000 |
(First Van. Theatrespace Soc.) |
$31,500 |
$12,600 |
Van. Intl. Film Festival Soc. |
$17,500 |
$7,000 |
Van. Intl. Writers Festival Soc. |
$20,000 |
$8,000 |
Van. New Music Soc. |
$24,000 |
$9,600 |
Van. Opera Assn. |
$17,000 |
$6,800 |
Van. Symphony Soc. |
$40,000 |
$16,000 |
Western Front Soc. |
$20,000 |
$8,000 |
Totals |
$1,148,500 |
$459,400 |
Amendment to VAG Monthly Instalments:
Recommendation A of the Administrative Report dated October 29, 2003 indicated a monthly instalment of $60,383 for the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2004. The correct amount is $160,383, as was cited in the body of the report. The instalments will commence in January 2004, in advance of Council's consideration of the Art Gallery's 2004 operating grant request.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
In keeping with Council policy, the 47 advance Operating grant instalments in this report are recommended prior to Council's approval of the 2004 Cultural Grants budget ceiling; they amount to 40% of each eligible applicant's 2003 Operating grant. The recommended total advance of $459,400 represents 35.5% of the Cultural Operating grants budget at last year's level of $1,292,000.
Staff also recommend that Council amend the amount of the monthly instalments to the Vancouver Art Gallery passed in the resolution of December 2, 2003 to $160,383. Since the amended instalment is the amount already cited in the report approved on December 2 and is based upon the Art Gallery's 2003 approved grant level, there will be no adverse impact on the 2004 budget.
CONCLUSION
Staff note that Vancouver's non-profit arts organizations consistently underline the value of the City's advance grant instalments in managing their cash flow needs early in the year. The current eligibility guidelines for advances on Cultural Operating grants work well, and the 40% limit allows for further staff review to determine an appropriate final grant amount for each applicant. Similarly, instalment levels for the Vancouver Art Gallery and other Major Institutions are based on 2003 actual funding levels, so that adjustments can be made once 2004 operating grants are approved.
As in previous years, following Council's decisions, Cultural Grant applicants will be notified in writing that approval of an advance payment does not represent a commitment for any additional funds, which will depend on the grant budget levels established by Council for 2004, on further staff evaluation, and on Council's final approval of recommended allocations.
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