FY 2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support & Capacity Building Grants Funding RecommendationCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE
SUMMARY:
SUGGESTED
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
MVM Memo
Copyrighted
July 1, 2024
Consent Items # 03.
FY 2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support & Capacity Building Grants
Funding Recommendation
City Manager recommending concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs
Advisory Commission for the recommended recipients and funding
levels of the FY2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support & Capacity
Building grant applicants as provided.
Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Concur
Memo -Operating Support Funding Recommendation
Memo -Capacity Building Funding Recommendation
Operating Support Grant Funding and Scores
Capacity Building Grant Funding and Scores
Type
City Manager Memo
Staff Memo
Staff Memo
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
THE CITY OF
Dubuque
DUB TEE1.
All -America City
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: FY 2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support & Capacity Building Grants
Funding Recommendation
DATE: June 27, 2024
Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager Bonnie Spurling is recommending City Council
concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission for the recommended
recipients and funding levels of the FY2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support &
Capacity Building grant applicants as follows:
Operating Support Grant funding recommendations:
• Bell Tower Theater $ 19,050.29
• Dubuque Symphony Orchestra $ 23,348.48
• Dubuque Chorale $ 3,166.48
• Dubuque Arts Council $ 5,810.18
• The Dubuque Museum of Art $ 22,776.53
• Julien Dubuque International Film Festival $ 18,501.84
• Dubuque County Historical Society $ 28,471.43
• The Grand Opera House $ 26,764.80
• Colts Youth Organization $ 25,055.10
• Fly -By -Night Productions $ 1,592.88
• Music Men Barbershop Chorus $ 1,033.10
• Voices Productions $ 5,231.84
• Creative Adventure Lab $ 25,623.98
• Rising Star Theatre Company $ 9,809.62
• Heritage Works $ 18,939.75
• Northeast Iowa School of Music $ 14,706.23
Total FY 2025 Operating Support Funds to be Awarded $249,882.53
Capacity Building Grant funding recommendations:
• $6,500 to Bell Tower Theater
• $5,580 to Northeast Iowa School of Music
• $5,000 to The Grand Opera House
• $4,544 to Dubuque County Fine Arts Society
• $4,500 to Dubuque County Historical Society
• $4,000 to Dubuque Chorale, Inc.
• $4,000 to Dubuque Arts Council
Total FY 2025 Capacity Building projects to be Awarded: $34,124.00
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Micliael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager
Jenny Larson, Chief Financial Officer
Dubuque
THE CITY OF
DAll•Aseriea 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: Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager
SUBJECT: FY 2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant Funding
Recommendation
DATE: June 26, 2024
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 2025 Arts & Culture Operating Support
Grants program, requesting concurrence with the funding recommendation for City
Council approval.
BACKGROUND
$250,000 was approved by the City Council for FY 2025 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.
The Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission Grants Committee made several changes to the
eligibility requirements and review process for the FY25 Operating Support Grant program to
ensure that the funds provided by the City were being used with fidelity and for the purpose of
supporting Arts & Culture organizations. These changes were designed to strengthen oversight
and stewardship of public funds allocated to Arts & Culture organizations, ensuring that funds
were being allocated and in line with the organizations mission, and that they were making a
meaningful impact in the community and fulfilling their role as vital contributors to the city's
cultural landscape. To ensure funding would be available to all eligible organizations, the
amount of the FY25 grant award was lowered from 6% or $30,000 of an organization's
operating budget to 4% or $20,000 of an organization's operating budget.
After the review process was complete and funding strategies assessed, the current 4% or
$20,000 of the organization's operating budget would total $190,000 of the $250,000 budgeted
amount. By increasing the funding level amount back to 6% or $30,000 per eligible organization,
we can provide more substantial support to arts and culture organizations in need. Increasing
our level of funding to 6% or $30,000 would bring our grant eligible funding total to $255,000,
ensuring that we are able to support as many organizations as possible and maximize the
impact of our funding to make a meaningful difference in the arts and culture sector. Funding
strategies would be put in place to bring this amount to the $250,000 budget level. By
reinstating the former funding cap, we will ensure that organizations are able to maintain
financial stability.
Funding of FY25 awards are based on an average of the organization's certified
operating expenses from their fiscal year completed prior to March 17, 2023 and their
most recently completed fiscal year. By restoring the maximum funding, an organization
can receive 6% of that average not to exceed $30,000. Nineteen (19) applications were
received; Seventeen (16) applicants were eligible for funding per the program
guidelines. The request for funding across all applications in FY 2025 was $347,214.
Applications were reviewed and scored by a three -person panel, independent of the
Arts Commission. I, as staff for the City's Arts Commission, have overseen the process
throughout.
DISCUSSION
The following volunteers served as the review panel, independently reading and scoring
all applications against on the previously approved 18-point rubric:
• Cindy Granse, Retired -Information Technology
• Paula Paider Licht, United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States
• Bryce Taylor, Loras College Professor
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, June 25, 2024, meeting.
If all applications were funded at their maximum possible award based on the score
received, a program budget of $299, 572 would be needed and was not considered as a
viable option. In order to fund all eligible programs equitably the while fully utilizing the
program budget, the following scenario was presented to the Arts Commission:
• Fund all eligible organizations at 6% or $30,000 of their operating budget
(maximum funding percentage) x reviewer scores, adding .0025 of the maximum
funding percentage. The remaining unused funds are rolled over for future
funding opportunities.
The Arts Commission voted unanimously to recommend this funding scenario 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.
Thus, the Arts Commission's FY 2025 Operating Support grant funding
recommendations is as follows:
Bell Tower Theater
$
19,050.29
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra
$
23,348.48
Dubuque Chorale
$
3,166.48
Dubuque Arts Council
$
5,810.18
The Dubuque Museum of Art
$
22,776.53
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
$
18,501.84
Dubuque County Historical Society
$
28,471.43
The Grand Opera House
$
26,764.80
Colts Youth Organization
$
25,055.10
Fly -By -Night Productions
$
1,592.88
Music Men Barbershop Chorus
$
1,033.10
Voices Productions
$
5,231.84
Creative Adventure Lab
$
25,623.98
Rising Star Theatre Company
$
9,809.62
Heritage Works
$
18,939.75
Northeast Iowa School of Music
$
14,706.23
TOTAL FY 2025 Operating Support Funds to be Awarded
$
249,882.53
The FY 2025 Operating Support funding cycle runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30,
2025. Grant recipients are required to submit a final report by August 31, 2025.
BUDGETIMPACT
There are no new budget impacts. The FY 2025 approved budget includes $250,000 for
Arts & Culture Operating Support Grants.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I respectfully request concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
recommendation to fund the aforementioned FY 2025 Operating Support grant
applications for approval by the City Council.
CC: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Dubuque
THE COF
Ui!B E
All -America Cif
1 111 1®11
2007.2012�2013
2017*2019
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager
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
SUBJECT: FY2025 Arts & Culture Capacity Building Grant Funding Recommendation
DATE: June 26, 2024
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum requests the City Council concurrence with the recommended recipients
and funding levels of the FY2025 Arts & Culture Capacity Building grant applicants.
BACKGROUND
The Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant program has been in place since FY2005, when
$30,000 was disbursed to five arts organizations for their work. This amount was increased to
$35,000 annually in FY2006. In 2024, the Arts & Culture Commission Grants Committee
worked to create the Capacity Building grant as a focused biennial Special Project grant with
the aim to create more sustainable and effective arts and culture organizations.
Capacity Building grant applications were accepted between April 2, 2024, and May 10,
2024. Nine (9) applications were submitted, requesting $49,124 collectively. A three -person
independent jury reviewed and scored applications; scoring was then considered by, and a
recommendation supported by the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission (Arts
Commission). I, as staff for the City's Arts Commission, have overseen the process
throughout.
DISCUSSION
The jury panel comprised of the following individuals reviewed applications:
• Angela Ventris, Community Grant Writer for the Community Foundation of Greater
Dubuque, Dubuque IA
• Gail Chavanelle, Artist, Dubuque, IA
• Yunona Dranichnikova, Art Educator, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
Panelist scoring was based on an 18-point rubric, previously approved by the Arts
Commission for the FY2025 Capacity Building grant application process. Said rubric ensured
that imperatives of proposed capacity building projects included:
• Impact of Capacity Building Project- The organization clearly identifies the area of capacity
that the project will improve and its benefit to the organization's ability to fulfill its mission,
demonstrating how the organization fulfills an identified community need.
Project Plan- The organization clearly outlines manageable and measurable objectives and
outcomes, realistic timelines, and capable project team leaders.
• Leverage- The organization engages and utilizes other resources such as funding sources,
volunteers, and community partnerships, demonstrating a connection to the community.
The scoring was received and compiled for Commissioner review by staff, with competitive
ranking of applications and corresponding funding levels provided to the Arts Commission for
consideration during a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Staff had been given instruction by the Arts Commission to fully fund organizations based on
the reviewer scores until funding was depleted. Based on this direction, 7 organizations
would receive their full amount to complete their capacity building project totaling $34,124.
Following discussion, the Arts Commission, voted unanimously to support this option, which
funds the following capacity building projects at the levels noted:
• $6,500 to Bell Tower Theater
• $5,580 to Northeast Iowa School of Music
• $5,000 to The Grand Opera House
• $4,544 to Dubuque County Fine Arts Society
• $4,500 to Dubuque County Historical Society
• $4,000 to Dubuque Chorale, Inc.
• $4,000 to Dubuque Arts Council
Funding recommended above totals $34,124. Projects will be implemented prior to June 30,
2025, with final reports due by August 31, 2025.
BUDGETIMPACT
There are no new budget impacts. The FY2025 approved budget includes $35,000 for Arts &
Culture Special Projects Capacity Building Grants.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I respectfully request concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
recommendation to fund the FY2025 Special Projects Capacity Building grant applications for
approval by City Council.
CC: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
FY25 Operating Support Funding Recommendations
Dubuque Chorale Inc
16.67
92.59
Operating■
$ 55,608.00
$ 2,224.32
$
3,336.48
$
3,089.25
Dubuque County Historical
Society
16.67
92.59
$7,157,908.00
$
20,000.00
$
30,000.00
$
27,777.00
Heritage Works Inc
16.33
90.74
$339,391
$
13,575.64
$
20,363.46
$
18,477.80
Voices Productions
16.33
90.74
$93,752
$
3,750.08
$
5,625.12
$
5,104.23
The Grand Opera House
15.67
87.04
$677,780
$
20,000.00
$
30,000.00
$
26,112.00
Creative Adventure Lab, Inc.
15
83.33
$
808,661.00
$
20,000.00
$
30,000.00
$
24,999.00
Dubuque Arts Council
15
83.33
$113,374
$
4,534.96
$
6,802.44
$
5,668.47
Be It Towe r Th eate r
14.67
81.48
$
380,168.00
$
15,206.72
$
22,810.08
$
18,585.65
Colts Youth Organization
14.67
81.48
$1,900,800.00
$
20,000.00
$
30,000.00
$
24,444.00
Fly -By -Night Productions, Inc.
14.33
79.63
$
32,526.00
$
1,301.04
$
1,951.56
$
1,554.03
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra
13.67
75.93
$
991,101.00
$
20,000.00
$
30,000.00
$
22,779.00
Julien Dubuque International
Film Festival
13.67
75.93
$
396,211.00
$
15,848.44
$
23,772.66
$
18,050.58
Dubuque Museum of Art
13.33
74.07
$
831,405.00
$
20,000.00
$
30,000.00
$
22,221.00
Rising Star Theatre Company
13.33
74.07
$215,345
$
8,613.80
$
12,920.70
$
9,570.36
Northeast Iowa School of Music
12.67
70.37
$339,812
$
13,592.48
$
20,388.72
$
14,347.54
MUSIC MEN BARBERSHOP
CHORUS INC:
11.33
62.96
$
26,681.00
$
1,067.24
$
1,600.86
$
1,007.90
$
199,714.72
$
299,572.08
$ 243,787.82
FY25
Capacity Building Funding Recommendations
Dubuque County Fine Arts Society
$
4,544.00
17.33
$
4,544.00
Dubuque Chorale, Inc.
$
4,000.00
16.67
$
4,000.00
Northeast Iowa Schol of Music
$
5,580.00
16.67
$
5,580.00
Bell Tower Theater
$
6,500.00
16
$
6,500.00
The Grand Opera House
$
5,000.00
16
$
5,000.00
Dubuque County Historical Society
$
4,500.00
15
$
4,500.00
Dubuque Arts Council
$
4,000.00
15
$
4,000.00
Heritage Works, Inc.
$
8,000.00
14.67
$
-
Creative Adventure Lab
$
7,000.00
12.67
$
-
$
49,124.00
$
34,124.00
FY25
Capacity Building Funding Recommendations
$
4,544.00
17.33
$
4,544.00
Dubuque County Fine Arts Society
Dubuque Chorale, Inc.
$
4,000.00
16.67
$
4,000.00
Northeast Iowa Schol of Music
$
5,580.00
16.67
$
5,580.00
Bell Tower Theater
$
6,500.00
16
$
6,500.00
The Grand Opera House
$
5,000.00
16
$
5,000.00
Dubuque County Historical Society
$
4,500.00
15
$
4,500.00
Dubuque Arts Council
$
4,000.00
15
$
4,000.00
Heritage Works, Inc.
$
8,000.00
14.67
$
-
Creative Adventure Lab
$
7,000.00
12.67
$
-
$
49,124.00
$
34,124.00