April, 2004
Please
make sure to contact your elected officials and encourage them to
increase the budget to the State Arts Council by $4 million. Click here to send a thank you message to the Assemblyman Morelle and Senator Maltese for sponsoring the Cultural Area Development Bill.
| In
This Month's Memo ARTS
DAY IN ALBANY: WRAP UP |
Congratulations to the Highland Cultural Center and it's co-founders Elisa Pritzker and Dr. Enrique Rob Lunski who will be receiving the Town of Lloyd Community Achievement Award, Wednesday April 14. and an Ulster County Legislature Proclamation for 10 years of continuous service on June 10.
Thanks to all of you-over 600 strong-- who came from far and wide to attend Arts Day in Albany on March 9. The event was a great success. Our fabulous celebrities, Tovah Feldshuh and Melissa Leo enthusiastically carried the message to the legislators and the Governor about the value of arts funding and they spearheaded the campaign to increase the State Arts Council Budget this year (fiscal '05) by $4 million over the Governor's Proposed Budget of $37.4 million. We are looking for an additional $2 million from each house. Please make sure to contact your elected officials and encourage them to increase the budget to the State Arts Council by $4 million.
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AREA BILL
At Arts Day in Albany, Assemblyman Joseph Morelle and Senator Serphin Maltese announced that we had a bill: A. 7018 and S. 3109. This New York State Cultural Development Areas Bill will strengthen and support arts and culture through a collation of community and government efforts. It will stimulate community planning, economic and community development, enhance cultural tourism and preserve cultural heritage, develop and support ancillary organizations and infrastructure and stimulate job development. This bill is an economic development stimulator through tax incentives and tax credits that will encourage private sector investment. Through these investments, arts organizations and artists will gain new venues and facilities, performing and exhibition spaces and accompanying ancillary arts activities.
Thanks
to you we have generated almost 1200 letters from all over the state in support
of this legislation. Please
keep the pressure on. Keep the momentum going. Let's get it passed this
session!
Alliance Executive Director Judith Kaufman Weiner and Associate Director Pat Berman, led the New York Delegation at National Arts Day in Washington DC, sponsored by Americans for the Arts March 29-31. The two groups, which comprised the New York Delegation, made almost 20 congressional visits on March 31.
Issues
at stake this term are:
*
NEA: Increase the NEA by $36 million as recommended by the President
and the Arts Caucus headed by the Honorable Louise Slaughter and Christopher Shays:
$18 million for American Masterpieces designed to acquaint Americans, especially
school children, with the best of our nation's artistic heritage and an additional
$18 million to support the NEA's core mission and to expand the Challenge America
initiative, which is a grants program the focuses on development of cultural tourism,
civic design and community cultural plans.
* NEH: Support the Presidential
recommendation of $162 million
* Arts in Education: Increase the program
to $53 million
* Artist Fair Market Value Deduction Bills: This legislation
would simply allow artists to take the same fair market value deduction that other
individuals currently enjoy for gifts of art to charities. Without such an incentive,
artists generally sell their works to private collectors, who may or may not decide
at a later date to donate them to a public institution.
* Cultural Exchange:
Congress is urged to increase funding for this program which fosters mutual
understanding between the US and other countries by promoting personal, professional,
and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the US and
abroad. Urge an increase from $2 million to $10 million.
* IMLS: Museum
Funding Through Institute of Museum and Library Service: Support the proposed
increase to $41.7 million
* Tax Deductions for Charitable Gifts: Allow
charitable deductions for non-itemizers and immediate donation of IRA roll-over
funds w/o penalty.
* Improving the Visa Process for Foreign Guest Artists:
Adopt administrative reforms to ensure the timely processing of nonprofit arts-related
visa petitions.
* Transportation Enhancements: Increasing funds to
create walking and biking trails and for historic preservation, scenic beautification,
environmental mitigation, and other purposes including public art and signage.
For further information visit the Americans for the Arts Website: http://www.artsusa.org/. And www.artsactionforny.org the New York Advocacy Center to write your federal officials, in support of these initiatives today.
FROM THE UPSTATE OFFICE: By Martha Strodel, Director of Rural Arts Program
The 2004 Rural Workshop series is shaping up. There are 5 separate workshops in planning, to take place mid-May through early July. Host organizations this year are: Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Cultural Council of Cortland County, Hubbard Hall Projects, Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and Ulster County Arts Council. Topics will range from board roles & responsibilities to building individual donations and community partnerships. Stay tuned; when all the details are worked out, the schedule will be posted in the May Members Memo, on the Rurals listserv and on the Alliance website.
Resources: TechSoup...By The Cup is a project of CompuMentor (http://www.compumentor.org) and is an online, free newsletter that provides technology news, events, and opportunities for nonprofits. It is most helpful to those using a PC platform, but often the information is more general. The March 4th issue offers a discount on the Isoph Web Conferencing & Virtual Classroom platform, plus a link to getting good deals on hardware. In the March 25th issue, there is a link to a New York Times editorial on broadband access in Rural America. To subscribe, go to: http://ga0.org/ct/xd1myR11iQuY/ (That's a zero and three ones in the address.)
Grassroots Fundraising Journal is published by the Grassroots Fundraising Organization based in Oakland, CA. The journal is published bi-monthly, and is full of "practical tips and tools to help you raise money for your organization." Their website is: www.grassrootsfundraising.org; check out what they offer, including a PDF download of Kim Klein's article, "Fifty-three Ways for Board Members to Raise $1,000." The journal seems to contain numerous ideas and suggestions for small and rural organizations to use in effective fundraising. I'm going to subscribe, and plan to share relevant information in future columns. If you would like your own subscription, it costs $32 per year and can be ordered by calling 888-458-8588.
ANNUAL FINANCIAL SURVEY SUMMARY RESULTS
A short summary of the basic financial statistics compiled from the annual survey follows. The information presented is for the benefit and use of the community arts field. Specific questions should be addressed to: Pat Berman in the Alliance office, PKBARTS@aol.com.
WHO
RESPONDED
* 59 arts organizations responded; 57 provided detailed financial
information
* 25 are Arts Councils, 8 are Arts Centers
* 13 Service Agencies
and 13 Discipline Based Organizations
*14 Organizations are Alliance Rural
Arts Partners
TOTAL
ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET
(including pass through)
* 14 Reporting Organizations
have budgets under $200,000
* 17 Reporting Organizations have budgets between
$200,000 and $500,000
* 6 Reporting Organizations have budgets between $500,000-999,000
*
14 Reporting Organizations have budgets in excess of $1,000,000
* 2 Reporting
Organizations have budgets in excess of $10,000,000
PASS-THROUGH
*Pass
Through (including regrant funds) range from $2,500 to $8,107,100
*22 organizations
do not have ANY pass through money
FEDERAL
*10
Organizations receive Federal Money, including NEA Funds.
NYSCA
*Grants
range from $1,000 to $1,462,000 of those organizations receiving grants
*NYSCA
grants range from .15 % to 68 % of Total Organizational Budget of those receiving
NYSCA grants
*Average NYSCA grant is 22.1% of Total Organizational budget
*The
average dollar amount is $115,775; median is $49,500 (includes pass through)
*3
organizations receive no grant money
*15 organizations receive grants under
$40,000; 10 receive $20,000 or less
*7 organizations receive grants between
$40,000-60,000
*34 organizations receive over $60,000
*11 organizations
receive grants in excess of $100,000
COUNTY
*30
organizations receive money from their counties; amounts range from $500 to $156,000
CITY
*28
organizations receive money from their municipality; amounts range from $500 to
$784,583
OTHER
STATE SUPPORT
*22 organizations receive money from New York State, other
than from NYSCA
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR/CEO SALARY
*$26,000 is the lowest reported salary for a full time
Executive Director
*$150,000 is the highest reported salary for a full-time
Executive Director.
PAYROLL
AS A PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSES
*The range for payroll as a percentage of
expenses is from 5%-72%
BENEFITS
*48
organizations offer medical benefits to their full-time employees
*19 organizations
offer dental benefits
*23 organizations offer tax-deferred annuity
*19 organizations
offer pension
Employee contribution is required for most benefits. Employee medical is generally included in benefits. Family coverage generally requires an employee contribution. Other benefits include: flex time, paid vacation, paid personal days, sick days, free or discounted programs, parking, transit checks.
PERSONNEL
*3
organizations reported no paid staff
*The largest reported paid staff is 98
FT and 102 PT
*Most organizations report at least 1 full time staff person
Arts Program Director: Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. A community Arts Center in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains is seeking a Program Director to plan, implement, and promote performing and visual arts programs and gallery exhibits. Great opportunity for a versatile, creative person to develop exciting new programs and events. Must be enthusiastic, organized, physically active, and have good people and communication skills. Should have familiarity with the visual and performing arts. BA in a related field preferred. Experience with non-profit organizations a plus. Computer graphic and desktop publishing skills required. Health benefits offered. For a complete job description call 518-352-7715. Send cover letter, three references, and resume by April 12 to: Executive Director, Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, P.O. Box 205, Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812.
The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a 29-year history as New York's primary service association for community based arts and cultural organizations. The Alliance provides leadership and vision, and delivers services, resources and tools that strengthen cultural organizations. The Alliance informs the field on statewide and national issues affecting the arts and assists local arts agencies in building community support.
245
Love Lane, P.O. Box 96
Mattituck, NY 11952-0096
Phone (631) 298-1234 /
Fax (631) 298-1101