City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: NOVEMBER 1, 2022 FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARDS: ALL
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: ARTS & CULTURE GRANT PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022/2023 IN THE AMOUNT OF $291,369 & FISCAL YEAR 2023/2024 IN THE AMOUNT OF $294,283 ISSUE:
Approval of staff recommendations for the Arts & Culture Grants Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23 in the amount of $291,369 and FY 2023/24 in the amount of $294,283.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve staff recommendations and administration of the Arts & Culture Grants Program for FY 2022/23 in the amount of $291,369; and FY 2023/23 in the amount of $294,283; and Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute any necessary, financial, or legal documents with the approved organizations and/or artists, including making minor and non-substantive changes, to implement the City’s Arts & Culture Grant Program for arts & culture organizations.
BACKGROUND:
On January 23, 2018, and again on September 11, 2018, the City Council approved the updated Arts & Cultural Grants Program (Program) and related policies. The updated Program aimed to address the lack of cohesiveness among art organizations, inadequate marketing of the Program, and insufficient resources and funds. The Program was modified to support artists, organizations, and programs in the City with City Council approving the following:
Approved retaining the existing eligibility requirements, funding categories, and criteria for the Program, and provide $280,000 funding with an approved 1% annual adjustment to the Program; Approved changing the application process for the Program to a two-year cycle, where recipients will apply the first year, submit mid-cycle data reports, and then are granted the same amount plus a 1% increase in the second year unless substantial changes occur; Authorized the City Manager, or his designee, to execute any necessary financial or legal documents with the approved organizations, including making minor, non- substantive changes necessary to implement the Program; Authorized City staff to administer the Arts and Culture Grant Program; and Requested the Ad Hoc Arts Grant Committee (Committee) to continue to meet to address current and future art elements of advocacy, fund development, marketing, and education.
Shortly thereafter, staff implemented an updated application process for the Program and disseminated information through press releases, social media, e-mails, and non-profit organizations.
DISCUSSION:
Why the Arts Matter
The economic impact of the arts is substantial and has demonstrated a positive impact to job creation, increased local income and sales tax revenue, serves as a magnet for tourism, and can lead to several more positive, direct, and indirect drivers of the local economy. Arts fosters civic engagement, including voting, volunteering, and charitable work, as documented by the National Endowment for the Arts. Arts builds skills and enhances educational opportunities for youth as it positively impacts confidence, creativity, and discipline for kids while teaching them about empathy, creative problem solving, and self-expression. Arts help to define civic identity and create a more connected community. The World Health Organization concluded that art could help us to emotionally navigate the journey of battling an illness or injury, to process difficult emotions in times of emergency and trauma, and even to physically recover more quickly from injury or disease.
A 2022 report issued by the National Endowment for the Arts and Bureau of Economic Analysis concluded that while arts and cultural industries regained some ground related to employment levels during 2021, they have not risen back to the 2019 unemployment levels of 3.7% City Arts & Culture Grant Program
The Arts & Culture Grant Program seeks to:
Sustain professional development of established arts and cultural institutions based in and serving the City of Riverside.
Assist the operation and development of small to mid-sized arts and cultural organizations.
Encourage and support the contribution of excellence and diversity to the richness of the community’s cultural life.
Encourage and support administrative and fiscal excellence in non-profit arts and cultural organizations.
The following table summarizes the organizations that received grants for FY 2021/2022, and staff’s recommendations for the 14 organizations to receive grants for FY 2022/2023 & 2023/24:
Organization
FY 2021/22 Amounts
FY 2022/23 Amounts
FY 2023/24 Amounts
(1% increase from FY 22/23)
1 Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts **
-
$10,500
$10,605
2 Anointed Vessel Productions **
$10,000
10,000
$10,100
3 Ballet Folklorico
$10,500
-
-
4 BRAVA **
$20,190
$3,065
$3,095.65
5 Civil Rights Institute **
-
$20,000
$20,200
6 Dicken’s Festival **
-
$6,500
$6,565
7 Empower You Edutainment **
$7,500
$9,000
$9,090
8 Friends of CA Citrus Park **
-
$20,000
$20,200
9 Full Circle Players **
-
$3,000
$3,030
10 IE Contemporary Ballet **
-
$10,000
$10,100
11 Inlandia Institute **
$22,000
$20,000
$20,200
12 KVCR
$30,000
-
-
13 March Field Air Museum **
$33,000
$20,000
$20,200
14 Riverside Arts Academy **
$40,000
$27,000
$27,270
15 Riverside Arts Council **
$20,000
$20,000
$20,200
16 RI International Art Works
$20,000
-
-
17 Riverside Children's Theatre **
-
$20,000
$20,200
18 Riverside Community Arts Association **
$6,000
$5,100
$5,151
19 Riverside Community Players **
$23,250
$20,000
$20,200
20 Riverside Concert Band **
-
$1,000
$1,010
21 Riverside County Philharmonic **
-
$25,000
$25,250
22 Riverside International Film Festival **
$2,044
$1,204
$1,216
23 Spanish Town Heritage **
-
$20,000
$20,200
24 UCR Arts Block **
$44,000
$20,000
$20,200
Total
$288,484
$291,369
$294,283
**Organizations that applied for funding for FY 2022/23 & 2023/24 Historically, many of the same organizations apply for funding each year. During this funding cycle:
Two organizations that received grants in the past did not apply. These organizations did not apply for different reasons, but they were predominantly related to COVID-19.
Ten new organizations applied for funding this year. Staff believes this is due to the outreach, training, and messaging that has continued from the Better Together training and outreach for non-profit organizations.
Revenues declined for several organizations which resulted in the amount of funding they received declining as well. Several other organizations received increased funding from last year’s awards within the 15% allowable amount. The amount of funding each organization receives varies and is based on their previous year’s income depending on the appropriate budget category Staff’s recommended award amounts are based on each organization’s application, budget, programming, and specific requests. Staff’s recommended amounts are consistent with the range received in prior years.
Applications were reviewed by a Committee comprised of five community members involved in the arts and culture community with varying backgrounds including non-profits, private entities, school districts, and local artisans. Each Committee member analyzed the applications with four rating criteria in mind: Managerial & Fiscal Competency, Programming Excellence, Community Outreach/Experience, and Marketing. Considering each criterion and the application materials provided, the Committee recommended how funds were allocated based on the budget categories and their requests.
The awarded programs awarded have provided stability and opportunities for art organizations and artists for over twenty years. Artist organizations and artists will continue to need support as historically, art organizations across the country are underfunded. As the City of Arts & Innovation, Riverside is ensuring that arts and culture are strengthened and diversified with this Program as one key strategy.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
The Arts & Culture Grant Program supports Strategic Priority 1 – Arts, Culture and Recreation and in particular Goal 1.1 – Strengthen Riverside’s portfolio of arts, culture, recreation, senior, and lifelong learning programs and amenities through expanded community partnerships, shared use opportunities, and fund development; and Goal 1.2 – Enhance equitable access to arts, culture and recreational service offerings and facilities.
Because of the diversity of the programs, Strategic Priority 2 – Community Well-Being (Goals 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5) are also supported through programs related to developing of a sense of community, community engagement, neighborhoods, and partnerships.
This item aligns with each of the five Cross-cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust: Each round of granting is documented fully in the reports that are presented to City Council. The continued communication and trainings to the non-profit organizations to ensure they are informed about the opportunity.
Equity: As applications are evaluated, there is particular attention to organizations that seek to serve populations representing the diversity of Riverside.
Fiscal Responsibility: The Arts & Culture Grant Program is included in the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division operating budget, placing it directly within the sphere of accountability that encompasses each staff member’s work, through the supervision of City Management, to the City Council. Additionally, these grant monies are leveraged through the organizations to provide community-enhancing activities throughout the calendar year, which multiply the value and impact of those dollars. On average, the non-profit organizations that spend the Arts & Culture Grant funds utilize about one City dollar per person who receives services, based on the estimated number of individuals served through these grant-funded organizations and across a broad spectrum of causes.
Innovation: The Program operates through each budget cycle; there is a broad opportunity for applicants to innovate in response to community needs, new trends, and inspiration. The frequency of the application and cycle encourages innovation because it mitigates risk in a way that a project of longer duration cannot, and that frequency also allows for flexibility in response to emerging needs of the community and arts & culture.
Sustainability & Resiliency: Funded programs promote the health of our non-profit, arts & culture community, which makes this an investment in the capacity of the non-profit community, as well as an investment in each life served by that community. The non-profit organizations in our community represent such broad and diverse areas of interest that they serve as a barometer of need in the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact for the administration of the Arts & Culture Grants Program includes FY 2022/23 in the amount of $291,369; and FY 2023/23 in the amount of $294,283.
The funds are budgeted and available in the General Fund, Community & Economic Development - Arts & Cultural Affairs, Account Number 2850000-450032.
Prepared by: Chris Christopoulos, Acting Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager, Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
Approved by: Rafael Guzman, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Arts & Culture Grant Program ● Page 2