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Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) News May, 2008 The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council is largely funded by an appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature. MRAC also receives a generous grant from The McKnight Foundation. In this issue:
************************* (top of page) A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR In last month's MRAC newsletter, I invited readers to contact us if they would like to serve on one of our grant review panels. To my delight, several people did! So, buoyed by the fact that people actually read the newsletter, I have a new request. The MRAC staff has been discussing the possibility of adding a blog to our website in an effort to provide a forum for discussion about current issues and ideas that are relevant for small arts organizations in the seven-county metropolitan region. We think this could be helpful to the organizations we serve, and to MRAC staff and board members to help ensure that we know about and understand our communities. Let us know what you think about the idea of a blog. You can contact me or any other MRAC staff member. Jeff Prauer ************************* (top of page) JUST ANNOUNCED! FY 08-09 GRANT DEADLINES Fiscal year 2008-2009 grant deadlines are as follows. Click on the grant name to learn more about the specific grant program. Updated guidelines will be available June 1. Arts Activities Support (grant awards up to $7500) Community Arts (grant awards up to $3000) Organizational Development / Capital (grant awards up to $6000) Creative Intersections (grant awards up to $8000) Management Consulting Fund (grant awards up to $1000) Management Training Fund (grant awards up to $600) We encourage arts groups interested in applying to attend our free grant writing workshops. These workshops are held about a month in advance of each grant deadline. Information about these workshops will be posted on our website and announced in the newsletter. ************************* (top of page) ARTS ACTIVITIES SUPPORT GRANT PANEL MEETINGS The second round of FY2008 Arts Activities Support applications will be reviewed June 17, 18, and 19. Schedules for each panel day will be available on our website in June and in the June newsletter. The panel review meetings will begin at 9:00 A.M. and will be held in the MRAC office building. Please check at the MRAC office for meeting location. The panel meetings are public, open meetings and you are encouraged to come and listen to the reviews to gain a fuller understanding of the process and hear the panelists' comments directly. Applicants may listen to the proceedings but are not invited to make presentations or participate in the panel's discussion. For directions to our building, click on your transportation mode: By Car or By Bus. Visit the Arts Activities Support program page for more information on this grant program. ************************* (top of page) CREATIVE INTERSECTIONS GRANT PANEL DATE AND PANEL SCHEDULE The second round of Creative Intersections grant applications will be reviewed May 15, 2008. A Schedule for the panel day is available here. The panel review meeting will begin at 9:00 A.M. and will be held in the MRAC office building. Please check at the MRAC office for meeting room location. The panel meeting is a public, open meeting and you are encouraged to come and listen to the reviews to gain a fuller understanding of the process and hear the panelists' comments directly. Applicants may listen to the proceedings but are not invited to make presentations or participate in the panel's discussion. For directions to our building, click on your transportation mode: By Car or By Bus. Visit the Creative Intersections program page for more information about this grant program. ************************* (top of page) Don't miss these free financial workshops! Barb Simonson, C.P.A., will answer your questions about financial statements and cash flow in these money management sessions. These are hands-on workshops. Bring your laptop (if you have one) and current financial statements. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, May 12, 2008, 9:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M. Understanding financial statements doesn't have to be tricky! Learn how to read and interpret budget to actual statements, income statements, and balance sheets. Find out what information your board should receive monthly. Gain simple tools for tracking financial trends. Learn about FASB accounting standards and 990s and how you can make these reporting requirements work together for you! CASH FLOW, June 9, 9:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M. Positive cash flow is critical to financial stability. To remain healthy, organizations need to have sufficient cash to meet payroll and manage operating expenses. Find out how to develop cash flow projections and how to work with them on a regular basis. Learn how you can improve cash flow. Find out when a negative cash flow is really a deficit. Past participants have said that this series of workshops was extremely helpful for their organization. Location: Directions: These free workshops are for nonprofit arts groups with annualized operating expenses less than $300,000 and nonprofit non-arts organizations with arts programming expenses less than $300,000 in the seven-county metropolitan area. Click here to register through our website and for directions to the MRAC office building or call Greg Nielsen at 651-645-0402. ************************** (top of page) Come, stretch your creative muscles and connect as a group through the process of creating art! We invite you to a special LOCALS meeting at Highpoint Center for Printmaking. This gathering of the LOCALS group offers an inside look at the workings of a collaborative printshop while giving LOCALS members the opportunity to enjoy what we work so hard to give to others—a chance to engage in the arts. Space is limited so register early! Date: May 20, 2008 2638 Lyndale Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 871-1326 Click here to register or call Greg at (651) 645-0402 What’s LOCALS? LOCALS is a professional affinity group for art center/arts council managers that meets six times a year and provides an opportunity to network, share best practices, and learn together on a timely management topic. ************************** (top of page) MANAGEMENT CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING FUNDS Need some help with the management or administration of your arts group? Would hiring a consultant or attending a seminar, workshop, or conference help your arts group's staff and/or volunteers take steps in the right direction? If so, make sure you apply for these management assistance grants. The Management Consulting Fund program provides grants of up to $1,200 for arts groups to hire a consultant that will help strengthen the group's management or administration. This program provides funds for well-defined, "bite-sized" projects that will grow the arts group or advance the arts group's mission. Applications are reviewed monthly. For more information click here. The Management Training Fund program provides grants of up to $600 for the staff and/or volunteers of nonprofit arts groups to attend management workshops, seminars, or conferences. Applications are reviewed weekly. For more information click here. Wondering how other arts groups have used these programs? Click on the program name to see a list of the 2007 grant award recipients for the Management Consulting Fund or Management Training Fund. Each award has a description of the funded consultant project or training. ************************* (top of page) We want you to know about resources and opportunities that may be of interest to small arts organizations. As we hear about relevant opportunities, we will do our best to pass on the information. Look for "Resource Updates" in our newsletter and on our resources web page. All information is posted at MRAC's discretion.
************************** (top of page) MRAC will be closed May 26 for Memorial Day. ************************** (top of page) In FY07, MRAC received more than 400 grant requests and awarded 223 grants totaling $733,000. Ten percent of the grants were awarded to first-time applicants. Funded projects served 5,192 artists and reached more than 87,000 audience members. MRAC also provided skill-building workshops and networking activities to 472 people from 126 different organizations. An appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature is the principle source of MRAC funds. ************************* (top of page)
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