Title
FY17 and FY18 Cultural Affairs Outside Agency Funding (B)
This item requests that the City Commission approve the funding recommendation of the Gainesville-Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board for the Outside Agency cultural grants program.
Explanation
The Gainesville-Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board uses the Cultural Plan to evaluate
Outside Agency grant applications, assessing each application for its ability to meet criteria specified in the Plan, including arts and cultural accessibility, education and audience development.
A public scoring workshop was conducted on May 14, 2016, to review applications and score agencies for funding. Applications were received from sixteen agencies this year and fifteen are recommended for funding. Evaluation of applicants takes into consideration the City's Cultural Plan, the applicants' fiscal and artistic history, verification of 501(c)(3) status as a not-for-profit agency, and how well the agency's application meets specific criteria outlined in the grant guidelines, such as audience development, project management and program merit. Prior to submitting their applications, all applicants are provided with a complete copy of evaluative criteria. Applicants must score 75 points or better to be eligible for funding.
In keeping with the City's two-year budget cycle, grant awards are for a two-year period, similar to granting procedures of the State's Division of Cultural Affairs. Applicants' requests and award amounts are based on a tiered funding system for small, medium and large agencies, with request caps based on agencies' last closed fiscal year expenditures budget. This results in awards more closely aligned with each agency's operational needs.
The recommended agency awards are specified in the attachment entitled, “Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board Funding Recommendations for FY17 and FY18 Outside Agency Grants”.
Fiscal Note
The current funding level for the Outside Agency grant program is $56,979. Award recommendations are based on current funding level, subject to final budget deliberations and allocations in the budget process; should the funding level decrease, agency grant awards will be decreased proportionately to ensure the total award amounts do not exceed the total amount available for the Outside Agency grant program.
Recommendation
The City Commission approve the FY17 and FY18 Outside Agency cultural grant awards as recommended by the Gainesville-Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board, contingent upon adoption of the final FY17 and FY18 City of Gainesville budget.