Item 08 - Appendix XX Scoring Questions _FINAL DRAFT_watermarked.pdf — original pdf

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Thrive Thrive Category Creative Work Capacity Public Connection Criteria Available Points • Mission or artistic vision is culturally significant and • community-rooted Activities reflect the people, places, histories and cultures of Austin • Creative work reflects clear intent, authentic perspective, and meaningful cultural expression • Organization has clear plans and goals for long-term • sustainability Leadership or team demonstrates understanding of and connection to the communities served • Budget, staffing, and support systems are suited to the • project’s scope and goals Programs are welcoming and accessible to a wide public • Organization contributes to Austin’s identity as a creative city Up to 30 Up to 40 Up to 30 Max: 2,500 characters per question Creative Work (30 pts) 1. What is your organization’s mission and what is the programming you do to support that mission? Your answer should include: Share your organization’s mission statement and the creative programming it supports. Explain the artistic traditions, focus, or values that guide your work. Explain how your programming serves or centers historically underserved communities or cultural identities. • • • • 2. What is your proposed activity and how does it reflect the people, places, or cultures of Austin? Your answer should include: • Describe your programming and how it reflects Austin’s people, places, or cultures. • Explain how your work elevates underrepresented histories or emerging cultural forms. DraftYou may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: event flyers, program brochures, or audience-facing materials Capacity (40 pts) 3. Describe your organization’s goals to sustain and grow. Your answer should include: • Outline your 2-year goals and how this funding will help you reach them. • Describe your staff and board’s experience and how they align with your goals and community. • Share how you plan to remain financially stable and adaptable beyond the grant period. You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: brief staff/board bios, or strategic plans. 4. What is your proposed Year One organizational budget? Your answer should include: • Explain how your budget supports your project • Describe other resources beyond city funds that will allow you to successfully complete this activity including in-kind support and other funding sources. [This is the budget form that will be in Submittable] Public Connection (30 pts) 5. How will you market your proposed activities? Your answer should include: • Describe how you connect with residents, visitors, and tourists. • Share your outreach and marketing efforts, especially how you reach underserved communities. • • How are you promoting Austin as a cultural and creative destination? You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: Marketing plan, sample marketing materials 6. Describe how your work contributes to the local creative ecosystem. Your answer should include: • Describe how your organization supports creative workers through jobs, internships, or partnerships. Draft • Examples of how you share space, tools, knowledge, or services to help other • creatives thrive. If you manage creative space, share how it’s used to support others through shared access, programming, or creative exchange. You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: Letters from artists, audience and collaborators describing your organization’s impact Elevate Elevate Category Creative Work Capacity Public Connection Criteria Available Points • Mission or artistic vision is culturally significant and community-rooted • Activities reflect the people, places, histories and cultures of Austin • Creative work reflects clear intent, authentic perspective, and meaningful cultural expression • Leadership or team demonstrates understanding of and connection to the communities served • Budget and staffing, are suited to the project’s scope and goals • Programs are welcoming and accessible to a wide public • Activities foster community belonging and cultural connection across Austin’s populations Up to 50 Up to 30 Up to 20 Max: 3,000 characters per question Creative Work (50 pts) 1. What is the applicant’s mission or artistic vision and what do you do to support that mission? Your answer should include: • State your mission and describe the creative activities that support it. • • Explain the artistic values, traditions, or focus that guide your mission. Identify who your work impacts and how they engage with it. You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: Letters from Artists, Audience/Collaborator Impact Statements 2. What is your proposed activity and how does it reflect the people, places, or cultures of Austin? Draft Your answer should include: • Describe your proposed activity and how it reflects Austin’s people, places, or cultures. • Explain how your activities elevate underrepresented histories or emerging cultural forms. Capacity (30 pts) 3. Describe your experience producing creative work or offering public experiences in Austin. Your answer should include: • Introduce your key team members, their expertise and their role in the proposed activity. • Describe your team’s connection to the community served. • Highlight one or two examples of similar work you’ve completed successfully in • Austin. .You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: brief staff/board bios, event flyers, program brochures, or audience-facing materials . 4. What is your proposed project budget? Your answer should include: • Explain how your budget supports your project. • Describe other resources beyond city funds that will allow you to successfully complete this activity including in-kind support and other funding sources. [This is the project budget form that will be in submittable]. Public Connection (20 pts) 5. How will you market your proposed activities? Your answer should include: • Describe how you connect with residents, visitors and tourists. • How are you promoting Austin as a cultural and creative destination? Share your outreach and marketing efforts, especially how you reach underserved communities. You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: sample marketing materials such as press releases or social media posts, advertising analytics from a past campaign, media coverage, reviews, previews, draft marketing plan. or sponsorship packet Draft Nexus Nexus Category Creative Work Criteria • Idea reflects the people, places, histories and cultures of Austin • Proposed activity is clear, and reflective of the applicant’s artistic vision • Artist or group brings relevant experience, relationships, Available Points Up to 30 Capacity or cultural knowledge to support the work Up to 30 Public Connection • • Project is made for a specific audience or community in mind • The project is accessible and invites people to experience Previous Funding • No previous Funding it Up to 30 Up to 10 Max: 2,500 characters per question Creative Work (30 pts) 1. Describe your proposed activity. Your answer should include: • Describe your artistic vision and the creative focus or traditions that shape the work. • Describe what makes your project unique, bold, or culturally important. • Describe how the public will experience or engage with your project. Capacity (30 pts) 2. Describe how the public will experience or engage with your project. Your answer should include: • Introduce your key team members, their expertise and their role in the proposed activity. • Highlight one or two examples of similar work you’ve completed successfully in • Austin You may upload 1 file up to 3 pages. Suggested uploads: short artist/staff bios, resumes, or curated portfolios, photos of past work, final event flyers, or past programming descriptions. Public Connection (30 pts) 3. Who are the people served by your activities, and how do you reach them? Draft Your answer should include: • Describe the community, audience, or participants you hope to reach. • Share how you plan to invite people to experience or engage with your work. 4. Have you received a City of Austin Cultural Funding award (Nexus, Elevate, Austin Live Music Fund, Heritage) within the past 5 years (2020-2025)? Your answer will be verified by City Staff. Multiple Choice Proposed Nexus Reviewer Process To minimize administrative time needed to administer panels for Nexus (anticipated to receive up to 500 application per round), staff recommends a scaled down review process and application Application/Rubric • Simplified Nexus application (3 narrative questions and one multiple-choice) • Simplified rubric with three possible scores per question (High-Response was clear, medium- adequate response but some detail missing, Low-Response unclear or did not answer question) • Will hopefully reduce the review time and make Nexus an easy entry-level grant that also prepares applicants to apply for other funding opportunities in the future Review process • 10-20 dedicated Nexus reviewers for the year, meaning they would review both rounds of Nexus grants • Reviewers will be assigned up to 100 applications to review and provide comments on per Nexus launch • Each application will receive at least two reviews and the scores will be averaged to determine final score • No panel meeting • Reviewers are paid slightly more than Elevate/Thrive panelists as they are reviewing a higher volume of applications ($750) per round of Nexus applications Pros: • Lowers administrative burden of facilitating a large number of Nexus panels twice a year • Costs to review Nexus applications is reduced as we will need less reviewers • Maintains peer review process, ensures staff and Long Center is not put in the position to appear as if they determine who receives funding • Reduces amount of training staff will need to provide reviewers if the dedicated 10-20 people are contracted for both rounds Draft