FY 2011 Arts and Culural Funding for Operating SupportCity of Dubuque
.arts & Cu turaCA fairs Advisory Commission
May 26, 2011
The Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Dubuque
50 W.13 Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Re: Arts and Culture Funding Program for Operating Support
FY 2012 Funding Requests and Commission Recommendations
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:
Introduction
The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission has reviewed fourteen funding
requests from Dubuque arts and culture organizations requesting $260,836 in funds
from the FY 2012 Arts and Culture Funding Program for Operating Support. This memo
transmits the Commission's funding recommendations and requests that the Council
approve the recommendations and associated funding agreements.
Background
In March 2005, the City Council approved a $200,000 budget decision package
providing resources for the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission to make
recommendations to City Council for the best investment in the community for arts and
culture.
In May 2005, the City Council approved the Commission's recommendation to establish
an Arts and Culture Funding Program for Operating Support. The Commission
recommended that operating support be provided to high - quality, established 501(c)(3)
arts and culture organizations located in the City of Dubuque that primarily serve
Dubuque residents with year -round arts and culture events, programs and services, and
can demonstrate a record of programmatic and administrative stability. Arts and culture
advocates worked for many years to educate the community about why our arts and
culture organizations need City funding and why this financial investment is good for
Dubuque. The Commission believes it is important to sustain and insure Tong -term
viability for existing arts and culture organizations and to create a welcoming
environment for new organizations. The Commission has reviewed funding requests
each year since the program was established and recommended that the council award
funding to 12 organizations for FY 2006 totaling $200,000, 9 organizations for FY 2007
totaling $200,000, 11 organizations in FY 2008 totaling $200,000, 12 organizations for
FY 2009 totaling $200,000, 13 organizations in FY 2010 totaling $200,000, and 13
organizations in FY 2011 totaling $200,000. The seventh round of competition (FY
2012) for the operating support program was announced in January, 2011. Arts and
culture organizations were notified of the funding competition by direct mail, media
releases, and posting on the City's web site. Staff also conducted two grant workshops
in February for potential applicants. Staff was also available to provide assistance to
applicant organizations on an individual basis throughout the application period.
Discussion
The Commission received funding requests from fourteen different Dubuque Arts and
Culture organizations —the largest number of applicants ever. The funding requests
totaled $260,836. The maximum funding levels initially established for the program are
6% of organization's previous year's operating expenses or $50,000, whichever is less.
Total funding available in the FY 2012 budget is $200,000. Budget constraints have
limited the Commission's ability to fully fund the eligible organizations. The Commission
was aware that due to a static budgeted amount for the Arts and Culture Operating
Support Program coupled with an increasing number of eligible applicant organizations
and the increased operating budgets of those organizations, it was highly unlikely that
organizations would be funded at the maximum funding formulas. The program
guidelines stated "It is unlikely that qualified organizations will be funded at this level.
Funding levels over the past few years have ranged from 2 -5% or $40,000, depending
upon the number of eligible applicants and the degree to which an applicant meets
selection criteria." The Commission utilizes a point value for the various rating criteria to
determine the ranking of the funding requests.
Selection criteria for the program are:
1. Dubuque arts and culture organizations whose mission is primarily arts and
culture and the degree to which their programs and services support that
mission and the city's cultural arts goals. (40 points possible)
2. Organization's demonstrated management abilities (financial position or
condition, fiscal responsibility, and management.) (25 points possible)
3. Organization's demonstrated artistic or cultural excellence and leadership (20
points possible.)
4. Impact of organization on broader Dubuque Community (15 points possible)
The Commission reviewed a number of possible funding formulas including reducing
the cap and the percentage levels of funding. After extensive discussion, the
consensus of the Commission is to recommend to City Council the following:
a) Reduce the maximum funding cap from $50,000 to $40,000, or 6% of an
organization's operating expenditures. Reduction of the funding cap directly
impacts the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Dubuque County Historical
Society, the Colt's Drum and Bugle Corps this year but may impact other
larger arts organization in future years.
b) Commission is recommending that organizations be funded at the following
percentage of operating expenditures based on their score:
95 points or above
90 -94 points
85 -89 points
< 85 points
6% of organization's operating expenditures
4.6% of organization's operating expenditures
3.1% of organization's operating expenditures
2.5% of organization's operating expenditures
Based on this funding scenario there was $79 remaining and the commission is
recommending that this amount be added to the award to the top scoring applicant, the
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.
Recommended funding levels are:
Organization Score Funding
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra 97.4 40,079
Dubuque County Historical Society 96.4 40,000
Dubuque Museum of Art 94 22,670
Dubuque Arts Council 93.8 5,258
Bell Tower Productions 93.6 12,362
Grand Opera House 91.5 19,177
Colts Drum & Bugle 91.4 40,000
Fly -By -Night Productions 90.3 683
Northeast Iowa School of Music 89.3 5,066
Dubuque Arboretum 87.6 4,765
Dubuque Main Street, Ltd. 87.3 4,107
Dubuque County Fine Arts Society 87 1,825
Dubuque Chorale 83.9 628
Dubuque Art Center 79.6 3,380
A spreadsheet is attached which details the recommended funding levels as well as the
operating support funding provided to the organizations in FY 2011.
Action
The Council is requested to approve the fourteen FY 2012 Arts and Culture Operating
Support funding requests and authorize the City Manager to sign the funding
agreements.
The Commission is extremely appreciative of the City Council's support of arts and
cultural organizations and is looking forward to our continuing working together to
support the artistic and cultural development of the City. As a Commission we are
constantly receiving feedback from the funded arts organizations about the critical
positive impact this funding has on their organizations and their ability to provide cultural
opportunities to the citizens of Dubuque.
Sincerely,
Geri Shafer, Chairperson
Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
Encl.
Cc: Grant Applicants
Total 200,000
FY2012 Worksheet
Operating Support Funding Requests Allocation Worksheet
FY2012 Worksheet
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra -
Dubuque County Historical
Dubuque Museum of Art
Dubuque Arts Council
Bell Tower Production_ s
Grand Opera House
Colts Drum & Bugle
Fly -By -Night Productions
Northeast Iowa School of Music
Dubuque Arboretum
Dubuque Main Street Ltd.
Dubuque county Fine Arts Society
Dubuque Chorale
Dubuque Art Center
>95 =6 na
90- 94 =5.7
85- 89 =5.2
80 -85 =4
<80 =3.5
$200,000.00
FY11 Fundin Opr Exp
$40,465 704,136
$40,000 6,276,674
$22,888 492,817
$5,186 114,315
$13,098 268,739
$16,962 416,893
$40,000 1,359,941
$1,143 14,856
$5,696 163,434
$5,539 153,710
$5,566' 132,493
$2,668 58,856
$789 25,126
$0.00 135,192
max funding
6% or
$50,000
42,248
50,000_
29,569
6,859 1
16,124
25,014
50,000
891
9,806
$9,223
7,950
3,532
1,508'
8,112
10,317,182 260,836
Scores
score
97.4
96.4
94
93.8
93.6
91.5
91.4
90.3
89.3
87.6
87.3
87
83.9
79.6