Item 4.c. Cultural Funding Review Process Update — original pdf

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Cultural Arts Funding Review Process Update ARTS COMMISSION JUNE 29, 2022 Cultural Funding Review Goal The desired goal is to sustain and grow Austin’s cultural infrastructure so that all may share in the economic and employment benefits of the heritage preservation and creative sectors, as well as upholding the City’s commitment to racial equity per the City of Austin’s Equity Office standards and goals. Holistic Funding Ecosystem Nexus Nurture new and emerging applicants by funding creative public projects developed through community activation and/or collaboration. Elevate Creative and administrative expenses of cultural producers that amplify equity and prioritize inclusive programming. Thrive Focused investment to sustain and grow arts organizations that are deeply rooted in, and reflective of Austin’s diverse cultures. Pilot Program Nexus in Detail Goal Contract Term Type of Funding Who can apply? Selection Process Draft Total Available Funds Draft Award Amounts Draft Number of Awardees Individuals/ Groups* (*cooperatives, non-profit organizations, businesses, partnerships, etc.) Encourage new talent Nexus 6 Months Project Funding Only 3 COA Staff + Rubric ~$500,000 $5,000 100 (50 per cycle; 2 cycles/year) Nexus Scoring Category Scoring Criteria Maximum Points Key Constituencies First-time applicant Budget Accessibility & Language Access Cultural Activities Creative Collaboration Community Voice Programmatic Reach Community Investment and Relationships 25 10 5 15 55 10 10 10 10 5 45 Operations Cultural and Social Impact Pilot Program Elevate in Detail Elevate Elevate (Non-501c) Elevate+ (501c only) Support established cultural producers Goal Contract Term Who can apply? Selection Process 1 year Panel Type of Funding Flexible: Project/Operating Flexible: Project/Operating Artists; Arts/Culture Groups* w/ budgets <$500k Arts/Culture 501(c)s only 1 year Panel ~$3,000,000 Draft Total Available Funds ~$1,000,000 Draft Award Amounts $10,000 - $30,000 $10,000 - $75,000 Draft Number of Awardees 35 65 Elevate Scoring Category Maximum Points 15 Operations Scoring Criteria Key Constituencies History of Service Cultural Leadership Community Voice Cultural Activities Budget Programmatic Reach Relevance and Responsiveness Inclusion and Intersectionality Community Relationships Opportunity creation/ Community benefits 10 Accessibility Cultural and Social Impact 10 15 5 45 10 5 5 5 5 5 10 55 Pilot Program Thrive in Detail Goal Contract Term Type of Funding Who can apply? Selection Process Draft Total Available Funds Invest in diverse cultural institutions Flexible: Project/Operating (+Optional Networking/ Coaching/ Classes) 501(c) only with 5-year operating history in Austin Thrive 2 years Panel ~$3,000,000 Draft Award Amounts $80,000 - $150,000 Draft Number of Awardees 35 Scoring Criteria Maximum Points Thrive Scoring Categories Operations Cultural and Social Impact Mission and Key Constituencies History of Service Cultural Leadership Cultural Activities Relevance and Responsiveness Intersectionality Community Relationships Opportunity creation/ Community benefits Accessibility Cultural Institution Status 15 15 30 60 10 5 5 5 5 10 40 Pilot Programs Solutions OPEN TO EVERYONE NO MATCHING FUNDS AWARD NOT BASED ON EXISTING BUDGET COMPETITIVE PROCESS TRANSITION PLAN Target Concern: Support How are you supporting applicants? ◦ Workshops and videos ◦ Materials (application checklist) ◦ Increased open office hours ◦ Community Navigator Program Target Concern: Fiscal Sponsorship Why are you getting rid of Fiscal Sponsorship? ◦ We are not! ◦ It is optional for increased flexibility. ◦ Applicant can decide what is best for them. Target Concern: Thrive Expenses Why are capital expenditures eligible? ◦ Practice not Policy ◦ Assets = sustainability and growth ◦ e.g. equipment purchases like lighting arrays, black box curtains, museum display cases ◦ Must get pre-approval from staff for expenses >$2,000 Target Concern: Location Why are non-Austinites able to apply for funding? ◦ Affordability of Austin ◦ All HOT-programs are moving to MSA ◦ Even if someone lives or is based in the surrounding MSA, the activities receiving HOT funds must take place in Austin Target Concern: Production Eligibility Why can an organization get funding when 49% of their activities aren't even in Austin? ◦ Organization might have more in their portfolio than just HOT-funded activities. ◦ For example, a dance organization goes on a National tour performing and running master classes for five months out of the year. Since they are in Austin the other seven months, they are eligible to apply for funding. ◦ 100% of HOT-funded activities must be in Austin. Target Concern: Creative Businesses Why are "creative businesses" eligible for funds? ◦ Non-501cs are only eligible for Nexus & Elevate at lower award levels (~ $1.5m; 20% of available $) ◦ Non-501cs can apply with or without a Fiscal Sponsor. ◦ A non-501c art group must have a budget under $500k ◦ This would include LLCs, unincorporated groups, State of Texas non profits and other business structures that encompass galleries, improv troupes, dance companies, artist collectives, etc. Target Concern: Creative Businesses Eliminating business structure flexibility of non-501cs would cut out many prior cultural contractors, such as: 3240 Entertainment; A'lante Flamenco Dance Ensemble; AllRhythms; Almost Real Things; AM Arts; Antumbrae Intermedia Events + Installations; Art of the Pot; Articulate Choreographic Series; Artisan Mercado; ARTWITHAKIRASH STUDIO LLC.; Asian American Community Partnership; Atelier Dojo; Artistic Education Company; Austin Bike Zoo; Austin Children's Theater; Austin Conjunto Festival; JWHill Productions; Austin Flamenco Academy; Austin Jewish Film Festival; Austin Maker Group; Austin Metro Drug-Free Coalition Media Project; Austin Music Video Festival; Austin Sketch Fest; Austin Tinkering School; Austin Troubadours; Back 2 School; Balcones Community Orchestra; Batik By Design; Beerthoven; BoCCa; Blue Cow Studio; Cage Match Project; Capital T Theatre; Central Texas Medical Orchestra; Children's Book Project II; Contrast Film Festival; COTFG; Cut and Deliver; dadageek; Density512; Elephant Keeper; Epistrophy Arts; Ethos; Film Kids; Gathering Ground Theatre; Gender Portraits; Generic Ensemble Company; Glass Half Full Theatre; Grapes of Wrath 75 Project; Greater Tomorrow Youth Art Program (GTYAP); HIVE Arts Collective; Home Street Music; Honky Tonk Holidaze; Hyperreal Film Club; IMMEDIATE Fashion School; ImprovEd Arts; IRL; Jason Phelps & Co.; Los Bohemios Perdidos; Make Every Media; Minor Mishap Marching Band; Voices of the Middle East; Montopolis Productions; Mother Falcon Music Lab; Northern-Southern; Not Just Oom-Pah!; One Ounce Opera; Other Worlds Film Fest; Outside Voice; paper chairs; Paper Connections; Present Company Theatre; Project ATX6; Proyecto Teatro; Rattletree; The Sister Moses Project; Rolling Ryot; Roots & Rhythms; Shay Ishii Dance Company; Shrewd Productions; Silent Films Out Loud; Sky Candy; Song Rise Arts; Soul Note Series; Storybook Studio; Tetractys; Texas Comedies; The Institution Theater; The Love of China; The Mall; Theatre en Bloc; Touch Collective; Transform Film Festival; Trouble Puppet Theater; Twin Alchemy Collective; UpRise Productions; Vision Gland Target Concern: Evaluation How are you evaluating success of Pilots? ◦ Qualitative and Quantitative metrics ◦ Place: Dashboard and interactive map of investments ◦ People: More diverse applicant pool, awardees, panelists, audiences and artists ◦ Programs: self-determined goal setting/achieved; cohort/training satisfaction; equity plans in place ◦ Process: Ease of application; simplified contracting process; faster payments; more 1:1 attention from staff Target Concern: Review Panels How are you improving the Panel Review process? ◦ Department-wide recruitment starting soon ◦ Formalized training ◦ Detailed scoring rubric to reduce subjectivity ◦ Fewer Narrative questions Panel Process Recommendations "Thoughtful policies around the composition and preparation of panels can support more equitable adjudication outcomes." National Assembly of State Arts Agencies – Equity Choice Points Annotated Guide to RE-Tool Racial Equity in the Panel Process Panel Process Recommendations Recruitment • Ongoing starting soon! Training • Modular • Multi-lingual Roster • All EDD Role of Commission • Approval Panel Training Paid Training ($300) Multi-lingual; Videos and pdfs Three modules: ◦ Equity and Unconscious bias (including an Austin context and guided discussion) ◦ Panel Expectations, Program Guidelines, Rubrics, Cultural Tourism requirements ◦ Technical Training for using the portal system to score applications Application assignments after training Panel Composition + Selection Panels will include: Selection Process: • A mix of local and out of town panelists (including community members) • A mix of arts administrators and practicing arts professionals • A mix of artistic discipline expertise • Equity expertise • Community-based artistic practice expertise • Non-profit expertise • 1+ month before close of an application, staff will select a minimum of 15 potential panelists per panel • Secondary form (detailed experience, availability) • All panels will have an odd number of panelists • 7-9 candidates must be available on the day-of meeting(s) Panel Operations Operations: • Public can watch the "day-of" panels • There will be no interaction between panelists and applicants • Panelists will be paid for reviewing applications and also paid • There will not be discipline specific panels • 501c applications will be reviewed separately from non-501c per meeting day applications Program-Specific Panel Details: Thrive Thrive – 7-9 Panelists • One multidisciplinary panel will review all Thrive applications • The panel will review and score applications prior to panel meeting(s) • The ~50 top scoring applications will be reviewed/discussed during the panel meeting • Panelists have the option to make a passion plea for an applicant (not top scoring) they feel has merit to be discussed at the virtual panel meeting • Panelists will be paid for training ($300), reviewing/scoring applications ($300), and up to 3 meeting days ($300/day) Program-Specific Panel Details Elevate • ROUND 1 – 30 Panelists • Minimum of 3 people will review and score each application. Panelists must provide comments. • A minimum of 100 top scoring Nonprofit applications will move on to round 2 • A minimum of 50 top scoring non-501cs will move on to round 2 • Panelist will have two weeks to review a max of 15 applications each • Round 1 panelists will receive payment for completing the panelist training ($300) as well as reviewing the assigned applications ($300) • ROUND 2 – 5 Panelists Reviewing 501cs; 5 Panelists Reviewing non-501cs • Minimum of 5 people review each application (3-4 weeks to review) • A single panel will be held for top-scoring 501c applications and a separate single panel will be held for non-501c applications • Round 2 panelists will receive payment for completing the training ($300), reviewing/scoring applications ($300), and up to 2 meeting days ($300/day) Panel Process: Elevate Top 100 501c applications Panel Phase 1 30 Panelists Hundreds of applications Top 50 non-501c applications Panel Phase 2 501c3 5 Panelists Panel Phase 2 non-501c3 5 Panelists 65 Awards 35 Awards Next steps 1-2 Months AAC + Community Big Picture Framework 3+ meetings 1-2 Months Arts Commission: Review & Voting Council Memo/Briefing We are here! 6 Weeks Thrive Application live Workshops Technical Assistance Working Group Approval Launch Guidelines Pre-Launch Contracting 3 Weeks AAC Guidelines Presentation (4/18) Revised Drafts Public (4/19) Feedback Form (4/19 - 5/10) Alignment with MED/HTD 1-2 Months Website/Portal Integration Community Navigators Panel Recruit/Equity Training 3 Months Evaluation/ Panels Council Approval Contracting Process Timeframe May 25th – Council Audit & Finance Committee Meeting May 31st – Arts Commission meeting June 7th – African American Resource Advisory Commission presentation June 21st – Asian American QOL Commission presentation June 28th – Hispanic/Latino QOL Commission presentation June 29th – Arts Commission meeting July 7th – Panel Recruitment begins July 11th – LGBTQIA+ QOL Commission presentation October 12th – Cultural Funding Pilot Program: Thrive launches February 2023 – Tentative Elevate launch March 2023 – Tentative Nexus launch