Fiscal Year 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant FundingCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Action Items # 05.
Copyrighted
September 6, 2022
ITEM TITLE: Fiscal Year 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant Funding
Recommendation
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approve the funding
recommendation from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
for grant awards to arts and culture organizations through the City's Fiscal
Year 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grants program.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
FY 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Funding
Recommendation-MVM Memo
Memo to MVM re FY 2023 Arts Culture Operating
Support Grant Funding Recommendation
FY23 OSG Scoring and Funding Scenarios for Arts
Commission
Type
City Manager Memo
Staff Memo
Supporting Documentation
THE CITY
DUOF
B TEE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: FY 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant Funding
Recommendation
DATE: August 31, 2022
Dubuque
All -America City
IN
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jenni Petersen -Brant is recommending City Council
approve the funding recommendation from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory
Commission (Arts Commission) for grant awards to arts and culture organizations
through the City's FY 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grants program.
$250,000 was approved City Council for FY 2023 for the Arts & Culture Operating
Support Grant Program. This program offers limited, unrestricted support to eligible arts
and cultural non-profit organizations operating within Dubuque city limits that
demonstrate a commitment to serving the community through access to arts, arts
education, and cultural heritage experiences. Per standard operating procedure, this
funding is awarded annually through a competitive application process with applicants
responding to program guidelines and application questions previously reviewed and
approved by the Arts Commission and transmitted to City Council.
In FY 2023, funding awards are based on an average of the organization's certified
operating expenses from their fiscal year completed prior to March 17, 2020, and their
most recently completed fiscal year. The maximum funding an organization can receive
is calculated at 6% of that average not to exceed $30,000. Nineteen (19) applications
were received; all nineteen applicants were eligible for funding per the program
guidelines. The request for funding across all applications in FY 2023 was $303,808.
Applications were reviewed and scored by a three -person panel, independent of the
Arts Commission.
Bell Tower Theater
$
15,500.00
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra
$
27,400.00
Dubuque Chorale
$
2,400.00
Dubuque Arts Council
$
3,200.00
The Dubuque Museum of Art
$
26,200.00
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
$
13,100.00
Dubuque County Historical Society
$
25,000.00
The Grand Opera House
$
25,000.00
Colts Youth Organization
$
25,000.00
Fly -By -Night Productions
$
700.00
Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
$
19,900.00
Music Men Barbershop Chorus
$
700.00
Key City Creative Center
$
3,600.00
Dubuque County Fine Arts Society
$
3,800.00
Creative Adventure Lab
$
22,700.00
Rising Star Theatre Company
$
3,200.00
Heritage Works
$
11,900.00
Northeast Iowa School of Music
$
13,000.00
Downtown Dubuque Cultural Corridor / Dubuque Main Street
$
8,100.00
TOTAL FY 2023 Operating Support Funds to be Awarded
$
250,400.00
There are no new budget impacts. The FY 2023 approved budget includes $250,000 for
Arts & Culture Operating Support Grants. An additional $400 is available through the FY
2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects program.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenni Petersen -Brant, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
Teri Goodmann, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Justin Thiltgen, Technical Grant Analyst/Assistant
Dubuque
THE CITY OF
DA I-Aneriea Cft
UB E 11
haIni.i rvx1:)(F
2007-2012-2013
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2017*2019
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jenni Petersen -Brant, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
SUBJECT: FY 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant Funding
Recommendation
DATE: August 31, 2022
INTRODUCTION
Economic Development Department
Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
1300 Main St
Dubuque, IA 52001
Office (563) 589-4393
TTY (563) 690-6678
http://www.cityofdubuque.org
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the funding recommendation from the
Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission (Arts Commission) for grant awards to arts
and culture organizations through the City's FY 2023 Arts & Culture Operating Support
Grants program, requesting concurrence with the funding recommendation for City
Council approval.
BACKGROUND
$250,000 was approved City Council for FY 2023 for the Arts & Culture Operating
Support Grant Program. This program offers limited, unrestricted support to eligible arts
and cultural non-profit organizations operating within Dubuque city limits that
demonstrate a commitment to serving the community through access to arts, arts
education, and cultural heritage experiences. Per standard operating procedure, this
funding is awarded annually through a competitive application process with applicants
responding to program guidelines and application questions previously reviewed and
approved by the Arts Commission and transmitted to City Council.
In FY 2023, funding awards are based on an average of the organization's certified
operating expenses from their fiscal year completed prior to March 17, 2020 and their
most recently completed fiscal year. The maximum funding an organization can receive
is calculated at 6% of that average not to exceed $30,000. Nineteen (19) applications
were received; all nineteen applicants were eligible for funding per the program
guidelines. The request for funding across all applications in FY 2023 was $303,808.
Applications were reviewed and scored by a three -person panel, independent of the
Arts Commission. Myself, as staff for the City's Arts Commission, has overseen the
process throughout.
DISCUSSION
The following volunteers served as the review panel, independently reading and scoring
all applications against on the previously approved 15-point rubric:
Lindsey Clausen, Associate Director for LUX Center for the Arts (Lincoln, NE)
Ellen Henkels, Former Arts Commissioner and Retired Arts Educator with
Dubuque Community Public Schools
Laura Merrick, Communications & Grant Administration Assistant for City of
Dubuque
Scoring, along with organizational operating budget worksheets, was then reviewed and
used by Staff to inform the funding scenarios provided to the Arts Commission for
consideration. The accompanying scoring and funding scenarios document, with
applications anonymously listed in order by scoring, was reviewed by the Arts
Commission at their Tuesday, August 30, 2022 meeting.
If all applications were funded at their maximum possible award based on the score
received, a program budget of $281,124 would be needed and was not considered as a
viable option. Three (3) funding scenarios, decreasing all awards equitably, while fully
utilizing the program budget, were calculated as follows:
Option A: Reduced all maximum awards based on score equally by 11 %.
Option B: Reduced all maximum awards equally by 5% with an additional
reduction proportionate to score.
Option C: Rounds figures in Option B up to the nearest 100 and then applies an
additional $100 to each award, maximizing the program's full budget. As the
lowest scoring applicant scored markedly lower than the top-ranking applicant,
the additional $100 was not applied to that proposed award.
Following discussion of all scenarios, the Arts Commission voted unanimously to
recommend Option C funding levels as it:
• Aligns with past year's methods of calculating funding allocations using a tiered
funding structure that incrementally decreases awards based on scoring.
• Provides all eligible applicants with some funding.
• Fully utilizes the program budget to maximize community impact.
• Utilizes the remaining $400 unawarded balance from the FY 2023 Arts & Culture
Special Projects program.
Thus, the Arts Commission's FY 2023 Operating Support grant funding
recommendations is as follows:
Bell Tower Theater
$
15,500.00
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra
$
27,400.00
Dubuque Chorale
$
2,400.00
Dubuque Arts Council
$
3,200.00
The Dubuque Museum of Art
$
26,200.00
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
$
13,100.00
Dubuque County Historical Society
$
25,000.00
The Grand Opera House
$
25,000.00
Colts Youth Organization
$
25,000.00
Fly -By -Night Productions
$
700.00
Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
$
19,900.00
Music Men Barbershop Chorus
$
700.00
Key City Creative Center
$
3,600.00
Dubuque County Fine Arts Society
$
3,800.00
Creative Adventure Lab
$
22,700.00
Rising Star Theatre Company
$
3,200.00
Heritage Works
$
11,900.00
Northeast Iowa School of Music
$
13,000.00
Downtown Dubuque Cultural Corridor/ Dubuque Main Street
$
8,100.00
TOTAL FY 2023 Operating Support Funds to be Awarded
$
250,400.00
The FY 2023 Operating Support funding cycle runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30,
2023. Grant recipients are required to submit a final report by August 31, 2023.
BUDGETIMPACT
There are no new budget impacts. The FY 2023 approved budget includes $250,000 for
Arts & Culture Operating Support Grants. An additional $400 is available through the FY
2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects program.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I respectfully request concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
recommendation to fund the aforementioned FY 2023 Operating Support grant
applications for approval by City Council.
CC: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Option C:
Option
B: 95%
Option
B
Option A:
of Funding
rounded up to
Funding
89% of
based on
nearest
Eligible
Max Funding
Based on
Funding
score, reduced
hundred +
% of Max
Operating
Possible (6%
Score (MFP x
Based on
proportionate
add'I
$100 for
Average
Score
Budget
or $30,000)
Score %)
Score
to Score
all
14.67
97 8%
$
281,118
$
16,867
$
16,492
$
14,678
$
15,319
$
15,500
14.67
97 8%
$
924,440
$
30,000
$
29,333
$
26,107
$
27,247
$
27,400
14.33
95.6%
$
42,544
$
2,553
$
2,439
$
2,171
$
2,214
$
2,400
14.33
95.6%
$
59,423
$
3,565
$
3,407
$
3,032
$
3,093
$
3,200
14.33
95.6%
$
835,249
$
30,000
$
28,667
$
25,513
$
26,023
$
26,200
14.33
95.6%
$
249,392
$
14,964
$
14,298
$
12,726
$
12,980
$
13,100
14.00
93.3%
$
7,367,889
$
30,000
$
28,000
$
24,920
$
24,827
$
25,000
14.00
93.3%
$
708,223
$
30,000
$
28,000
$
24,920
$
24,827
$
25,000
14.00
93.3%
$
1,248,350
$
30,000
$
28,000
$
24,920
$
24,827
$
25,000
14.00
93.3%
$
10,553
$
633
$
591
$
526
$
524
$
700
14.00
93.3%
$
398,473
$
23,908
$
22,314
$
19,860
$
19,786
$
19,900
13.67
91.1%
$
11,752
$
705
$
642
$
572
$
556
$
700
13.33
88 9%
$
76,581
$
4,595
$
4,084
$
3,635
$
3,449
$
3,600
13.33
88 9%
$
81,744
$
4,905
$
4,360
$
3,880
$
3,682
$
3,800
13.33
88 9%
$
660,665
$
30,000
$
26,667
$
23,733
$
22,519
$
22,700
13.33
88 9%
$
67,060
$
4,024
$
3,577
$
3,183
$
3,020
$
3,200
13.00
86.7%
$
274,099
$
16,446
$
14,253
$
12,685
$
11,735
$
11,900
13.00
86.7%
$
301,185
$
18,071
$
15,662
$
13,939
$
12,895
$
13,000
12.33
82 2%
$
209,538
$
12,572
$
10,337
$
9,200
$
8,075
$
$
8,100
250,400
$ 303,808
$ 281,124
$ 250,200
$ 247,596