ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 3, 1998

Author/Local:L.von Fersen,6005

RTS No. 00229

CC File No. 2051

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Services Division and Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:	1998 Partners in Organizational Development Grant Allocation

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve an Arts Partners in Organizational Development grant of $15,000 to the United Way of the Lower Mainland for subsequent distribution to seven cultural organizations in the amounts listed in Appendix A of this report, source of funds to be the 1998 Cultural Grants budget

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report recommends approval of the City’s contribution to the Arts Partners in Organizational Development program for seven cultural organizations based in Vancouver.

BACKGROUND

On February 5, 1998 of this year Council approved allocation of $ 15,000 in the 1998Cultural Grants budget for the Arts Partnership in Organizational Development Program (Arts POD).

The Partners in Organizational Development (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 to help non-profit groups deal with common organizational problems and thus to function more effectively.

In 1993 an independent evaluation of the program indicated that it was meeting real needs in the community, that it should be continued, and that other funding partners should be found so that the program could assist more organizations.

A review of the cultural component of POD was undertaken in May of 1997, involving seven Vancouver arts organizations plus staff from the Vancouver Foundation, Department of Canadian Heritage, B.C. Arts Council, Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team, United Way and the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs. As a result, the arts component of POD has been re-named for clarity "Arts POD" and strengthened in two ways:

a)engaging the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team to bring their organizational development expertise to small organizations by providing a needs assessment option. This provides an analytical grounding for organizations, enabling more focused and cost-effective planning work.

b)adding the B.C. Arts Council as a partner in the program brought an additional $25,000 to the funding pool. This contribution continued in 1998.

To reduce costs and duplication of administration, the United Way handles the administration of the Arts POD program, co-ordinating mailing lists, distributing applications, and mailing out one cheque to each successful applicant.

Arts POD grant applications are reviewed by a committee of staff representing each funder. Proposals 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. A copy of the 1998 Arts POD brochure describing the program, including eligibility and evaluation criteria, is attached as Appendix C.

DISCUSSION

A province-wide total of 28 applications were received, of which 12 requests came from Vancouver organizations. These totals are down from 54 last year, 22 coming from Vancouver. Staff are consulting with the other funding partners to analyse what factors led to this decline.

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:

Funder Arts POD

City of Vancouver 15,000

Vancouver Foundation 25,000

B.C.Arts Council 25,000

Dept.Canadian Heritage 25,000

TOTAL 90,000

CONCLUSION

Office of Cultural Affairs staff recommend approval of an Arts Partners in Organizational Development grant of $15,000 to the United Way of the Lower Mainland for subsequent distribution to seven cultural organizations as listed in Appendix A. Organizations not recommended for support are listed in Appendix B.

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APPENDIX A

1998 ARTS POD GRANTS RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATIONS

The following cultural organizations are recommended for Arts POD grants. Where needs assessments are indicated, these will be undertaken by the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team for a flat fee of the amount granted.

Organization	Purpose of Grant	Request $	Grant $	City’s share
Pacific Baroque Orchestra	Needs assessment prior to starting a strategic planning process	1,500	1,500	737
Contemporary Art Gallery	Plan development preparing for growth centred on a new facility.	4,000	4,000	1,966
The Dance Centre Society	Plan development to review the services of the Society and integrate these with a facility management role	10,000	6,000	2,950
Workshops in the Performing Arts	First needs assessment for this arts-training service organization.	1,500	1,500	737
Arts Starts in the Schools Society	Plan development for strategic marketing and fundraising for their the arts booking services to schools.	7,500	7,500	3,690
Vancouver Int’l Writers Festival	Plan development of a marketing strategy engaging both Board members and staff.	6,000	5,000	2,460
IE Artspeak Gallery Society	Plan development preparing for growth centred on a new facility.	10,000	5,000	2,460
TOTAL		42,000	30,500	15,000

APPENDIX B

1998 ARTS POD GRANTS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING

The following five organizations are not recommended for Arts POD grants:

Organization Request $

Edgewise Electrolit Centre Society 900

Main Dance Projects Society 10,000

Malaspina Printmakers Society 9,000

Vancouver Moving Theatre 2,900

Kinesis Dance 1,500

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver