CEI L1 CoverMemo CAEG 10Jan12 - sfgov.org

Cultural Equity Grants: CAEG Committee Meeting on 10 January 2012

Presentations and Supplemental Materials for Funding Recommendations

If you have any questions, please contact San San: 415-‐252-‐2565 or [email protected]

There is one motion on the CEG agenda with two guests giving presentations: Golden Thread Productions and Zaccho Dance Theatre.

1) Cultural Equity Initiative – Level One (CEI-‐L1)

In FY12 we received 15 applications of which 10 (66%) are recommended for funding. CEI-‐L1 Grant Purpose: The CEI-‐L1 grant category supports initiatives of substantial scope and ambition that enhance the development, growth, capacity and sustainability of arts organizations deeply rooted in historically underserved communities. Grant awards are up to $25,000 for one-‐year initiatives designed to support short-‐term, one-‐time projects that will assist organizations in strengthening their administrative infrastructure and organizational capacity, and prepare organizations for the CEI-‐L2 grant. Grant Review Process: The CEI –L1 review process in FY12 comprised three phases: 1) Letter of Intent, in which applicants were screened for eligibility and given an opportunity to refine their request if necessary; 2) grant application; and 3) panel review including an interview with representatives of the applicant organization.

2) Presentations at CAEG Meeting Representatives from two recommended organizations will give brief presentations about their organizations and the proposed initiatives, including an opportunity for questions from the Commissioners.

3) Supplemental Materials for Funding Recommendations

Ranking: Each grant category has a unique set of evaluation criteria, which are rated with a numerical value (1-‐4-‐7-‐10); the “Panel rating” indicates the average score of panel. In cases where the Grant Recommended is less than the Grant Request, there were insufficient funds to provide full funding.

Panelists Bios: Bios of the panelists who comprised each of the grants review panels.

Project Descriptions: Summaries of proposed initiatives or projects.

Panel Comments: Evaluation Criteria are provided as sub-‐headers, with a summary of panel critique.

PRESENTATIONS AT CAEG COMMITTEE MEETING

GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTIONS Organization Description Golden Thread Productions is a San Francisco organization dedicated to theatre that explores Middle Eastern cultures and identities as expressed throughout the globe. It presents alternative perspectives of the Middle East by developing and producing theatrical work that is aesthetically varied and politically and viscerally engaging while supporting countless Middle Eastern artists in all phases of their careers. The wok builds cultural bridges by engaging the community in an active dialogue. The mission is to make the Middle East a potent presence on the American stage and also to make theatre a treasured cultural experience within Middle Eastern communities Project Summary Golden Thread seeks to conduct a comprehensive and strategic analysis of its Education program, now in its fourth year, to determine ways to leverage the program goals and community needs toward the company’s long term success, reach and impact. Organization Representative: Torange Yeghiazarian, Founding Artistic Director Torange Yeghiazarian is the founding Artistic Director of Golden Thread where she has devoted her professional life to exploring Middle Eastern cultures and identities through theatre arts. In this capacity Torange launched Re-‐Orient, an annual Festival of short plays showcasing alternative perspectives of the Middle East. Torange’s latest play, “444 Days” received a staged reading at Golden Thread in 2011. Her play, “Call me Mehdi” is included in “Salaam, Peace” An Anthology of Middle Eastern-‐American Drama” published by Theater Communications Group in 2009. As a teaching artist, Torange has taught playwriting to at-‐risk youth and led acting and play development workshops for youth and adults at Golden Thread. Born in Iran of Armenian heritage, Torange holds a Master’s degree in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University.

Work Sample Description Island of Animals is an Islamic fable by Ikhwan al-‐Safa, adapted and directed by Hafiz Karmali.

Once upon a time, storm winds cast a ship of diverse nations on the shore of an island inhabited by animals living in peace and harmony. The men hunted the animals convinced they held dominion over them. The animals took their grievance to the wise King of the Jinn who must now preside over The Case of Animals versus Man.

The Ikhwan al-‐Safa’s Island of Animals is an enlightening discovery of classical Muslim literature, drawing from theater traditions east and west.

ZACCHO DANCE THEATRE

Organization Description Zaccho Dance Theatre creates and presents performance work that explores and offers new perspectives on the relationship of dance to place. The company specializes in aerial choreography and site-‐specific work of multiple scales. Artistic Director Joanna Haigood defines place not only as it refers to location and its physical structures but also as an expression of accumulated experiences and social responses. Zaccho’s work has been commissioned by some of the leading arts presenters internationally. Among them are the National Black Arts Festival, Festival d’Avignon and Festival d’Arles in France, the Exploratorium Museum, Walker Art Center, Kaatsbaan International Dance Center, and Jacobs Pillow.

Project Summary To launch Zaccho Dance Theatre’s movement research and aerial dance training center and residency program by researching and producing a business model and curriculum. Activity a part of ZDT’s program launch initiative will include 1) consultant support from successful training and residency program directors; 2) Executive Artistic Director and Project Manager site visit to New York-‐based training program; and 3) all-‐staff strategic planning retreat to enhance business model and curriculum development.

Organization Representative: Jennifer Ross, Development Director Since 2006, Jennifer Ross has served as the Development Director for Joanna Haigood’s Zaccho Dance Theatre in San Francisco’s Bayview Hunter’s Point and worked with a number of significant projects in leadership and planning capacities. She also works as an independent contractor providing services for cultural arts, arts education, education, and youth and community development organizations, specializing in the areas of organizational development, strategic planning, special events production, and resource development.

Work Sample Description This demo real shows images from numerous performances since 1993.

CHOMU (1993) IN STEEL'S SHADOW (1994) NOON (1995) INVISIBLE WINGS (1998) THE VIEW FROM HERE (2002) GHOST ARCHITECTURE (2003) TROLLEY DANCES (2004) DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL (2007) THE MONKEY AND THE DEVIL (2008)

FY2011-2012 Cultural Equity Initiatives Level One Grant

RANKINGOrganizations Under 160,000

Panel Rating ORGANIZATION Grant Request Grant

93.8 Eth-Noh-Tec 25,000$ 25,000$

90.8 Fifth Stream 25,000$ 25,000$

87.6 Lenora Lee Dance 15,700$ 15,700$

67.8 Asian American Women Artists Association 21,800$ 18,530$

54.8 Manilatown Heritage Foundation 20,000$

48.8 Melody of China 25,000$

32.3 Diva Fest/Exit Theater 25,000$

Organizations $160,000 - $1M

Panel Rating ORGANIZATION

101.0 Golden Thread 25,000$ 25,000$

96.5 SF Gay Men's Chorus 25,000$ 25,000$

93.5 Zaccho Dance Theater 25,000$ 25,000$

92.8 Galeria de la Raza (Submitted LOI) 25,000$ 25,000$

88.3 Luggage Store Gallery/509 Cultural Center 25,000$ 23,750$

69.5 Lily Cai Chinese Cultural Productions 15,000$ 12,750$

68.0 APICC 25,000$

65.0 Arab Cultural and Community Center 25,000$

Cultural Equity Grants FY11-‐12 Panelist Biographies Cultural Equity Initiatives -‐ Level ONE Organizations with budgets up to $160,000 Ana Hortillosa Former Performing Arts and Adult Programs Coordinator, Asian Art Museum of SF Ana Hortillosa is the former performing arts and adult programs coordinator at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, where she had worked for 11 years. She has curated and managed countless programs ranging from performing arts to film and talks to the multi-‐pronged evening mixer series called MATCHA, which she conceived in 2005. Ana earned her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from U.C. Berkeley and her M.A. in Drama from San Francisco State University. She recently left the museum to complete her second master’s degree, a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine, and she is developing a private practice in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Not only has Ana been an active administrator in the field of cultural performing arts through her work at the Asian Art Museum, but she is also a former counselor in HIV testing and women's health at the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic. Julie Fry Program Officer, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Fry joins the Hewlett Foundation as a Program Officer with over twenty years of arts and business experience. Most recently, she was the Associate Vice President of Fund Services at The San Diego Foundation, and the first director of The San Diego Foundation's Arts & Culture Program, where she developed strategies to engage more donors and community members to support the arts in San Diego through research, community outreach events, and funding partnerships. With a working group of committed community leaders, Fry oversaw a planning process and outreach strategy to meet the most critical needs of San Diego's arts nonprofits and develop effective grantmaking priorities. This included major research into regional cultural participation as well as an arts education provision in San Diego County's 42 school districts. Previously, Fry was the Director of Arts & Business Programs at the San Diego Performing Arts League. There she expanded its Business Volunteers for the Arts and Technology for the Arts programs and established the Lawyers for the Arts, National Arts Marketing Project, and OnBoard: Arts Board Development programs. Prior to moving to San Diego, she worked for the Business Arts Council in San Francisco and Business in the Arts: North West in Liverpool England, building arts and business partnerships and providing management consulting services to arts and culture nonprofits.

She received her BBA in Economics and French from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and her MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Fry has served on arts boards in the US and UK, and was most recently on the board of San Diego Grantmakers. Anne Huang Independent Consultant Dr. Anne Huang has an extensive background in performing arts, business management, and community service. Dr. Huang is the former Executive Director of Oakland Asian Cultural Center, where she was instrumental in creating large-‐scale community collaborations with public and private sectors. Dr. Huang was a founding member and principal dancer of Jose Francisco Barroso & Obakoso, an Afro-‐Cuban music and dance ensemble. From 2000 to 2005, she sang with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. Dr. Huang has served on the City of Oakland's Cultural Arts funding panel, the multicultural symposium panel for Western States Arts Federation, as well as an advisor and guest faculty for the National Dance Project's Regional Dance Development Initiative. In 2006, Dr. Huang was a co-‐convener for the City of Oakland's Mayoral Elect Arts Task Force. Jessica Robinson Love Executive Director, CounterPULSE Jessica Robinson Love is the Executive Director of CounterPULSE, a nonprofit that provides support and resources for emerging artists. She ushered CounterPULSE through an organizational merger and relocation, tripling the budget of the organization during her tenure as director. She designed and implemented CounterPULSE's successful Artist in Residence program, and has curated dozens of performances and workshops. She has also served as guest curator for organizations such as Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the San Francisco International Arts Festival. She is a writer, performer and political activist and her dance writing has been published in In Dance and on CriticalDance.com. She has worked in administration, production, and publicity for artists and arts organizations including Jess Curtis, Keith Hennessy / Circo Zero, Dance Through Time, and the Erika Shuch Performance (ESP) Project. More recently, she provided directorial assistance for" Orbit" by the ESP Project at Intersection for the Arts. Jessica is an adjunct faculty member at the New College of California where she has designed and implemented courses including "Activist Arts Synthesis", "Arts Administration and Cultural Organizing" and "20th Century US History through the Arts." During her tenure on the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee she has been responsible for curating and co-‐producing the annual awards ceremony known as the "Izzies." She serves on the Arts Advisory Board of the Oakland Noodle Factory, the steering committee for San Francisco Arts Forum, and the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Alternate ROOTS, a service and granting organization for community-‐based artists and organizations in the Southeastern United States. She has been the

recipient of awards and scholarships from Dance/USA and the Bill T. Shannon Leadership Institute.

Yesenia Sanchez Professional coach and arts management consultant Yesenia has over ten years experience working with artists and arts organizations as a financial manager, administrative director, program director, coach and consultant. Her coaching and consulting practice integrates left-‐brained skills and tools with right-‐brain creative strategies particularly suited for the arts. Yesenia has presented trainings and workshops on various topics for the Center for Cultural Innovation, The Foundation Center, Independent Arts & Media, San Francisco Bay Area Emerging Arts Professionals, The Marsh, Southern Exposure and California College for the Arts. She has served as a panelist for the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Foundation & Grants for the Arts “Best Practices Series” and the National Performing Arts Convention. Yesenia is a featured author in the upcoming Center for Cultural Innovation's Business of Art© book, authoring the chapter on financial literacy for artists, and she is a founding member of C2Arts – Consultants and Coaches for the Arts (www.c2arts.com).

2012 CEI-‐L1 (Organizations under $160K) Project Summaries Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) The purpose of the Online Engagement Initiative is to develop a state of the art, interactive website with robust content to improve the sustainability of our organization; attract members, volunteers, and donors and keep them coming back; and better serve, engage, and retain our growing audience. Bindlestiff Studio Bindlestiff Studio’s proposed initiative is designed primarily to constitute an annual giving program that will increase individual donor contributed income streams. The organization strongly believes that the development of an annual giving program will become a cornerstone and the key success factor to a establishing a sustainable fundraising plan that will impact the organization beyond the term of this grant. DIVAfest DIVAfest is a project to strengthen this annual women’s theater festival as an independent, sustainable organization by creating a long range strategic plan with commissions to woman playwrights, workshop readings of new plays and the full production of a newly commissioned play at DIVAfest 2013. Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec requests $25,000 to support a plan for its sustainability. The next phase in ENT’s evolution is to develop a 3-‐year strategic plan that will allow for a smooth transition of leadership. Its goal is to develop the board for this transition, hire and mentor a new ED, release the artists from administrative duties in order to develop a new style of performance aligned with their maturity, and recruit young artists for apprenticing. Fifth Stream Music Fifth Stream Music is seeking a Cultural Equity Initiative Level One grant in the amount of $25,000 to enable us to engage a part-‐time administrator in 2012. This strategic hire will help FSM advance to the next level of organizational effectiveness and community impact, and to sustain that higher level of organization by allowing it growth.

Lenora Lee Dance Lenora Lee dance, founded in 2007, under fiscal sponsorship of Asian Improv aRts, seeks a CEI-‐L1 grant to support its 2012-‐2013 Organizational Dance Development Initiative. Funds from this grant will support: (1) a paid 25% FTE Artistic Director position to be held by Lenora Lee (currently unpaid to manage the company). (2) Fees for development consultant Francis Wong (currently unpaid) to work with Lenora Lee to create LLD’s first business plan. Manilatown Heritage Foundation To develop and implement a communications strategy that will heighten our visibility, promote our programming, and strengthen our audience development activities. We will contract a Communications Consultant to work with a team from MHF–the web manager, design consultant, curatiorial consultant, and executive director-‐-‐ to assess our overall communications and branding, to revamp our website and to provide templates for print collateral. Melody of China, Inc. Melody of China will implement a 12-‐month development initiative to increase donations, ticket sales and program participation. The initiative will include hiring a marketing consultant to guide a targeted marketing campaign. The initiative will also include hiring a web designer to upgrade the Melody of China website streamlining online donations, ticket purchase and class registration.

Cultural Equity Initiatives Grants Level One, Organizations Under $160,000, pg. 1

Cultural Equity Initiatives Level One Organizations with budgets up to $160,000 October 26, 2011 Lenora Lee Dance Project Summary: Lenora Lee dance, founded in 2007, under fiscal sponsorship of Asian Improv aRts, seeks a CEI-‐L1 grant to support its 2012-‐2013 Organizational Dance Development Initiative. Funds from this grant will support: (1) a paid 25% FTE Artistic Director position to be held by Lenora Lee (currently unpaid to manage the company). (2) Fees for development consultant Francis Wong (currently unpaid) to work with Lenora Lee to create LLD’s first business plan. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • I appreciated how well written and articulated this proposal was regarding the organization’s artistic

work, and how they provide to the community. The program at Cameron House and partners in Asian community was well articulated.

o The proposal is well written and that this is the right, critical time to apply for this initiative. I am familiar with the work, and think the performance schedule was very impressive. “Passages” was really enjoyable.

o This is a strong application. This organization is unique and important for being one of the few contemporary and artist-‐led dance companies in Chinatown. Their work has much integrity; it has vision. This is a project I want to support.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • There is a need for developing a business plan. They are at a turning point in terms of work, and need

for donors. It is time for Lenora to be paid. There is a need to move the organization forward at this time. The components of business plan are good. There is focus on the lessons learned; it is prudent and well timed.

• I know the artistic work, but it’s also interesting to hear about Lenora’s work in administration, both in her organization and others. It gives me great faith that this project will be carried out. Francis is a capable consultant, and they have been working together for a while. It seems that the ducks are in a row, just looking for funding. They have seen steady growth in five years, and much growth in 18 months.

o I like the self-‐assessment between the Executive Director and consultant—there is much strategic thinking. The next steps and long-‐term goals are clear. I have a question about the implementation of the business plan-‐-‐ is this an ongoing partnership between the Executive Director and consultant? Will there be an expanded role for the advisory board? The Artistic Director position is a “new” one, but is there anything structurally that’s going to change in the definition of that role now that it is official?

o There is a need to expand the advisory board, if possible, to gain an outside perspective.


o (Director) Can you talk about organization staffing and the advisory board? What are the ideals for the stages of expansion?

o (Lenora) The current advisory committee has helped through fundraising, and being on-‐hand during production week; they have been advocates of the work and communicate its value. Several people have come forward interested in raising funds, and with administrative capabilities. In the next year I see the seeking the assistance needed with those who have expressed interest.

o (Francis) This is a preliminary process, but we need deeper mapping. Lenora hasn’t been working too long at this level. Van will do financial bookkeeping. Cameron House and partners will help us find organizational efficiencies. It will be possible to increase marketing and outreach through that, and give added attention to detail, planning, and mapping. Lenora is three generations into this community, and through Facebook and other ways, she can find people. She needs the time to communicate what’s happening.

o (Panelist) Are you considering the idea of pacing yourself in phases of development: in the planning process, in delving deeper and also identifying resources. I am looking for a built-‐in capacity check.

o (Francis) That would be my advice. It’s kind of “pay as you go.” We have to make it through a dry period. We will be asking, “Who comes in? How do we position ourselves so that the resources show up?”

o (Panelist) Can you talk about implementation? How will project supporters become organization supporters? I assume there will be strategies coming out of the planning process, and it is important for your sustainability.

o (Francis) Proper positioning is much of it. You made an important point; this is one of the few resident companies in Chinatown. In a good economic market a lot of support can come. Who is telling the Chinese American stories? Who is telling the community that there needs to be investment in the stories? What are the steps? Lenora is great at the implementation, but right now she needs to spend the time to develop those steps. That’s why we’re coming to Level 1.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • I have questions about capacity regarding the work and how it is articulated in the timeline—do they

have the ability for both things to happen at one time at a high level? Planning takes a long time especially when this is the first business plan they have ever put together.

o I have questions regarding Lenora’s time. My understanding is that she works at both Asian Improv, at another organization, and is a performer. What is the breakdown of her time? The business plan is critical. This is an investment from CEG, and we need to know the breakdown of her time, including self-‐care. This is an artist-‐run organization, and I know that a passionate artist can lift cars with the support of their community, but I need to know how the artist sees her work week.

o (Lenora) I do feel that this is do-‐able in terms of the jobs I hold, two part-‐time positions, which I have had to keep in order to have income. Fortunately the Asian Improv has a fall season, and I have the rest of the year to have my own work. I can juggle the creation period with paid positions. Now is a critical time. The work has grown in scale in terms of collaborating artists. I am fortunate to be able to build. And my vision is much clearer. I know what I can contribute, and what my art can contribute. I can expose my work in larger ways; I have seen that people are coming forward to ask how they can help. I have the opportunity to organize the advisory board, and garner volunteer support for administration and fundraising. I am always in the middle of projects when people offer their support. It would


ease my mind, and offer time to gather these folks around me. It’s a critical juncture to sustain and allow the work to grow.

o (Director) What will be the parceling of time with the new position? What can you give up? o (Lenora) I think it will allow me to spend more time organizing with people, to plan for the

coming year, and future, and to attract a larger donor base. I am looking to find different community organizations and institutions that can help us gain visibility. My experience with residences and public presentations has shown me that there is public intrigue in how my work speaks to the Chinese-‐American experience.

o (Francis) Lenora will be able to say “no” to contract work, because she is doing this. What is nice about Lenora helping out in the community is that she has developed relationships with partners. In “Reflections”, all the Executive Directors of the organizations she has worked for came to see the show, so if she says she can no longer work for them, they will be supportive of her. Historically, the Level 1 grant provides space for artists to say “no” to whatever it is, like waitressing, to develop their companies. My role is to let her know that she needs to carry the investment, as it is a critical time. She has to communicate it to all her stakeholders. Those things will position her as a leader of a company in the larger arts ecology.

• The growth in individual giving needs to be looked at in the plan, so that they can seek donations that are organization focused instead of project focused. They need organizational donors.

o What are the plans to continue individual donations in the near future? • Are there any plans for incorporation?


Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) Project Summary: The purpose of the Online Engagement Initiative is to develop a state of the art, interactive website with robust content to improve the sustainability of our organization; attract members, volunteers, and donors and keep them coming back; and better serve, engage, and retain our growing audience. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • I felt that the narrative and letters of support articulate why this is such an important proposal.

Women and people of color face challenges. AAWAA has such a long history being a volunteer-‐run organization.

• The diversity of materials produced is great. They represent a diversity of Asian American artists, which are diverse in both ethnicity and media.

• In the California Cultural Data Project report I was curious about the paid attendance numbers—what activity is the number tied to?

o (AAWAA) Audience numbers for paid attendance, we don’t normally charge for readings, but these figures are from workshops.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • This initiative raises some questions in terms of user-‐generated websites. They have a working

website already, so I question the necessity of an overhaul. • This is a well-‐written proposal. I think the need is clearly stated, but I think the organizational impact

is not clear to me. There are missing strategy steps between the actual revamping of the website and how the organization will be internally impacted and the community being served. I looked at the current site, and it is not clear to me how the new one will impact the organization.

• An assessment of the website function is needed. A leap over to re-‐branding is too big, and maybe the consultant did that, but it isn’t here. I wonder now that the assessment wasn’t done.

o (AAWAA) How we interact with community is assessed. It doesn’t appear that we are building on things, so in a previous CEI grant we did assessments, including one on marketing. We have been focused on visual arts, but also adding literary and musicians. We are accessed internationally by academics, and our goal is to be a portal for Asian American Women artists. Our website is very old, and the glitches mean that we can’t make changes ourselves. We want our members to be able to add things easily. It was built with bugs in it. For the reach and scope we desire, we have to build it on a new platform. We think we are decided on WordPress. We want the site to be more interesting, and engaging. We want online exhibitions and readings.

o David Alt is our current consultant. We still need to still do a search for the firm. We have not interviewed anyone yet. We will want to strategize with them. Alt does the engineering, but we know we need help to develop the larger picture. No one is representing Asian American women in the arts, and we need that platform. We document so much content


and want to have the archive for researchers. We need a consultant to say that there is a good way to do it. We have the Cheers to Muses book, we send out speakers for free, but we want to send them to other parts of the country. We want lectures to be accessible online.

• Any arts organization today will be evaluating the needs assessment of a website and the social networking sphere. It is a natural place to go, you have an audience and want to sustain it, grow it. The personnel in this application are identified, but I didn’t get sense of the web background for this person, and her track record of overseeing a project like this. What are her qualifications? A plan to design it anew, it strikes me that design is the emphasis, but they also want an interactive site, which requires architecture and web engineering. It makes me question the research they have done about what goes into such a website. The crux of this application isn’t reflected in the personnel that they are seeking. David, the web consultant, is not on the key personnel list, so what if any input has he already had? I get their desire to be well represented on the web, and it might be the right time, but I don’t think the assessment for that was well articulated.

o (Director) Can you summarize the role of program manager, which is pivotal? What is the search process and qualifications you are looking for?

o (AAWAA) We will put it to the community, and we are looking at Elizabeth. She is managing a social services project; she puts us in a straight line, and has the style. She has experience with websites because she is a new media artist and manages a website for another non-‐profit.

• The publicist hire is a concern of mine. No press will write an article saying that an organization has launched a new website. I want to know what platform will be used: Wordpress? What kind of new content will be added? Cloud-‐based storage has ongoing costs. If it is a complicated site, will there be ongoing technical support? The timeline needs to include time for troubleshooting. The self-‐publishing aspect is not well explained. They did not provide statistics on the current website, in terms of visit duration and number of hits. What are the ongoing website costs? Storage, etc.?

o I want to point out where I want more information: what will be the training for staff to carry the work forward. Updating the site, adding new content, and driving users to the site need to be addressed. Ongoing training will be needed for inevitable staff turnover. There is talk of a classroom component, but it felt dropped in to me; it was not explained as important and its ongoing costs and deliverables were missing. The website content developers have a budget, but not explained in terms of how they will continue to be supported.

o (AAWAA) We are instituting a program called “Adopt a Program”, and one of the programs will be the website. People will see that their money is going to it specifically. The marketing and publicist consulting is instrumental in attracting new donors, through hooking into what’s important to our supporters. Once we ramp it up we can promote it more heavily. We have worked with the publicist before, and know this project deserves the funding. This is more than the website, but part of our programming, and will be accessible even when we’re not working.

o (Panelist) Clarify the staffing, most of the people go away after the first year, and staff will take over? The volunteers from the board will be there, but not the key people.

o (AAWAA) The sustainability will have to be built in. We will keep the relationship long term with the web developers. Our hope is that the website will be designed in a way that we can update it ourselves. We want that built into the site.

o (Director) Right now you manage the flow of information and have to give it to someone else to put it up, but you’re looking for something more automated?

o (AAWAA) Yes, exactly. This will make things easier, efficient, and more real-‐time. o (Panelist) Are you looking at models? o (AAWAA) Royal Albert Museum allows something similar, and David Alt says it’s pretty easy

to do. • The budget is good. The budget notes answered many of my questions. Organization Capacity


-‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • The board is well entrenched and has 100% giving. Attendance numbers seemed low. I suspect that

they did not count everyone, or all types of events. • They are transitioning from having a working board to a fundraising board, and how will that happen?

It was not written about in the application. A transition to paid staff will be huge. What will it mean to the organization?

o (AAWAA) The organization is 23 years old, and we have been a nonprofit for 3.5 years. We don’t have an Executive Director. We have two part-‐time staff and the rest of us work pro-‐bono. I was unemployed so I work 60 hours a week no problem.

o (AAWAA) The transition form working to fundraising board is our goal. We started with artists, and are looking to attract governance board. We have moved to infrastructure building.

o (AAWAA) We have been working on the board for a year, and need the paid staff. We have a board match, and strong business consulting. We are trying to define our roles so that they are clear.


DIVAfest Project Summary: DIVAfest is a project to strengthen this annual women’s theater festival as an independent, sustainable organization by creating a long range strategic plan with commissions to woman playwrights, workshop readings of new plays and the full production of a newly commissioned play at DIVAfest 2013. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served

• I appreciated DIVAfest for being women-‐led and run theater arts. • They have a ten-‐year history with this festival. I like that the work is from more established artists

as well as supporting women to develop work. • Artistically, I wanted to support it, but I have so many questions. It is not clear how the

organization defines this community—is it just women? What is the engagement? Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • I couldn’t understand how the board and the director decided to become independent of EXIT right

now. I did not hear about the process behind that. o In the narrative it is clear that the board would like DIVAfest to be its own organization, but

it is disconcerting to me, it’s a huge process. I would like greater clarity around how to achieve that agreement as well as timing for the strategic planning process, which is also a huge deal. What is the support coming from the fiscal sponsor?

o The plan of infrastructure needs to be clear. What was the assessment? Why now? What role does the community play, and what will the impact be? What role will EXIT play? What’s the outcome?

o (Director) I question Christina being on the boards of EXIT and DIVAfest. It is a fiscally sponsored project so accountability issues are there.

o Is this an entity of EXIT that has reached its capacity and has independence already forming? I didn’t get the sense of it.

o (EXIT Board Member) DIVAfest is at the time to grow, and it has been part of EXIT for ten years. It’s run on the energy of EXIT, but it needs to be its own entity like the Fringe Fest. It is its own event. The group of writers, directors, and Christina are the energy behind it. It is like a plant that needs replanting; it needs room to grow. We are in the early stage and need the strategic plan to get us where we want to be-‐-‐the premiere women’s festival. We have done many things in ten years, but haven’t had a strategic vision. We recognize the need to do that as the first step.

o (EXIT Board Member) DIVAfest has been organic within the EXIT Theater. People involved remain constant, but artistically it ebbs and flows. There isn’t a consistency within artistic quality because the primary person involved is Christina, and it comes and goes, which we are not happy with. EXIT as an organization, and DIVAfest is spinning off because EXIT doesn’t produce each play in DIVAfest. Most times the festival breaks even financially, when


it doesn’t, the money comes out of EXIT’s budget. The festival is just one program for them. For us, becoming a nonprofit hasn’t been determined, but we need a plan and people dedicated to it. We need people to see DIVAfest as priority. The board decided that they would fiscally sponsor the festival. In the next few years EXIT will provide staff, and marketing in-‐kind. The independence is such that there is a clear and codified way of selecting works, and engaging people. It is important that it have its own funding stream. Now, the board, and in Christina’s assessment, they question if there will be a DIVAfest if it stays under EXIT. It pulls on EXIT’s resources. It is a project that I love, and yet it is draining resources. It has a good reputation and artists participating. Women work year after year to make sure it happens. A couple of the artists were involved in the Fringe would rather be in DIVAfest, so the community does feel that it is important.

o (Panelist) So, it’s my understanding that DIVAfest formed within EXIT, and is so popular that it draws on EXIT’s resources, but if it falls in the red, it hinders EXIT.

o (EXIT Board member) Not just financially, but also in its personnel. Christina has been so important to it, and we recognize that others need to take over.

o (Panelist) Of course if Christina separates herself it leaves Jane. If Jane left who would lead it?

o (EXIT Board member) This is right at the beginning, and that plan would have to come out of the strategic plan. The consultant would help us identify that.

o (Panelist) Who will oversee Jane? o (EXIT Board member) Christina will. o (Director) Is DIVAfest a fiscally sponsored project of EXIT? o (EXIT Board member) Yes. o (Director) How does the conflict of interest work, in the contract? o (EXIT Board Member) There is no conflict. o (Panelist) The financial relationship means there is a conflict of interest in a legal way, and

the separation needs to be made clear. o (EXIT Board Member) In the agreement, EXIT receives all the funds, and Christina oversees

them. o (Panelist) There is conflict there to explore.

• I know they just took the first step of being fiscally sponsored by EXIT, and that there are so many roles to fill without having the long-‐term staff present. The gaps are reflective of being a new organization, and their emphasis has been on the artistic vision. They have lots of big vision, and that’s beautiful. They have a need though, for the nitty gritty managing, and planning, being strategic.

o I feel that the project goals are commendable, but missing details exist in every section of the proposal.

o The organization is separating itself; it needs to build capacity. They are aware of the need to build a strategic plan, and I think that’s commendable. I appreciate the need. I think it’s a challenging proposal to consider at this time in terms of allocation of the resources and vision behind that.

• What are the benchmarks of success for an independent organization? How to approach becoming primary women’s festival in ten years?

• I did not see a work plan, or roles for the planning process. Who are the stakeholders? I have a lot of questions about the thinking behind the initiative, and what really are the goals?

• Reading the initiative with the revised budget was very difficult. • Since some aspects are not eligible for this grant, and with so much emphasis on the creative work,

the consultant seems to be a manifestation of someone who works on the creative side. o For the consultant’s scope of work, their fit with the artistic work was clear, but now she’s

just for strategic planning and I wonder about the fit for just that role. Many holes in this proposal.

o I was concerned about the consultant identified, and this is the time to get it right. Someone who is artistically aligned can be helpful but they must also be able to ask hard questions.


This is a confusing timeline. Jane is on for 12 months, and then 6 months of administrative assistance? I need clarification on roles and timeline.

o (Panelist) Can you tell us about the selection of Jane? o (EXIT Board Member) The initial proposal looked at both infrastructure and artistic product.

Jane has the experience and background on the art. Initially Christina wanted the art to still be made during this period and Jane came in there. I remember asking Christina if the art or the strategic plan was more important and she said the plan was. The artistic part was no longer fundable through CEI-‐L1, but the consultancy part can be. Jane would still be good at play selection and speaking with writers. She doesn’t have the strategic planning experience. At this point in time we also have to bring in someone else to do the strategic plan.

o (Panelist) I want to offer something in the strategic plan, I hear that it is not step one. There is a way of assessing things first, in terms of the independence. When I look at this initiative, I think that’s the real step one. Define the relationship, and the need for independence.

o (Director) Address why, before the how. Who is it for? o (EXIT Board Member) I think those questions are the ones that Jane can go out and ask, and

bring people together. She won’t for the strategic planning. o (EXIT Board Member) We would have an advisory group. o (EXIT Board Member) You are right though, thank you.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • They do not have an Advisory Board

o An Advisory Board needs to be set up to work on the identity and mission of DIVAfest in relation to its audiences as well as EXIT.

• How will Christina be involved? • I am concerned about DIVAfest’s capacity; no one appears to be managing the transition of DIVAfest

away from EXIT. • It is not clear what is the current organizational structure and how it will be affected/changed by the

initiative.


Fifth Stream Music Project Summary: Fifth Stream Music is seeking a Cultural Equity Initiative Level One grant in the amount of $25,000 to enable us to engage a part-‐time administrator in 2012. This strategic hire will help FSM advance to the next level of organizational effectiveness and community impact, and to sustain that higher level of organization by allowing it to realize the many opportunities that exist in resource development and program growth. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • This is an impressive application. The amount of work that the artist and the limited staff have

managed to do is impressive with national and international tours. The educational programs are poised to gain national attention.

• They are serving Hunters Point and underserved communities. • The metrics posed a question, what are they for outreach? It is to build capacity to serve Bay Area

communities. The main vehicle for serving is the outreach. The breakdown of served communities, focuses on the underserved through youth and family programs while the performance audience is a middle-‐income, college-‐educated population. I didn’t see it in the metrics, so it was a big question.

o (Fifth Stream Anthony) Outreach is largely educational. We have a partnership with Yerba Buena Gardens, and partnership with Target for a free concert. We have a ZACCHO dance partnership and a call from Ellen Chang to reach the public eye; these are things we’re looking forward to.

• This proposal makes me think about the policy discussion on why this grant program was created. A few decades ago there was a vision of organizations growing in terms of work and capacity, but we’re seeing more and more applicants serving as icons for their community with very small capacities. A few applicants in this group meet that. It is time to help applicants thinking about passing on their connections and work with the next generation of artists and audiences to take the next step. I feel strongly that groups such as this one should be supported.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • Dr. Brown is carrying the organization from an artistic and organizational standpoint. Some support in

administration would be helpful. • In terms of the proposal, the thinking is clear, glad to see strategic plan enclosed. The need grew out

of the strategic plan, not one that was hurriedly put down for a grant application. • Maybe it’s not that important, but I wanted to know the title of the new administrator. They will have

a lot of responsibility with part-‐time hours and salary. It would be a one-‐person development office, tour booking, and engagement might have been dropped for PR hire.

o What is the relationship of the administrator to other consultants? It seems that the shift of fundraising and tour booking will go to the administrator, but is that person the CEO? Is it realistic for a part-‐time person at this salary to be focused on all of this? I would have liked to have it further broken down. What really is this position?


o I have questions about the roles. o The application needs more information on who does what. This role looks like a

development person, but they will do a bunch of other stuff, and I wonder if it is too ambitious to have one person doing it all. I question the administrator’s responsibilities v. board responsibilities. Timeline of transitioning work from one person to another. They have chosen to postpone the hire of an Executive Director-‐-‐ for how long? What’s the plan to raise money? Is it a 3-‐step process?

o When I saw the position, I saw it as a big one, and from an administrative director’s role, it is exactly that-‐an “everything” position. If the title is Coordinator it is too big. If you look at $40K part-‐time, then recruiting someone with arts administration experience, it’s okay. The distribution of tasks is a lot. The idea of the artists going on tour, and needing to take that next step, allows me to see the new position as a partnership. Someone really capable will need to be part of that partnership. How much of the planning that person is engaged in is for touring, or for local work? Will this position evolve as a leadership position and when an Executive Director comes in it will be phased out?

o The articulation of the gap between opportunity and capacity is compelling. I assume the hire will be an Executive Director in training.

o The generalist role of an administrator: is there a higher likelihood of hiring the right person if there is more focus for that position? It needs to be better articulated. An administrator does a million things, but focus is needed when putting out the call.

o Burnout can happen. o (Fifth Stream – Anthony) To address your concern around the title and the position-‐-‐ it is an

ED in training. I tried to keep it broad. I need a partner with experience, someone like yourself who has been an administrative director and knows how to help a nascent nonprofit. Because I have been doing everything I can train. Fundraising is so important, but I been doing it. The more time I spend on grant writing the less artistic work that gets done. Training will happen through working with Nancy Quinn. We are in transition and need that strong partner. I need to be more of the artistic director. Outreach and touring—it looks at income—touring brings in the bulk of the income. The only other source of income is from grants and donations, but touring will generate more. If I do that, then the administrator can work on grants. Educational outreach is an integral part, and we do it both locally and on tour. I want to do it nationally with the Smithsonian.

o (Fifth Stream Board Member) The role will be focused on the critical development functions as well as relationship building; maintain and develop those that Anthony already has with outreach and the board. The publicist will be continued as needed. We will continue to contract bookkeeping through an outside person and as board treasurer I do most of the work and will continue to. We won’t make much use of outside bookkeeper until have more money.

• The spirit of the project seems to encourage more touring. How do those goals meet? There is excitement with touring, which is great, but the parameters of the grant, I want to know more about how it will impact SF community. The administrator will enable Brown to work on the Smithsonian Jazz program to build it into a model. I wanted to see more of that, and bolstering the touring work with national artistic recognition.

• I am glad to see accounting for taxes and if the grant doesn’t go through, what is the back-‐up plan? Other grants? This is a proposal for important support that needs to happen.

o The income, $15K needs to be raised for this and interested to know if it has been secured yet. This application was well put together.

o I have questions about the foundation grant and the still-‐needed funds. o I want to hear about the plan for sustainability of initiative after the grant period? o (Fifth Stream Board Member) Regarding matching amounts, we are just beginning to solicit

and get most at the end of the year. We will apply to San Francisco Foundation for general operating funds. We are not so worried about individual donations. If the San Francisco


Foundation grant doesn’t come through, we may adjust the salary for this position and the expectations. Additionally, regarding sustainability, having a person be a partner for the Artistic Director is key for sustainability and will help work with the board to enhance and ensure sustainability. That’s one of the things they are charged with helping in the development role.

o (Fifth Stream – Anthony) Sustainability is important now. International and national touring is already happening so this position will just grow with it. We have reached the capacity of what volunteers, the Board and I can do. I have to invest in performances in order to generate funds in this economy, and offset the need for grant and foundation money.

• (Panelist) Your clarification that this is an Executive Director in training is helpful to me. What do you see supporting that position and how will you do all of that, train and mentor?

o (Fifth Stream – Anthony) I have seen it happen and will consult with those I know who have had the experience. The Asian American community is small, and has people working with me to support the position.

o (Fifth Stream Board Member) We know that the Bay Area is rich in resources for nonprofit training through Compass Point, and will make use of. I am an Administrative Director (in another non-‐profit) and have capacity with HR, and other roles. Anthony has the programmatic aspects down and I have administrative and nonprofit management expertise and can help train this person that way.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing:

• I admire the adaptability of the organization. They recognize what they need, and how to address it now.

• I would like to hear more about board giving and goals. Fifth Stream saw an increase in contributions, then back down. Better tracking will not get an increase.

o (Fifth Stream Board Member) We have a good board, but they do need to be brought “on board” as well. Long term success will depend on the board-‐-‐their capacity to fundraise, etc. Regarding board giving targets, we have 100% policy and goal, though we haven’t always reached that. It is close and we continue to talk about it. The matching grant from the San Francisco Fund for Artists propelled us, though we make just one individual donor solicitation a year, and want to do two. We need support to manage that. We have been mom and pop in mindset regarding who we solicit, and we want to expand that list. We already have a good base and they are realistic goals.


Melody of China Project Summary: Melody of China will implement a 12-‐month development initiative to increase donations, ticket sales and program participation. The initiative will include hiring a marketing consultant to guide a targeted marketing campaign. The initiative will also include hiring a web designer to upgrade the Melody of China website streamlining online donation, ticket purchase and class registration. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • This organization gives high quality performance and preservation of culture.

o Artistically, the organization occupies a unique position within the artistic community. Chinese music now enjoys a wide audience locally, nationally internationally. Still they continue to break outside of the Chinese music box. I’ve seen them many times. Artistically, they are a very high quality. Every time they have a new community collaborator, like with Lines Ballet, etc. it is exciting, and this is a worthwhile organization to support, but the proposal does have holes.

• What is the local programming outside of large parades? Knowing this will help me understand the bump in audience.

• (Director) Are there surveys of the classes to give us a sense of who’s currently attending and how they have received information?

o (Melody of China) We do performances and have built up a name amongst the community that way. And we’ve gotten grants to do free programs at schools. We are working with are working with Sunset Elementary. We’re trying to open that up to other people in the community.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant:

• I appreciate that they identify where they are now and make realistic projections for where they want it to take them. They propose concrete investments.

• This proposal is for a marketing consultant and web designer. I did go to their website and I do think that it would be very beneficial to have work done on the website. I can appreciate the need for the designer to create the image. As part of the redesign there is a need to enable class registration and online giving. It is hard to get the focus of the group on their current website. This is an amazing ensemble of musicians with a wealth of knowledge so having class registration and audiences able to access them is important. Need for marketing consultant goes hand in hand with the redesign. A certain amount of branding needs to happen. Is there already a marketing plan in place?

o The consultants would advise on design aspects, but there are also talks about a campaign, is there something there yet to build upon? What is relationship of this consultant to the plan or strategy? Redoing website, is kind of what they need to do, that is a very deep level of rebranding going on.

o What they may need in capacity is actually larger than what they’re asking for in this proposal. I definitely think that this is all necessary and they are poised for this. They have


tremendous resources so can’t blame them for wanting these things. Currently their website doesn’t serve them as a performing and educational institution, it seems to be selling unique instruments, so there’s a deep level of marketing and design, but also architecting the website itself. My concern is that before they can hire a designer, there needs to be a deep assessment of some ways the site can actually operate. Do they actually mean to hire an engineer/developer who can build out something open source? I don’t necessarily think they need all the technology. An early assessment needs to be completed before diving into a whole new design and marketing.

o Problems and solutions. So if the solution is web design and marketing. What is the problem? If the impetus is to make programs more accessible to middle and low-‐income audiences, this proposal does not necessarily line up. There is missing information about what the audience needs and what they want. They talk about print media but print is expensive and I don’t see that in the budget. Is the reason people aren’t coming in because of communication or is there something else?

o The architecture of the website requires thinking and planning, and I saw strategies for marketing that the website will make more visible. They say they hope to have a marketing plan that includes fundraising, PR, etc. but I don’t know who can do that. I wanted to see their goals beyond marketing clearly articulated in the proposal.

o What will the Executive Director be responsible for, and what will the Managing Director do? Even if they can have consultants do it all, how do they plan to move forward? I understand the need for an upgrade to the presentation. . I didn’t see a timeline and work plan.

o Clearer articulation of strategies was needed throughout the proposal. I am glad to have an interview because I think English may not be the first language of this applicant. This was the first proposal that I felt like that might be an issue.

o (Melody of China) There is some confusion about our website. There are two websites. Melodyofchina.org and melodyofchina.com. We don’t sell instruments.

o (Panelist) I may have been on the wrong website. o (Melody of China) The other is not related to us at all. It’s a big problem. We are not sure

how to handle it. o (Melody of China) We’ve never hired a marketing consultant so it’s very new to us. We

approach it through email and postcards. We [don’t know] to do things like press releases, contacting radio, etc. We were looking at it as a way to build our skills and to build marketing of the school.

o (Melody of China) We want to upgrade and get better. People know the organization. We’ve played with symphony and jazz groups. People in Chicago were surprised to hear Chinese instruments with jazz. So next time they want to bring us all out. We are working with different groups. We need a lot of help.

o (Melody of China -‐ Managing Director) The website, or my thinking on it, is that functionality is the big issue. The information is there, but there is no way to interact. There’s the information. We post upcoming performances. But there’s no way to donate, buy tickets, or sign up for classes. I didn’t get specific with the marketing plan because we’re not familiar with it. My background is in music and Chinese.

o (Melody of China – Artistic Director) I’m also trained in music. o (Panelist) I did go to the wrong website. But I want to clarify: from the marketing consultant,

do you want advice and mentorship on creating a marketing plan that would include all of these things, such as print, online, class registration? Is there anyone on the board who can help?

o (Melody of China – Artistic Director) There is one who can do design. He can do some program graphic design.

o (Melody of China – Managing Director) But, probably not for the whole package? o (Melody of China – Artistic Director) He already puts in a lot of hours before our

performances to do that.


o (Melody of China – Managing Director) We want to pick the brains of our organizational friends.

o (Panelist) I have some advice: take some of that time to survey the audiences to fill in the information about what the barriers for participation are and why the people participating are doing so. The marketing person needs to know that in order to do their job.

o (Director) The Creative Capacity Fund application deadline takes place every month. I would encourage you to use that to learn about the subtleties between marketing and PR first, to understand how it fits with the goals. It’s hard because it’s not just language as much as it is grant culture. That you are entering in that world with this kind of review. So CCF might help you understand what’s needed and how it’s being talked about here, how to understand the pieces, and find someone to ask questions.

• The breakdown of the initiative budget stood out. Given the complexity of the marketing and design projects, is the budget realistic? Nine days will be spent on marketing; seven and a half days for web; 300 hours each for Melody of China staff. Something about the math made me unsure. Where is the information about the schedule of time to work with these people? How can the Artistic Director dedicate 300 hours to work with these folks when the consultants’ hours are so much fewer? I need to have a clearer idea of how that’s working. It also accounts for more than half of the $25,000 grant, and the total budget is $27,500; is that realistic? I feel that it is low. The marketing plan needs to be more than design, needs to be a concept.

• We need clearer information on the budget related to the Artistic Director’s hours and the Managing Director hours.

o (Melody of China) I planned out working a few times a week with someone. • Budget notes were missing. No information given on the ongoing costs of the website and how it will

be sustained. Who is this for? Who’s the audience? Marketing and publicity are very different skills so the outcomes of what is really desired need to be explained. Are the consultants advising or executing? Is the staff performing the work, and being advised?

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • There are lots of fluctuations in 1-‐year expenses that weren’t explained? How much money is in their

accounts? The three-‐year average was entered incorrectly, so I don’t actually know where they are financially. There are big changes from the actual to the projected figures in the budget.

o (Melody of China) There have been budget fluctuations, we did do better in 2010 than we expected to. 2009 was difficult. Hong who founded the group moved away in 2008. When Hong moved to Las Vegas in 2008, we worked with Lily Cai. It was a good chance to learn from Lily. In 2009, we worked with Francis Wong. And in 2010 and 2009 we worked with Lily again.

o (Melody of China) You mentioned that there was something weird about the three-‐year average. We’ve finished fundraising for the year and at this point we are gearing toward the concert

o (Panelist) Thank you, that helps give a sense of how you plan your year. • In 2009 the individual donation figure was large but then it went down. What happened in 2008?

What is the arc? This makes me question the terms of online donations • What is the board’s role in giving and fundraising? They projecting going from $0 to $3,000 in board

giving, but they weren’t identified as funding this project, so I want to know what their role will be. o (Melody of China) We are looking for two more to add to the three who are in place now.

One is new. They help us, not necessarily with finances, but when we have concerts (they help) with selling tickets. Another new person can help us do fundraising, but not with marketing. All of our board members are volunteers with the organization.


• (Director) How much do you have in the bank? o (Melody of China) We have about 40,000 right now. We’re saving money for a concert on

December 10. We need money for an annual conference. We save GFTA and other money like the touring income. We save for doing video documentation. We only have one CD right now. We’re working with the Chinese Cultural Center and are bringing in two guest musicians from New York. We’re bringing in unusual instruments that are very rare and old. They’ve been featured in movies, so we hired them to come in for the concert. The Chinese Cultural Center is helping with an email list

o (Panelist) It is helpful to hear where the resources are at this point.


Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec Project Summary: Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec requests $25,000 to support a plan for its sustainability. The next phase in ENT’s evolution is to develop a 3-‐year strategic plan that will allow for a smooth transition of leadership. Its goal is to develop the board for this transition, hire and mentor a new ED, release the artists from administrative duties in order to develop a new style of performance aligned with their maturity, and recruit young artists for apprenticing. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • We’re all aware of what a jewel Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec is in the bay area. The organization has contributed to

representing and forwarding the art of Asian storytelling. They have received much recognition for their work in their field.

o They are pioneers, Bay Area jewel of storytelling. o I love Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec. This is a strong proposal. And very moving to read.

• They do lots of school touring. They have a very important historical role in the community; performance is engaging and accessible. Difficult to judge community support.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • I was a little verklempt reading this, seeing time passing, seeing artists looking at different roles in

their organizations, both good and sad. They are looking at how to hold onto the legacy of the work but sustain that in to the future. It struck me how important it is to be able to do that. The strategic plan and leadership transition is well thought through including the role they can play in mentoring the next generation of Asian storytellers. What does the future look like locally and nationally? This was well articulated.

o I underline the importance of this institution and this moment of transition. o I think the long time reflection of the co-‐director shines through. It is very refreshing. Goals

and tasks are well thought out. They are asking for this funding at the right time. Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec is a great example of artists at the beginning of the CEG were emerging artists, and now we’re seeing an artistic leader/icon in our community who is ready to thoughtfully foster the next generation of storytellers to make sure that their work is carried on. The plan for this is very well spelled out-‐-‐ all the pieces are in place.

o The spirit of poignancy in this narrative is strong. There is such a carefulness about the transition. It is a leap of faith that they have prepared for mentally and are ready. There’s a retreat in the budget notes, and that’s critical for them and the board. So there’s a lot of care and attention to the detail. They are calling forth the wisdom on how to proceed.

o It was beautiful…the depth and scope of the people involved in the organization. Part of my question is about the relationships, the partnerships, who are the people that are involved in this thinking right now? The organization is a pioneer in the storytelling side, so in terms of succession, who are the partners in preserving storytelling? How would those partners interact with the business analyst? The community can look at trends together.


o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) The strategic plan is about the transition. It’s not separate. It will help the transition be intelligent and successful. I’m also hoping that it will be faster than three years. I wanted to give it time, but it will depend on who we will find. There’s a bigger pool in the Asian American community now than 30 years ago that might have the vision and passion. There’s a large pool and it’s up to us to find them. Part of the strategic plan is to direct us where to go in the community, including other organizations.

o (Director) How do you know they exist? o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) Look at Kearny Street Workshop, all the people involved, there are quite a

few, not just artists, but art appreciators, and it’s a huge pool there. Asian American Theater: they have many young artists coming in and out who may want to take on Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec. In terms of the analyst, there’s a huge storytelling community but not in the Bay Area. We are a Bay Area organization and also a national one, but we’re all struggling with the same thing. How do you bring storytelling to the public eye as a valued art form? We’re all struggling with it. We survey the storytelling community, but we want to turn to a businessperson who understands marketing and trends, someone who comes in to consult with the businessperson as a storytelling person.

o (Panelist) Talk about young administrative blood. Do you foresee other people coming in with artistic leadership?

o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) We would love to mentor new artists. Open it up to not necessarily to just Asian applicants, but other ethnic groups as well. The point is to share culture as a way to build bridges. We can teach our form of storytelling and it can carry on in multiple ways. That’s all part of the strategic planning. Finding out from our friends, fans, audiences as what they see as possible and what is good for the whole world. What we’re aiming at and the mission is important and the form is good.

o (Panelist) I think there are many young Asian Americans in the community who want to help out somehow. Once they get into these staff positions there is burn out. I hope that there is a culture of professional development and support for this person right from the beginning. Technical skills are easy to build. It’s easy for that person to feel isolated, but if there’s help and growth it will help that person feel excited about the job and have the skill to carry out the job. Help that person find older mentors. There are more and more Executive Directors who want to play that role, whether they are Asian American or not.

• The timeline for phased in leadership transition has sensitivity to finding the person who can come in and transition over three years. It is smart but not every person is able to do that. Is one consultant doing this? A lot of skills are involved.

o What is the breakdown of the work? I have a big question about the time required for this kind of planning. Is there time to participate? Having phases to the plan helps but the increase in administration adds to the work. Does this give them the time to work on planning?

o I wanted to understand staffing better. Nancy is referred to as a consultant, but then said he/she. So is this person selected? Field research is discussed, but then they also talk about a business analyst. What do they expect from this person? A lot of the strategic planning has been done so that they know what they’ll need. I want to know how much this is about strategy versus transition planning, which are different.

o It would be helpful to clarify the timeline and phasing. Matching the person to the timeline was a question.

o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) Regarding Nancy’s role: we’re talking with her. She’s helped us with some things and has also talked about the parts she thinks we should bring in for other things. We have a board member who has worked with us in other roles in the past so we may have him do things in that capacity. We have a huge community of folks who support what we do and we’ve never asked them to be on the board. So we need to ask and be clear about the roles. I think it’ll be ok.

o (Panelist) You have a can do attitude. I have a question about the added layer of this work on top of everything else. Does something need to go to do that?


o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) We’ve been forced to give up some. We’re down to about 50% of gigs. So we actually have a lot of time. So that’s another reason this is important to do at this point.

• The fund development plan will support the Executive Director position going forward. • This funding will significantly help them accomplish their goal. More detail on funding sources and

other income would have been helpful in the budget notes. Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • I had some concerns about funding in this economy and the multiyear grants in particular. Is the

board giving? Only one member contributed last year. Are they trying to change that in the future? o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) We do need to bring in more contributing folks to the board. How are we

going to raise the money? It always is a huge question. We just have faith that we’ll find a way. Go on match dot com [laughs]. Go to the library. We’ve had NEA support. We’ll see. Nancy Hom told us that there are a lot of funders interested in transitional leadership who might want to support this. When we started we did this for nothing. There are people in different situations so we’ll figure it out. Our organization is as important as it was 30 years ago so we’ll continue.

• A huge number of independent contractors are listed in CCDP, so I’d like to have a sense of who all those other people are.

o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec) As far as contractors go… o (Panelist) -‐-‐ Listed 68 people in 2010. o (Eth-‐Noh-‐Tec)That may be an error. We take tours to India and China. So we pay people like

guides, people who are interfacing with community and other storytellers for events. We produce a storytelling festival.

o (Panelist) That’s helpful. We want to know how many people are in the community of storytellers that you work with.


Manilatown Heritage Foundation Project Summary: To develop and implement a communications strategy that will heighten our visibility, promote our programming, and strengthen our audience development activities. We will contract a Communications Consultant to work with a team from MHF-‐-‐ the web manager, design consultant, curatorial consultant, and executive director-‐-‐ to assess our overall communications and branding, to revamp our website and to provide templates for print collateral. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • I just want to say that this organization is crucial for holding memory and history for the Pilipino

community, and provides a current space for new culture. It is a transitional moment for the elders in their community and the success of bringing younger audiences in.

o I appreciate that the organization is built around cultural legacy while looking to be inclusive and adaptive.

o Manilatown Heritage Foundation does something that is unique; they are a community hub beyond the artistic work by reaching the past, present and future. They are thoughtful about how they serve each generation, and it is unique for an organization to really be able to do it successfully.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • I appreciated that their focus on marketing is broad, in a holistic way. They are not just adding more

functions to a website. Attention to the steps in the timeline is good. It may not happen quite as fast but the necessary steps are recognized. Don’t have benchmarks so the change is not clear. Likes on Facebook don’t really get you anything. Huge range of responsibilities for the position or team. Incomplete CCDP made it really impossible to assess the soundness of the organization and I have many questions. Who is the targeted audience for this marketing initiative? What is the 2010 attendance record?

o Timing of this project is questionable. I found the proposal to be well thought out, and yet the outcome seems like it’s jumping ahead a bit. They are paying a lot of money to the consultant and I want more details on the work plan for them.

o When I read it, I too felt that there was something that needed to happen first – to revisit or retreat around identity. What was well articulated, but not taken further, and seemed to be the main issue was that the elders are passing away, while the 35yr olds are coming with their families. How to communicate and connect with the younger families, and come to terms with the history, elders, what brand can speak to all that? The toolkit is already being designed for print and web, but they need to (and are struggling with) how to determine how to communicate with all of them. Understanding the work of branding, and who the audience is, it is more profound than how it s coming across in the narrative. The questions and evaluation of brand assessment, there are lots of questions, but it comes back still to who is the community: that you might survey. The focus of the audience doesn’t seem to need to be expanded, but it needs to be fully reached. The work plan and main concern is for


the board to address the problems in the marketing brand. They need to address, or confirm audiences first, and use the input from them on the images first. I don’t think they are diving in to the question of identity, when at the 35th year, they need to do this. They need to articulate it, and follow it.

o I am a little unclear, and I ask about the strategic plan; I wonder if it is the language that’s being used differently. The question of identity is part of that. Are they seeing that the branding is needed, but not doing all the work around the strategic planning process around identity? I think more information about how it is going now would help.

o (Manilatown) You are right about everything. What you read into this proposal is right on. We have been in transition since Emile left, and then Bill and Al died. We have to turn a corner eventually, and we can’t stay in a mourning phase. Emile said he will come back this week, not to the board, but will be an advisor and will help with fundraising. When Emile left he left a huge gap. Emile is an icon. When the students come back, they say wow, and I bring them through a reenactment of being on the front line, chanting. They say it felt scary, which I tell them what it’s all about. We talk about carrying it on to next generation, to feel it. With Occupy, students look back to I-‐Hotel and the Philippines, and they use the same grammar. We have the legacy in being at the I-‐Hotel. The identity is not a concern because we are connected. Education about identity happens through family, and classes in university. They have friendship games where students from all over California join to in a festival in October.

o (Director) Where in the strategic plan do you address identity? o (Manilatown) We identified three goals; we want to do youth organizing for social justice; to

institutionalize the I-‐Hotel legacy in the school system, and going Bata. We want to confirm Filipino culture. We don’t have a timeline with dates yet for the youth organizing, or legacy.

• How will this initiative contribute to sustainability? Who will implement the plan? Who maintains the continuity of the branding and all the details of such a big initiative? Strategic planning hasn’t happened since 2006? When will that process look at this initiative? When will it be completed? Am I missing something?

o (Director) No. o I actually am wondering if this is another situation where something else needs to happen

before the branding happens? In order for it to be sustainable they need money, but fundraising may not be silver bullet. Gala, we don’t know what the net income will be, nor how staff will work on that and this initiative at the same time. There will be no sleep. The web management will be taken over by a board member; this is too important of a role to not be taken in by the organization staff.

o (Manilatown) We talked about the gala, which I am not in favor of because of the staff time it will require-‐-‐ I know it will make them crazy. We will consult with more people. We are holding it for public relation purposes, and it won’t be raising funds. I will do the PR with groups on my own.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • The financial situation was not fully addressed: after the expenditures on the dinner, income won’t

cover the deficit. Is there a loan? Counting the limited reserve? Is it an endowment? There are significant donations in other years, but not most recent, why? The gala budget did not include catering.

o I had a question around the finances as well. I do not understand the benchmarks especially those outside the gala dinner. There is accumulated deficit; what is the goal addressing that? Sustainability or, growth? I see a huge jump in funds being sought, but I don’t see the


connections. How will this initiative contribute to sustainability? Who will implement the plan?

o (Director) What are your finances now, and regarding the structural deficit, where is the money coming from? Restricted endowment, etc?

o (Manilatown) I didn’t do the CCDP until yesterday; I have a fear factor. It was finished. What happened was that there is in-‐kind is from me and other volunteers. Here is copy of the final report. Attendance is steady and growing, it is in the thousands. Jerome brought busloads of people to his exhibition. Fundraising is done on a personal level. Lots of small donations get you your money. Mentality is that rich people can give more, but I have to reeducate the board about bringing people in, and including the people to feel as though they belong. I see the center as a community asset.

o (Panelist) You have $67,000 deficit. o (Manilatown) It is on paper, but we are paying our bills. We are on month to month, on a

holding pattern for an exhibition in January. We have a positive in bank balance. I have someone to borrow from that I am on good terms. We have $1,100 to pay back and talked to him last night and he is not worried.

o (Director) You have an endowment? o (Manilatown) No, that’s a mistake. We will also apply for more grants. Emile approached us

with a lead. We have things in the making, and have commitment there to hold the organization.

Cultural Equity Grants FY11-‐12 Panelist Biographies Cultural Equity Initiatives -‐ Level ONE Organizations with budgets $160,000 -‐ $1 Million Brad Erickson Executive Director, Theatre Bay Area Brad serves as executive director of Theatre Bay Area, one of the nation’s largest regional performing arts service organizations, with 400 theatre and dance company members, and nearly 3,000 individual members. Brad also serves as the president of the California Arts Advocates, the statewide advocacy organization for all the arts, and as the California State Captain for Americans for the Arts. He is the co-‐founder and co-‐director of Arts Forum SF, advocating for the arts in San Francisco, and is the Chair of the Mid-‐Market Project Area Committee of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Before coming to Theatre Bay Area in 2003, Brad served as executive director of the Northern California Supplier Development Council, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and strengthening ethnic minority-‐owned businesses. Also a playwright, his play Woody & Me received an NEA grant for its 2001 world premier at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, IN and was selected as best new play in the 2000 Festival of Emerging American Theatre. His play, The War at Home, received its world premiere at San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre in September of 2006, and won an award for Best New Script from the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Currently Brad is developing two new plays: American Dream, el sueno del otro lado, at New Conservatory Theatre Center where it is set to premiere in 2012, and Milagro, through the Playwrights Lab at the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, CA. As an actor, Brad was last seen onstage in the Magic Theatre’s West Coast premiere of Steve Yockey’s Octopus. Roko Kawai Dancer, choreographer and teacher Roko Kawai has extensive experience serving on panels for national, regional, foundation and government grants programs. These include the National Endowment for the Arts; Meet the Composer; PA Council for the Arts: Arts in Education as well as Dance Company grants; Philadelphia Cultural Fund: Multi-‐disciplinary Arts Organizations; and as a board member of the Stockton Bartol Rush Foundation’s grants for community-‐based arts in southeastern Pennsylvania. Advisory committee work includes a Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and DanceUSA roundtable discussion on the changing landscape of dance, and for The Painted Bride Art Center and DanceUSA/Philadelphia. Kawai is also a seasoned arts

administrator. A founding board member of the Asian Arts Initiative, she served as Grants Manager there, overseeing the research, project planning, preparation, community engagement, and reporting on over 40 grants per year. At the Philadelphia Folklore Project as well as at The Folklife Center at International House, she helped seek equitable opportunities for traditional, folk and culturally-‐based artists, and developed materials for their grants and teaching residencies. Kawai’s own teaching credentials reach back to 1987. From full-‐time teacher to teaching artist for long term residencies to facilitator for Diversity Training at the National Association of Independent School’s Summer Institute, she has taught at numerous universities, schools, and contexts in the U.S.; internationally in Cambodia, Japan and New Zealand; and for special populations such as incarcerated women, students with learning differences, and seniors. She has performed internationally in Bali, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Japan, and nationally throughout Philadelphia and in Seattle, Hawaii, New York, Chicago, at the Florida Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out. California venues include the Asia Pacific Performance Exchange at the Center for Intercultural Performance at UCLA, NOHSpace, and the Performance Garage. For her integration of post-‐modern improvisation and Japanese classical dance, she has been awarded The Pew Fellowship in the Arts for Choreography in 2003 and the Japan-‐U.S. Friendship Commission Fellowship in 2005, among others. In 2009, she received the Leeway Transformation Award through to explore the effects of violence and loss on the dancer’s body. She is now completing a writing project about the arc of her career thus far, to be published online in 2010. Frances Phillips Program Director, Walter and Elise Haas Fund Frances Phillips is program director for the arts at the Walter and Elise Haas Fund in San Francisco and director of the Creative Work Fund, which supports new works by Bay Area artists. She also teaches Grantwriting and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. In her work as a grantmaker, she has chaired the San Francisco Arts Education Funders Collaborative and co-‐edits the Grantmakers in the Arts READER. She has served on grants review panels for the Rasmuson Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grants, San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, and Wallace Foundation; and as an advisor to the Columbia Foundation’s arts program and the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation’s arts awards. Prior to her foundation work, Phillips was executive director of Intersection for the Arts (1986-‐94)—San Francisco’s oldest alternative arts space—and director of the Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives at San Francisco State University (1983-‐86). She’s the author of three small press books of poetry, published by Kelsey Street Press and Hanging Loose Press, and co-‐author of The Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, now in its third edition. Phillips has published poetry reviews in The Washington Post, The San Jose Mercury News, Poetry Flash,

Ruminator Review, SpeakEasy, and other journals. She serves on the boards of the California Alliance for Arts Education, Community Initiatives, Grantmakers in the Arts, and Kelsey Street Press. A;fredo Vergara-‐Lobo Principal, Vergara-‐Lobo Associates Alfredo Vergara-‐Lobo brings years of experience in education, social work and organization change to his work with non-‐profit and public entities domestically and abroad. Throughout his tenures as senior consultant at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and La Piana Associates, Alfredo has trained and consulted with hundreds of nonprofits, foundations, and government entities domestically and abroad, in English and in Spanish in the areas of strategic planning, board development, strategic partnerships, and cultural competence. An expert in nonprofit partnerships, he was a founding consultant for the Strategic Solutions project, a national initiative to advance the field of nonprofit partnerships and fine tune knowledge and practice in that area. As a certified systems coach, Alfredo has worked with nonprofit and public sector leaders to assist them in accomplishing their organizational and personal goals. He is a principal coach at Prism Coaching, a consortium of six multicultural coaches who provide culturally aware coaching services.

2012 CEI-‐L1 (Organizations $160K -‐ $1M) Project Summaries 509 Cultural Center / The Luggage Store To support the new and expanded role of our Planning and Development Consultant. The Luggage Store has been working with Consultant Megan Wilson this past Spring/summer to draft a 3-‐year Strategic Plan, funded through our previous Cultural Equity Initiatives Level 1 grant. Through this process it has become clear that the organization will need additional development support to help increase the Luggage Store’s capacity and ensure our long term health and sustainability. Arab Cultural and Community Center The Arab Cultural and Community Center hopes to increase membership, visibility, and name recognition in order to boost private donations and organizational sustainability through a comprehensive initiative with two interlocking components: a membership drive and a multi-‐media marketing/branding strategy. This initiative will enable the ACCC to improve our status in the community, to attract more members, and to improve the reputation of the center as a qualified and respected arts presenter and social services provider. Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) To expand its performing arts curatorial and project management capacity for the 2011-‐12 Season and conduct an update to its strategic plan. Goals are to strengthen APICC’s effectiveness as a performing arts presenter; and to strengthen APICC’s core leadership allowing the ED to allocate more time to resource and organizational development. Chinese Cultural Productions This proposal requests $15,000 to develop a strategic plan that will articulate CCP’s organizational goals from July 1, 2012 through December 31, 2014, and to acquire the resources necessary to implement the activities that will take place during the first year of the plan. Galeria de la Raza To expand Galeria’s artistic staff infrastructure and to implement a new professional development program designed to promote the artistic and financial growth of the City’s Latino arts community. Funds will increase the time commitment of Galeria’s current Artistic Program Manager, and will support the costs of assisting 5 Latino arts groups and artists to plan, finance and implement arts projects that express the lives and experiences of San Francisco’s Latino residents.

Golden Thread Productions Golden Thread is seeking to conduct a comprehensive and strategic analysis of its Education Program, now in its fourth year, to determine ways to leverage the program goals and community’s needs toward the company’s long-‐term success, reach, and impact. San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus / Golden Gate SFGMC is seeking support to significantly increase two critical facets of our fundraising capacity and address a core strategy outlined in our recent strategic planning process: building long-‐term financial security. This we will accomplish through the creation of a new .5 FTE Development Associate position, whose primary focus will be on the individual and corporate contributed revenue streams. ZACCHO Dance Theatre To launch Zaccho Dance Theater’s movement research and aerial dance training center and residency program by researching and producing a business model and curriculum. Activity, as part ZDT’s program launch initiative, will include (1) consultant support from successful training and residency program directors, (2) Executive Artistic Director and Project Manager site visit to New York-‐based training program, and (3) all-‐staff training retreat to enhance business model and curriculum development.

Cultural Equity Initiatives Grants Level One, Organizations with budgets over $160,000, pg. 1

Cultural Equity Initiatives Level One Organizations with budgets over $160,000 November 2, 2011 Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center Project Summary: To expand its performing arts curatorial and project management capacity for the 2011-‐12 Season and conduct an update to its strategic plan. Goals are to strengthen APICC’s effectiveness as a performing arts presenter; and to strengthen APICC’s core leadership allowing the ED to allocate more time to resource and organizational development. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • APICC has a track record including co-‐presenting and independent presenting and production. It is

strength and also a question. Which projects are really involved in and when are they just helping? o (APICC) The position of APICC in the community, what it co-‐presents, co-‐markets etc, is what

we are trying to address, and it is multi-‐faceted. The organization was comprised of leaders from five organizations originally and the board members from those groups were our Board. Over ten years, people came and went, and our strategic plan from 2007 helped us redefine. We want to expand capacity and clarify how we are perceived and make it clearer if we are presenting, co-‐producing.

o (APICC) We work with our past stakeholders and current organizations with whom we collaborate. In the festival we coordinate with other organizations and artists produce themselves. Our support is to do the marketing. What is APICC's role? How do we convey that some shows are produced by us? We need to make it clear when we are producing shows. It is a large issue, and need dedicated person to help us, and Tao is that person.

• This is a strong proposal; the work samples are great and really interesting. o I found that the work sample was very strong in content. It illustrated how communities

were being brought together, and the presentation was strong. o I also thought the work samples were strong and the Pan-‐Asian festival and the groups

coming in were truly universal. • APICC focuses on API, and continues to broaden their look at the community. This is strength. • It is strength to be committed to artists. • I had a question about audiences: there are places where it says the audience is 30,000, and in other

places the application mentions 5,000 and 12K in 2009. I want to know to what are those numbers tied?

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • I want to understand more about the questions being asked and their hypothesis of what will be

learned from this initiative.


o I want to find more about the sample questions of surveying stakeholder needs. The consultant is very trustworthy, but I still want to know. I am interested in why it needs to take place now.

§ It’s a binary project addressing stakeholders, and I want to know who they are, how they benefit from the activity, and/or a testimonial to speak to that.

o They share some goals and performance measures; I wanted to know more about artists sensing support, changing attitudes, from what and to where?

§ It seems that they are looking for a change of attitude, so that artists get a greater sense of support, smoothness of operation and quality of presentation. This is not a bad thing; they want someone to be a liaison with the artists coming in. I got a sense that there was something lacking, and they are trying to reach that.

• Do they have a current Board approved strategic plan? This initiative discusses an assessment update, but it is unclear whether they have a current strategic plan.

o (APICC) Our 2007 strategic plan is also called an “assessment” in this application. However, 2007 was really at a specific economic time, and things have changed so significantly. We are trying to redefine an update for today’s socio-‐econ climate and the assessment needs to be done again. Part of the old plan was to expand the staff for programmatic and development roles. We want to build on with this initiative.

• Why do the community assessment and hiring happen simultaneously? o (APICC) We are a small staff and I have been doing the performance art work, the

development, and there’s so much interface happening at the performances. Thao worked with us before and I was impressed with her detail, how she interfaced with the audience, and the marketing. I thought the way she handled information going out would help us to clarify what we do.

o (APICC) The assessment will be an update of the previous one because it is an extension of the desire to expand our staff, and want to use this initiative to address bringing new capacity to free the Executive Director to work with consultants. We saw that as a two-‐pronged way to do it. We couldn’t do that assessment of the organization if I was doing the development work as well.

• Staff is so lean that it does make sense to add someone, so I can see the benefit of hiring. o Why is the new hire called development? It seems like it is for sustaining the giving already.

In the bio, they have a great artistic resume and I need to hear more about admin skills and coordination.

§ (APICC – Thao) The first thing you need to know is that I am type A anal-‐retentive top-‐level producer. I have been producing since 2002. Before that I was an event planner for ballroom dance competitions, and before that in non-‐profits, so I am familiar with the structure. As a community organizer I was targeting API, being aware that pacific islanders get the short shift: Samoans, Tongans, Chamorans, are only connected when all API are connected. I produced a show to showcase the fringe of that community: Filipina, Afro-‐Filipino, and queer Persian. We received great reviews.

• When they talk about the impact it all is about serving the artists better, but it does not mention how the community will be served better.

• How will increased revenue be sustained? o I want financial sustainability to be addressed. I want to make sure that the position will be

sustained by freeing up your time to look for new income through individual donors and better clarifying the marketing and producing roles.

§ (APICC) I see this as money making because it will expand ticket revenue through better marketing.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative:


-‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • Individual giving improved.

o Individual giving is between 18-‐23 individuals, and for an organization that is this age, I think there can be more.

§ (APICC) How do we encourage individual donor development? Part of that will be addressing our role and clarifying our roles so that people know what they are buying into. Then we can communicate what the donor is giving toward. And, it’s not entirely true that we’re a marketing agency, we are producing works too. We need to get info from the community first and then hone our message.

• There is no board giving: I do want to address that; it makes me question the investment of the community.

o I’m glad to see that they plan to focus on board giving. o I also have curiosity in what the board currently provides? Sweat equity? What exactly? o The longevity of board members is great.

• They are dependent on government funding, which is a big liability at this time. o They have a surplus.

§ (APICC) There is a significant budget from government giving, and I spend a lot of time to manage the contracts. I want to create more space for myself to expand the income sources, and with the current model I cannot do this.

• They have experienced staff, committed. • Have there been any pros/cons about having the Executive Director be interim for two years? What

has the experience been? o (APICC) I was originally on the board before coming on staff. I had been with APICC for 10

years and have seen various changes. The Board has recently made me permanent. I was pushing to do an open search, and they thought I didn’t want the position, but my board role made me think it was the right thing to do to have an open search.

• What is the API leadership presence in the organization? Do they have volunteers, staff, audience from the Pacific Islander population, specifically?

o (APICC) We try to be open to the PI community, and Last year learned of summer camp, and they approached us, and we were able to provide the support. Support Na Lei Hulu. Produce One Love Oceana. The board hopes that we can bring people to our leadership as well. Received 200$ from each board member, and now we have added a board member so up to $600. I will direct the board to get more support for us. Shiree Teng was working with us before, and she was able to get he board to move forward. Will address goals and timelines with her as a consultant.

Golden Thread Project Summary: Golden Thread is seeking to conduct a comprehensive and strategic analysis of its Education Program, now in its fourth year, to determine ways to leverage the program goals and community’s needs toward the company’s long-‐term success, reach, and impact. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • Golden Thread is dedicated to produce work by Middle Easterners.


• It has a 15 year history and has earned amazing national attention. A great article published in the Theater Communications Group magazine is included. They have also received attention from local critics and press. Their programming has matured.

• The work sample and materials were great. o I appreciated the excellent support materials, study guides, etc…

• I was interested that the audience surveys showed 40% from Middle Eastern decent. I thought it would be higher.

o (Golden Thread – Torange) That is in our assessment. In our audience, the percentage is calculated from audience surveys that ask, “Do you self-‐identify as Middle Eastern?” They write, “No, Armenian”, or “No, Jewish,” etc. That might be part of why the number looks low. Audience surveys tend to be filled by new audiences not the returning ones because they think we already have the info.

• The letter of support was very specific and talks to a generation of youth that do not have the representation in education or in social circles, and those kids need support. The press materials talk about how Middle Eastern theater is in infancy, and that it is an exciting time. It is important that work and research is being done by this thoughtful organization.

• What does it look like to maintain support for underserved members of the community? o (Golden Thread – Parent/Constituent) There is a lot of activity that needs to be done, and

like APICC said, we too have a need to do community organizing in places where people don’t tend to look. There is conversation where people are not yet ready to identify as pan-‐Middle Eastern. Yet, when you begin to talk they reflect on the shared ideas, aesthetics, and food. But, they don’t know how to navigate yet. What Golden Thread is doing is to help people reconnect with a forgotten heritage, and inspiring them to see the thread that runs through the differences. Politically people don’t want to talk about it, Muslim being considered a frightful thing, or raised to focus on the differences. We know there is a craving that needs to be filled and our conversations are one-‐by-‐one. Especially with those from mixed backgrounds, they know that if they wait until a kid is 13 it will mean that the kid will want to forget all about it. Fairytale Players is a great vehicle. The effect it has on the kids is powerful: the language that they hear at home is woven in, and is validated in theater.

• Does Golden Thread receive money from its community? o (Golden Thread – Torange) Yes, we hold a fundraiser at Nancy Quinn’s house. We also do a

yearly campaign. The Tree of Life Campaign, to raise 25,000 for a production. The smallest donation is $500 which for us is a large donation. We want to have a 15yr anniversary campaign. We need to do work to make it stronger.

o (Golden Thread – Parent/Constituent) We also a Fairytale Players campaign to raise money for that.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • This initiative plans to look at the education programs that are 4years old. In their strategic planning

process they figured that their Education budget could be 50% of their total budget. They are looking at what they do, and want to do, to be strategic about it. It makes so much sense to take the time to see what the future role of education will be. They discuss the context in which Middle Eastern cultures in schools is reflected as either a glorious past, or war-‐torn present. Addressing the community needs and what education means, and how best to go into schools to reach young people


with the theater will be important. But, there has to be a story in between about how the organization does this and how it helps address the students both from those communities and outside.

• They have identified a consultant to work with them about it. • I see that this is a project that has an end, and won’t need to be sustained. • It doesn’t really matter to the efficacy of this project, but in my experience an education program will

not generate income. I am worried that there was an assumption of that. In reality educational programs need to be supported; however, they are big on community benefit.

o (Golden Thread -‐ Torange) We are looking at the funding coming from grants, but are positioning the teaching residencies so that the host takes tuition, and pay us a fee. The teacher will reach out to their community. It is too early to see if it will be successful. La Pena says it won’t make sense. But, the Islamic Center thinks it may work, we’ll see. The education program will be self-‐supporting, but the money will come from a mix of grant and earned revenue.

o (Golden Thread – Potrero Hill parent/constituent) We are doing it at the neighborhood model so that parents who want it will get it. We produce two fairy tale shows at the Thick House, and parents did the marketing and sold tickets, and we sold out. We did the same with the theater class pilot. For those of us who really want it for our kids, we’ll get it done through partnering with communities. We know families who want and are willing to pay for it. I can see how an established cultural center could want a different model. I think that the grants will help develop the programs, and with my 6 year old, we can take that in-‐depth study material to meet the needs of young kids.

• I appreciated that they have a fleshed out curriculum, from residency to in-‐home programs for young children. It may expand as a national model. There is a potential base for people to benefit from it.

o (Golden Thread – Torange) At Portrero Hill we are using the model from another program of ours. This will affect our artistic programming, which is well established, and we know what we are after and how we do it, but want the education to weave through and support the programming. Our study guides are very thorough and it is used with cast and designers. We have been doing that for years, and the content and research has always been part of our work. How do we better communicate our accomplishments in education, with our stage readings, and performances?

• I found the work plan conservative and doable; I am happy to see them pulling back while assessing.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • This is a stable organization. It is small but has a significant surplus. They have what they need to pull

it off. • They provide good information on their surplus/deficit. They had a good effort to use a sabbatical to

reassess. I am curious to learn more about the streamlining that happened last year and how the org chose how to proceed. Also, with strategic analysis of the education program, that will form a large part of the budget, will there be a need to assess the other areas as well? Or is education is the only program needing. evaluation/planning?

• (Golden Thread) On our program development: I was trained in improv, so I never say no. We tend to do too many things. The sabbatical helped me to see what we do well, and how to do it better. I love the Re-‐Orient festival and we programmed 2 days of panel for the 2010 festival; it was very powerful. We decided that we want to have the forum every time, but that level is not possible for us to pull off every year. I saw a three-‐year wave and came up with the idea that we would do the Re-‐Orient Festival every three years, and could program our seasons in that timeline. We would commission a new work once every three years, and one produced piece every three years. We would have two


open slots for submissions. Within that is the education program. In a way we started it because the community demanded it. We responded to that demand. We didn’t think of the right thing to do first. People just needed programming, from the Armenian summer camp to the Persian School; we never really thought that we would do all of that. We now need to look at all that we do, some of the programming is similar, and so we can try to organize it.


Chinese Cultural Productions Project Summary: This proposal requests $15,000 to develop a strategic plan that will articulate CCP's organizational goals from July1, 2012 through December 31, 2014, and to acquire the resources necessary to implement the activities that will take place during the first year of the plan. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served

• It was a lot of fun to read this application. I love the mission and risk-‐taking nature of the art. It is rooted in the Bay Area and Chinese American community. I was happy to hear about their Grateful Dead opening performance. Large ensemble in the Chinese American community is fantastic. I have great solidarity as an immigrant myself, to see how this group has developed over time.

• I loved the work sample. The type of art and risk taking is wonderful. o The work samples were just gorgeous. o I ditto the artistic quality.

• For years you had after-‐school classes? Do they still exist? o (CCP) Yes, they are continuing. We get a lot of requests, but we can’t do them all. Ten

schools easily.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant:

• I had lots of questions about the proposed initiative, the strategic plan portion, I read that it says the consultant will draft the plan, that’s a choice, but I want to know if that really means the consultant will draft it alone or with a particular staff person.

o I have the same question about who is drafting the plan. I am hoping that the consultant would be taking the ideas from staff and do the wordsmithing.

o They are working with well-‐regarded consultant, who is excellent writer. Concern about the plan being internally focused. Consultant interviewing 3 people, and then a retreat. Small board to weigh in, and would like to see broader inclusion in planning.

o (Director) Have you worked with Laurie McDougall (consultant) in the past? o (CCP) Yes. 15 years ago she helped as a volunteer with planning. It was a very little

amount of time. We always have a reason to call her. o (Director) Who will you want to talk to in the process of developing the strategic plan? Is

there other information you want to seek from outside the organization or will you do the process internally first?

o (CCP) We haven’t gotten into that level of detail. I have a proposal about what were going to do, board size, and individual donor kinds of things. We talk about growing our budget size, looking at what will be the best to be stable. We want to focus on space issues especially.

• They signed a 7yr lease on a space. This is interesting. This can open up for greater earned income, and have greater impact.


o I want more info about possible programming and classes in new space. o Like that the proposal addresses publicity for space and new programming. o They received a Haas grant to do a study on the space, and want to know what has been

learned about it. o (CCP) We got a space, which is big thing for the company. We need to see how to use

the space, for revenue, and for the work. We are doing the planning and need to do planning for finances. I had a meeting with the Executive Director about the timing and what we should do.

o (Director) Who do you imagine coming in to use the space? o (CCP) We want to use it as a production space, and also to have classes and workshops.

The production company can rent the space for income from school-‐based work. We are in the process of building the floor and lighting system.

o (Director) They received a Creative Space grant for the space. o (CCP) It is a 50-‐seat space, good for testing work, and small productions. o If you have more classes and rentals of the spaces, who will manage that? Do you plan

to have extra staff to manage the schedule? Extra teacher for classes? How will you get that?

o (CCP) We are in planning for that. I don’t know how far we will go with it. We have someone who has handled it, and if it develops we will need at least a pert time person to manage that. I don’t know yet.

• Regarding the implementation money, wouldn’t they know if they are accessing funds and is there a backup plan? You may not want to go too far into the process without knowing that you can finish it.

• They want to do a strategic planning process leading to a PR and fundraising plan. All of this is planned in 6 months. The planning seems rushed. This gives more time to implement, but why are they so rushed?

o What are the targets for the development? What groups are they trying to reach? o I appreciated the discussion on audience development. I am seeing a push artistically,

and interest in having a broad reach. • I’m concerned that in the project budget, there are no fringe benefits mentioned for staff. • 22 yrs ago they started at Galileo High School. There was so much impact; at that time, parents

didn’t understand why their kids would go to the classes. What is the climate now? How will current needs be addressed within the community?

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing:

• They have had success at gaining a surplus for use in an emergency. • They seem stable. They took a hit 8 years ago; they are not quite recovered, but stabilized. Their

surplus seems consistent • Board members are also employees, which is not unusual for an organization of this size, but is

there a plan for board refreshment; is there a term limit, etc? o I have the same impression of the Board; there’s potential for greater reach in the

community, building brain trust, and income. This opportunity should be explored more and will add to stability and depth of thinking.

o (Director) This is one of the artist lead organizations. It can be helpful to think about it as a company versus as an organization. The two people you’re talking about are the artist founders. This is why are longstanding, and are not going to get off the Board.

o The Board does seem small to me though.


o In the narrative, it says, they will develop a set of policies for solicitation. Is this new? Why are they starting it now instead of before?

o (CCP) The board has always been small, but we also talked about developing the board size in the next couple years.

• Dancers on salary, but where are they in the budget? o (CCP) They are paid for rehearsals and performances, but are not traditionally salaried.

The dancers’ salary is an old story. Ten years ago we lost revenue from touring in our earned income. Now our touring period is five weeks/year, which is a big cut.

• Their earned revenue and marketing are both strong. They are projecting growth, which is incremental and reasonable.

o (Director) Have you solicited business support? How do you reach your audience? o (CCP) We do publicity in the newspapers and perform at Chinese events, Chinese

Festival and corporate events. Or we used to, but many no longer have the budgets for it. We have performed in the past at senior centers, but not in the past few years.

• What is their thinking around individual giving? The size of audience would lead me to believe they could have more, but there is also a limited staff.

o We have been looking at a comfortable budget size for the company. o (Director) Can you talk about the company, the community and audience, and the

relationship there? o (CCP) Audience for our home season is 40%. Our audience is dance and concertgoers,

and 40% are Chinese Americans. Giving from individuals, we do individual campaigns every year, but it is not much money, $2000-‐3000, more than 80% of individual contributions are from the community.


Luggage Store/509 Cultural Center Project Summary: To support the new and expanded role of our Planning and Development Consultant. The Luggage Store has been working with Consultant Megan Wilson this past Spring/summer to draft a 3-‐year Strategic Plan, funded throughout previous Cultural Equity Initiatives Level 1 grant. Through this process it has become clear that the organization will need additional development support to help increase the Luggage Store’s capacity and ensure our long-‐term health and sustainability. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • I have a lot of good things to say about the artistic program of this organization. They are very strong,

varied, an important anchor in the Tenderloin. Artistically it’s a strong organization. I like that this is looking forward instead of looking at this from panic.

o I echo all comments and earlier questions. This is one of my favorite art spaces in the city. It is a wonderful organization. Congratulations on being the master lease holder and best wishes for increased rental income. I like the city slam events and good food!

o Great artwork. They are an anchor in the neighborhood. o I am delighted to be introduced to them. Their mission and work samples were stunning,

concise and beautiful. This is true of the tenderloin national forest, but also applies to all their programming: politics and poetics of life. They have longstanding experience with their music series, projected video, spoken word, etc. I was very impressed.

• I appreciated the letters of support from an artist and community development person. • They have a commitment in the plan to work with community partners, especially with attention on

mid market. • I had a question about the piece of their program plan about emerging curators. Will this also focus

attention on the neighborhood or will it diffuse that strength? o (Luggage Store) Mentoring: it’s from our very beginnings. It’s integral to why we came into

being. We are very neighborhood based and focused, the mentoring has a specific focus: to consider place, where we are in our community. We will work with curators who have that interest in socially engaged, diverse communities. This is an important feature that we offer artists in the arts community and residential community. Many live in the tenderloin and mid market area. There is an influx of artists living and working there that are thinking about that. The space is the ground floor is on Ellis Street so it is very identifiable by neighborhood.

• Did the mission statement in the application originate from strategic plan? Or is it in the works? Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • The consultant is a good match to their need. I know she’s done capital projects.

o (Director) Can you talk about Megan’s (the consultant’s) role in this and how she and Laurie have worked together?

• (Luggage Store) The consultant also did our strategic plan. That’s a vital feature. Without that we can’t talk about the rest of it. There is a lot at play, but the value of Megan’s position is emerging. This


Saturday 67 artists are coming out to support us in a benefit and we’ve only done 2 auctions in the past. We’ve been successful in covering the disparity in foundation support in art sales. So as we’ve caught our stride and this came together really quickly. We didn’t get CEI Level 2, so we got involved in this process and orchestrated this auction with only 2 months planning. We have partners and our Board president, co-‐founder of Arizmendi, who put dollars and money behind this. Also we have community partners such as other arts groups we work with. All of that comes together in a way I wouldn’t have scripted. It usually takes more time, but this needed to happen fast so we have our board giving to it like Mark Bradford and Mark Gonzales who will steer the VIP part.

• This initiative is based on a drafted plan. o (Luggage Store) it’s the blueprint. We’re actualizing it. We should be a little further along but

complications have been an issue and we’ve had to adjust and we’re adjusting as best as almost anyone could. We’ve also gotten our new financial person. Mari Hashimoto has been helping transition the new person. We’re behind schedule but it’s in line. The building, we did the master lease and our tenant now is really doing their due diligence to remain with us. Their partnership with us has brought in more people, and helped their outcomes; they’re selling work three-‐fold, which they didn’t really do in the past. Our partnership with the other building owners, our experience as the Luggage Store, we want to ensure community longevity, with the mid market boom, twitter coming in, foursquare, burning man. All that real estate is going to go through the roof and our goal is to ensure affordability. I’m glad the housing developer is there, we’re not to own the land but the building. We’re making progress with the land trust to keep that affordable for arts programming. We’re working with Camerawork and they just did their long-‐term lease, and we’re working with Mark Jensen (Board of Headlands) and he’s designing the build out with Camerawork. We’re working with them with that. And working with a community partner to build our shared elevator.

• I like that they’re looking at multiple kinds of revenue and not just one arena. Like they’re gearing up toward capital campaign but creating a base of support, smart.

o They are anticipating big grants from foundations. They have had growth in their foundation giving so they are on the way toward projections. They may get them, but if they don’t get them that’s a pretty big drop. They have already raised 10,000 toward project costs.

o I am happy that they have a bullet point about tracking, grant research as part of fundraising plan.

• In the description I was confused about item 7, I wanted clarity about what working with community partners means.

o (Director) how does fund development tie to community partners? o Yes, the bullet point. What does that mean?

• This grant makes sense, but seems more like a capital campaign. But wasn’t identified as such. Raising money for building but not a whole lot, that’s great but can they be clearer?

o (Director)Can you talk bout this initiative and the capital campaign in particular? o We want to solidify our staffing support and can only do this with development help. We’re

on the ground and running and the fundraiser is the first step in that. There were big grants out there and we didn’t get them. We’ve been around long enough to know we need new streams, through art sales, benefits, we’ll still be strategic, we don’t like to stress out artists to give unnecessarily, Megan’s a big part of that.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • It is a worthy thing to do salary increases. It will be important to see how it might be sustained but

taking on a lot.


o They are pushing both capital and other improvements; I am not sure if they can keep it going.

o Yes! Invest in the director salaries. But, it is important to be specific about it and set the dollar amounts, being upfront and clear about how it is crucial to the long-‐term sustainability for the organization.

o (Luggage Store) It is an aspiration to be supported with a living wage and involved in our building.

• They didn’t mention 100% contribution for board in that, so that may be a question. o Some amazing people on board but zero board giving? They might benefit from a larger

board as well. It’s becoming an institution in the city and neighborhood and might benefit from the giving of a board. And given the high profile folks on it already.

o (Director) Plans to increase board giving? Board is donating to events? o (Luggage Store) The Board participates in our fundraising events. Mark Gonzales’ role in the

Board is to help get more board support. • They had a loss in projected activities in 2009, recovered in2010. They have a modest cash reserve on

hand. They are strong in art sales so that’s strength. • How is the co-‐directorship going, pluses and minuses, thoughts for the future? This can be a

wonderful plus but also a challenge? o (Luggage Store) Co-‐directorship is an outcome of our founding as a collective and we’re the

two that survived that process. We complete each other. This is reflected in our programming. It’s a challenge, honestly, as we go through life, a lot happens. Laurie did have an injury that led to a stroke; she’s recovering and I’m covering a lot.

o There’s a lot in the literature that talks about shared leadership so this may be a good example of how more than one lead puts out more work. But it can be a challenge. And I hope she recovers.

o (Luggage Store) I’m finding a skill set in me that has come out of that. • Another observation, I just noticed; it looks like their accumulated surplus is almost equal to each

year, to almost half of what they are trying to raise. Is there a relationship between trying to raise about twice that? Am I reading that wrong?

o (Director)So the question is about the uses for the accumulated surplus and how that relates to campaign.

o Do we assume that it’s cash? I don’t think it is cash; it may be equity in the building.


ZACCHO Dance Theater Project Summary: To launch Zaccho Dance Theater’s movement research and aerial dance training center and residency program by researching and producing a business model and curriculum. Activity, as part of Zaccho’s program launch initiative, will include (1) consultant support from successful training and residency program directors, (2) Executive Artistic Director and Project Manager will site visit to New York-‐based training program, and (3) all-‐staff training retreat to enhance business model and curriculum development. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • Zaccho has an excellent artistic reputation. They have long been in Hunter’s Point. Their youth

program has given them an anchor there. They do a lot of touring out of the area, but in the recent period they have been oriented here. It speaks to their artistic reputation that they’ve also been away a fair amount.

o The quality of their work has importance; they are nationally renowned. I also like that it’s innovative, constantly finding new things. Their work is grounded in community but also very avant-‐garde on the artistic level. It is good to see both of those things being done well.

o They have an overall high artistic reputation. • (Panelist) Can you tell us about one student and the impact (your work) had on them?

o (Zaccho) There’s a lot. The kids we’re able to track the most are the ones in the youth company. We’ve graduated one group that has gone off to college. They started when they were 9 and 10. There’s a very low attrition rate. They stay. None have become artists, though in the group now there are about 5 that will definitely be artists. But all still practice art. Many have come back to say their confidence and their relationship to their bodies were impacted. Their critical thinking skills…all the work we do with them has a content component where we deal with history and social issues. We spend a lot of time talking about what their voice is and what they’re using it for. And they talk about that a lot.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • This project is intriguing. The question I have is will it ultimately increase benefit in the area, or is it

oriented toward opportunities in the dance world? While if they’re stronger in general it’s a benefit. But is it a school model? I found myself asking what their intent is, not in a suspicious way, but what opened this opportunity? Was it demand from others, folks wanting to learn from them? Do they want more use of the studio? This takes advantage of a resource. I’m asking about the convergence because they have lots of goals having to do with funders, studio use, donor support and corporate


sponsorship. It is ambitious and multifaceted. I am intrigued by the 3 model programs they are looking at. They are very different. They have a good project director to do this investigation.

o I am happy to see that they are doing work with students over 20 years. Even if it’s something they want to get into, they have a long history of it in the organization. They are also taking the time to create a curriculum, study, find resources and do that thought work; planning for it is smart. The three examples were all great and very different. Interesting things will come and I’m interested in synthesis. I also wondered if it was professionally oriented; is there room for folks from the neighborhood who might not pay? What is outreach locally, what is outreach in broader geographic area? Maybe they don’t know and that’s part of the business planning.

o I thought they did make a case for meeting the demand. They talk about a steady stream of inquiries from performers, residency opportunities, etc. related to mentorship from the founder and from parents from surrounding neighborhoods. I am confident that the demand and research is there. I also like the 3 models and how that plan is put together. I have a question about the business models. They have described the different artistic and educational models but what is the research around business models that work?

o In general it sounds like a pretty sound initiative that is coming organically out of demand with their role.

o What data points led to the creation, beyond demand, what were other strategic, organizational data points leading to this?

o (Zaccho) Starting with the intention and birthing of the project. The panel mentioned Hewlett; there are a lot of funding sources that have decreased giving. We all came together and looked at what we have and how we move forward, balance all the parts. We have a product; we have assets. One of them is our studio. We thought about that and we look at what we offer: we do residencies, people call and want space, mentorship, etc. and those folks come regularly. Some come at reduced fees. We already have an education program. There has been a demand from aerial artists looking at how that relates to dance and training/mentorship, which I do periodically. When we thought about that, we wanted to formalize what we’re already doing. We want to make it coherent, cohesive, and feeding back to many levels: artistic, engaging other artists, young and old. There is no real center where people on this coast can come together to look at these forms in relation to dance. Since I’ve been doing this for so long, I feel like I’m ready to take that step, I’m ready to give that part. There’s that and then there’s this thing about business models. Some of these organizations have a business model that is specific to the areas they are serving. This is one of the key things we are looking at alongside the program model. That is part of the overall research.

• (Panelist) Is there a back up plan if Sandia, the consultant, is not available? o (Zaccho) Sandia is secured and excited. o (Panelist) If she’s not available? o (Zaccho) She’s teaching with us all the time and working with us. This could be

important to consider but she’s there all the time. o (Zaccho) To demonstrate commitment, Sandia took the initiative to survey what’s

available locally at Counterpulse, ODC, etc. This allowed us to know what other residencies are available, their features and what we could customize specific to community. It starts with community, but we also look at other artists regionally, locally who need that support to do specific work in a specific environment.

• (Director) What is your engagement with community? o (Zaccho) We never meant to shift away. We are always giving attention to existing

work—community work. We hope that it would get more substantial and could support a lot of the ideas by training other people. We don’t have a system where we can grow the demands of the program as it exists, particularly teacher training. We are interested;


we’ve worked with teachers for years and created standards, but the next level is bringing in others to expand the program with more classes. For Bayview Hunters Point folks, we do in-‐school and youth programming. We haven’t done many after school programs, but there is demand, especially since school is out early on Thursdays. There is a hole that we’re trying to fill. We are also looking at pre-‐professional training. We have a youth company. It is good to look at other programs and how young artists are being developed and improving on other levels.

o (Panelist) In figuring that out, was it the idea that this can have revenue generation? Expand service of your mission? Or what needs to happen no matter the cost?

o (Zaccho) Yes, it can have both of those things. Does it have to happen? It’s already happening. This is what we are doing. But we’ve been pushed into a position where the light has gone on. Taking the time to do some research and shape this thing, this will have a significant impact on the organization.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • Board involvement is tentative. They will want board support if they move forward.

o Happy to see board giving since we’ve talked about that. o (Zaccho) Regarding the board and business plan: we’ve worked hard over last 18

months to get to the point where we are dealing with the strategic planning process. As we do these conversations, it gives us new data points and points of departure about where we are and want to go. Offering the programs is part of extending that and the board has been a part of that process. We’ve had a chance to formalize the strategic plan. We are making more in the strategic planning around earned income. In terms of individual donors (and corporate), this is on the list of things that we need to do in the board. We lost an integral staff person who was doing that donor work. But we just replaced them and the person also does a lot of social justice and community work so we’re rebooting that process. We just had, thanks to L1 funds, training with development consultants who do community development work and work with historically black colleges, which fits with our populations. We just had that and it was revelatory on how we do individual donor work. So we’re trying to settle ourselves how see how social media works for us. Products we have that generate revenue are events. Johanna’s work has been around along time and people cluster around us. So the challenge is to stay connected.

• Speaking to organizational capacity, they have a surplus but have had 2 years of deficits. Not scary but is a challenging time for everyone. It is good they have other funding in place for this. It speaks to commitment and that not all eggs are in this basket. They have commitment from existing staff. In terms of looking at organizations as a whole, Zaccho has strong earned revenue which is one of their strengths. They had a San Francisco Foundation matching grant, not sure they were able to sustain the donors after that.

• I also wondered about the multiyear grant from Hewlett impacting budget so wanted a bigger sense of that.

o (Director) So, you are asking about the deficit as reported on the three year average form of the application?

o Yes, I have no questions about stability but just wanted clarity. o (Zaccho) The deficit entry thing has come up before. There isn’t one. But it is a

reporting and timing thing; it is not an actual operating deficit.


• In the financial activity, I was curious about earned income being so much lower than contributed. I understand that they do free performances (5 of 7). However, in the financial activity, the totals, earned and contributed, are significantly higher. I have a question about the ratio.

o Contributed is relatively high in relation to earned income. o They saw a drop in individual giving. I wondered about a strategy to bring that back.

• I’m glad that it would increase health insurance benefits for director.


Galeria de la Raza Project Summary: to expand Galeria’s artistic staff infrastructure and to implement a new professional development program designed to promote the artistic and financial growth of the City’s Latino arts community. Awarded funds will increase the time commitment of Galeria’s current Artistic Program Manager, and will support the costs of assisting Latino arts groups and artists to plan, finance and implement arts projects that express the lives and experience sof San Francisco’s Latino residents. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • I was really impressed with the application and artistic strength and history of the organization. In its

41 year history it has had a high standard and has been ahead of its time. The work with youth in digital media is pushing that further. They contribute to the intellectual constructs around culturally specific art. They make a big contribution to the field at community and intellectual levels. They have a lot of firsts: Frida Khalo, digital mural projects, expanded to performance, youth, and performances of Latino, native, LGBT artists.

o I echo all the attributes and great qualities of the organization. They have a long history of exhibiting arts and murals, celebrating Dia de los Muertos; it has been a great resource for me as a Latino immigrant.

o They have a long history in the community; they have done a lot of programming over the years. Strong community and philanthropic. This initiative is reassuring and appropriate for a 40 year old organization.

• I also want to know more about how the Latino community supports the organization today and the native communities. (The support) doesn’t have to be financial but it would be great. Since those are broad umbrellas how does that support come?

• I agree, they have great work samples. One thing I liked was that this project and the goal of stimulating more resources for the city’s Latino arts community seems to be planting seeds to grow support looking forward, for Galeria and the meaning of the CEG program. There’s that story in the clippings that talk about artists they’ve worked with and the greater good in the native community. That’s’ compelling.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • The initiative itself, I thought it was outstanding. By increasing the staff time, it gives them a lot of

resources for programming. The job description is clear; it shows ongoing and new work: commissions, technical assistance.

• There is a great need and an articulation of need and impact on the community. Language and infrastructure in community. Lots of groups have formed but dissolved before they apply for grants. They have a prior track record. They did technical assistance, been evaluated. There is a virtual community in play.

• I am also impressed by the artists being served accepting responsibility of outreaching to their community. I am glad to see that.


• I wondered they are doing a lot; a lot is on the Executive Director who is carrying a lot of weight. Looking at the work plan, she does a lot of it.

o I saw those two pieces fitting, the Executive Director is doing a lot with this initiative, so increasing other staff makes that possible.

• Are they also talking to artists about models other than fiscal sponsorship and incorporating? Younger artists are taking other models. Are they ready to support that?

• I didn’t see fringe benefits for the new position; maybe it’s in the salary? One of the consultants is a board member, what is the process around that?

o (Galeria) In terms of Marie Acosta, she came on board right when we submitted the application. I’ve discussed this with her and we’re bringing it to the board at the next meeting. It will be dealt with properly.

• I have two questions about sustainability? Taking the program manager to more hours, how does that becomes sustainable after the grant? I wasn’t sure. I had trouble connecting the program manger’s time and the 5 commissions; are they integral to each other? How do they fit in the same bucket?

o (Galeria) Related to the sustainability of the position; this is part of the strategic plan: bringing up rentals, individual donors, and art sales. We are targeting the sustaining of this position with those revenues. It’s not the biggest focus of this program, but as groups potentially form, we may have some income from fiscal sponsorship. But, the plan is to sustain this from individual donors and art sales.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • Regarding organizational capacity: it is great that the arts program manager is already identified and

the workshop facilitators are committed. I wanted to know more about Adriana. She has great credentials in visual but wanted I want to see more about her experience in production, administration and technical assistance experience.

o Personnel involved have great bios and history. o (Galeria) regarding Adrianna, she joined us in November of last year. I’ve been training

her in grant writing, she’s a great editor. She’s a great writer. She’s smart and I think she’s really become a point of support for me in the organization. She’s young and I’ve been mentoring her. I wasn’t sure how much I’d have to do there, but I’ve realized she’s really smart and become really a good support for grant production and helping things out. I respect her input a lot. She’s being mentored. She’s done internships but the bulk has happened with us. We are a small staff and people take on a lot. You have to learn very quickly.

o (Panelist) As a follow up, related to Adriana, I support mentorship, but given that she’s learning with you, do you have a plan “b” if the learning curve isn’t going as planned?

o (Galeria) I have no doubts. She’s already doing that work with us. I don’t have doubts about her capacity.

• I have a question, are 5 new commissions ambitious? What is the capacity for that? o I have similar questions regarding their capacity building activities. I want to know more

about the origins of that. What are the data points showing that they have experience and capacity to do that work? What is impact does that have on their mission and is that sustainable?

o (Galeria) We started a similar program with the Native American community when the CEG started the NAACT program. That was an eye opening experience and we’ve realized over the 3 years that we deepened our relationship, some have come back each year or their network has come in. So we’re building a stronger community of artists


around us who are part of the Galeria family who come to us for support. They’ve built a strong connection beyond the workshop; it has more depth to it. It has brought new artists, new audiences and the capacity to train new people. That mentorship has been part of the ethos since the founding. So the Latino artists want that as well. Being able to build grant writing capacity is a big thing. We hadn’t done that so it was a logical step from a beneficial experience that went beyond our expectations to address Latino artists in the area. It’s very connected to our mission. It’s giving us another level of commitment, not just presentation but the institutional support to grow as artists. In our process with the Native American grants, the idea that you can apply for grants and might be successful is an enormous thing and the benefits grow over time.

o (Panelist) Capacity building, in trying to explore that, was that something you saw as part of the mission and/or was it not only that you are good at it but it increases revenue?

o (Galeria) All of the above. We have been receiving articles from different sources on how low the giving is to Latino groups given the size of the population. So we feel we have to help build that equity. If we don’t train artists to access those funds it won’t happen. So it is an urgent part of our mission. It will be a test for the 5 commissions. We will do follow up to the production of events, helping them to secure new forms of funding afterwards. My mothering instincts are very high. I personally am committed to making that happen. I do it informally already. Folks have come to me to read proposals. So I want to formalize it.

• Regarding Board commitment, there were huge donations in 2010 for anniversary, how are they being tapped for support for this particular initiative?

o (Galeria) We did an individual donor campaign in one month that we just closed and we raised over 11K in $50 and $100 chunks. That blew my mind. We hadn’t done those kinds of drives and the success we had with that was in part thanks to the community relations person that we got through our last CEI L1. They are different building blocks coming together. We were equal to the anniversary year when we submitted this grant; with this 11K, we’re almost triple where we were in 2009.

o (Panelist) Steep curve there. o (Galeria) We’ve developed other pieces from the 40th anniversary, including the fine art

prints portfolio that we have been selling. Different things have built… o (Galeria) Last year we had 5 Board members. This year we are at 9. So we increased

that. There has been a shift in culture on the Board. We have great people who are helping us rethink the organization. When we did our strategic plan in2010, it was done outside, now we are doing strategic planning in house and involving the board more. I don’t know if it increases contributions but it increases skills and time with organization.

• They are stable financially. o Stable but they are at a challenging moment. They are in the year out from Warhol; they

didn’t get NEA support, so a tough year.


Arab Cultural and Community Center Project Summary: The Arab Cultural and Community Center hopes to increase membership, visibility, and name recognition in order to boost private donations and organizational sustainability through a comprehensive initiative with two interlocking components: a membership drive and a multi-‐media marketing/branding strategy. This initiative will enable the ACCC to improve our status in the community, to attract more members, and to improve the reputation of the center as a qualified and respected arts presenter and social services provider. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • This is an organization whose artistic programs are offered alongside their social services. Forest Hills

is an accessible center. Small. They also host events off-‐site. They serve immigrants to the Bay Area who come from the Arab world. Yemen and Iraq are most recent groups; they live in the Bayview and Tenderloin. It could be hard to get them to Forest Hills. There are high needs in the population and are addressed by this organization.

• Their attendance is modest, but their venue is also small. o The work sample shows them in Union Square, which is a very large event. The video

shows people very happy in the event. o I agree. I am impressed by the scale of the annual festival: the attendance and level of

musicianship. People are drawn to it. It is a common ground that allows people to come together within ethnic communities, and is bridging. They have two different constituents within their membership: low-‐income recent immigrants and well-‐educated scholars and panels etc.

• I want to clarify where arts programming fits with the many services offered. I really appreciated seeing the festival at Union Square both for the event and bringing Arab culture to the rest of us. I hope it continues.

• Their ability to get 50 volunteers for their festival is a great indicator of community support. • This is a healthy application. Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • This proposal is about marketing, so I guess the need and proposal is a good match. The strategy is to

make a video to raise money at events and a website. The website has low attendance so, how will they drive people to the site to view the video? They have a thoughtful conversation about who community members are.

• While they know their constituents, I want to know if research was done to determine that the web is the best way to reach them. When you build audience you must invest in a database and mailing list in order to keep them.


(Ruth -‐ ACCC) Regarding the question about a database and market research: we are using Salesforce as our database. The posters and t-‐shirts: at our festival this year we sold t-‐shirts and sold 80% of them. We sell them in the Center, and the community really likes them. Women’s small was too small. I have 6 left.

• They describe the cost as one time, but they will really have to keep refreshing the site. I know the costs go down after the initial investment, but they do need continued effort to sustain it.

• I want to know more about the sponsorship idea where well-‐to-‐do folks could sponsor membership for low-‐income. How will these two groups come together? What does membership mean to these folks? Does it mean perks, like discounts at businesses? What does being a stakeholder mean, what does it say about you, and what gain for the community? It needs more articulation. They discuss several types of marketing: web, t-‐shirts, business cards, and I want to know more about why something like a t-‐shirt or poster would be more effective than something else? The plan seems product oriented and I wonder if this constituency responds well to that, was there research? The branding consultant is being paid the same amount as the T-‐shirt designer and web designer, and what is the true emphasis and why?

o On one hand only 100 people are members and they want more, to bring in more income, and reach more people. But, it’s also been around since 1973 and there are only 100 members. So, right, why be a member? Why not just attend the events? To participate in services and also join? Are members more connected, does it make you part of the community? Does it propel you deeper in the community? Is this a bad indicator? They had all the right elements in the proposal, but I was thrown by where the dollars are going. Maybe it will be readjusted. Branding is very high level work. It felt like in reverse, the T-‐Shirt person could be getting $500.

o (Loubna – ACCC) Whole new doors are opening in regards to membership etc.. People saw that someone young is taking on the Executive Director role. Most of our members are over 40-‐50 yrs, and are not the age as the people coming to receive our services and they want more out of the center. This has been an opening for our community. People are rushing in. People are asking for certain classes, etc. Our first objective is to take it step by step and want to have a membership that will relieve our reliance on grants.

o (Ruth – ACCC) I did a quick survey of people I want to hire, from those who already volunteer, and I asked that if we were to pay, what they would charge.

o Panelist-‐Is that true of the branding consultant? o (Ruth – ACCC) No, it’s not, and I’ve written that down. o (Loubna – ACCC) The demographics seem quite different, and this is part of why our

membership is low. What does it mean? Do you just the discounts? We have struggled to define this. We want to find a way to make sure our volunteers, service clients, and musicians, and panelists all part of the same community. We want to be home for all, and want interaction within the community. We thought of having membership-‐only events. Want more than just email newsletters. Want people to know that they can find their friends by just dropping by the center.

o (Ruth – ACCC) The most popular events were dinners during Ramadan. We want to bottle that energy.

o (Director) Could you talk about the website itself in terms of marketing, branding, ongoing costs of maintenance, and how it relates to community outreach?

o (Ruth – ACCC) Our website is completely different than 6 months ago. An Oakland based organization set it up and trained us to maintain it. Everyone on the staff helps to keep it updated. The video should be the first thing to see. You could spend 20 minutes reading, but a video could do that all.

• Branding, to create a statement about creating a stronger identity as an arts presenter, I wonder if that was their chosen brand? How does art presentation fit in larger mission? Is it in the forefront, or background?


o (Loubna – ACCC) What does our community do to dispel ignorance of Arab culture? Debbie Smith was the first coordinator that was not Arab, and said that there was potential to empower community and have cross-‐cultural dialogue. We also work with Arab American youth that don’t speak Arabic, and want to learn, or who are facing racism, who don’t know how to sing, or dance. We have a nostalgic sentiment, and want to establish a space where people can learn and know each other. They used to all live in Forest Hill, but not any longer. The cultural program ties everything together and it is how we are recognized, it is important in showing our purpose.

• They have not identified their consultants, which is a question for me. In comparison to other applications.

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • I no longer have a question about the Executive Director, but I want to hear about her.

o Now that there is a new Executive Director, I want to hear how they will be a rudder for the many taskforces.

o In terms of the Executive Director transition, how did it go? o I was very curious about who is at the helm and this will need strong leadership. o (Loubna – ACCC New ED) I have been the new Executive Director for one month and

Sally will come back to do some training with me. I was hired a month before Sally left, and the same month as planning the festival. It was an interesting transition. The staff is exceptional, and focused on programs. I was worried as a former staff member about becoming Executive Director. We have had an open conversation about fears and anxieties. We’ve wanted to do that since hearing that Sally would go.

• Much of the revenue comes from the government, which makes me nervous. I don’t know what is happening in the funding world for battered women and those social services. What are they facing? What is their financial context; are other programs stable?

o (Ruth – ACCC) We have been doing quite well. Sally was very careful and meticulous She applied for things we needed. We are increasing our foundation money, and the other jump was from a gala we held. There is a push to reengage our community for what grants don’t cover. Domestic violence and youth services need more funding. The phones haven’t been stopping. And in the East Bay there is a high increase in population and no center there. Under our new board president, he was involved in the 90’s, and is well established in the community and wants to bring community back to the center. He is thinking about monthly meetings and a process of not asking for membership or donations yet. Even if at $15. He wants to wait for an end of the year meeting.

• The amount going to artists is between 6,000-‐8,000 dollars which is lower than that for other organizations.

o (Ruth -‐ ACCC) We pay artists low because we’re poor. • Income and surplus are good. • How ready is the board? What was the process that took place? Why would the board be available?

I’d like to learn more about what’s behind the board; it is large, but how active? How do they work, what are their expectations of this initiative? How about the Executive Director as voting member of the board?

o (Loubna – ACCC) Board members want to be more engaged than they are now. They are incredible as individuals and also as volunteers. They need some work as a board, and have been working with Compass Point.

• I want to know the secret of their jump in admissions.


• In the budget, s it a typo in the CCDP? Contributed revenue, in 09-‐10 board is at $0, and in the next it’s at 11k, and 13k. That’s a total percentage growth of 183%.

o I have seen this, and organizations aren’t breaking out Board giving from individual giving.

o (Director) It’s typical in this. o How did individual giving go so high?


SF Gay Men’s Chorus Project Summary: SFGMC is seeking support to significantly increase two critical facets of our fundraising capacity and address a core strategy outlined in our recent strategic planning process: building long-‐term financial security. This we will accomplish through the creation of a new .5 FTE Development Associate position, whose primary focus will be on the individual and corporate contributed revenue streams. Quality of Organization’s Programming & Relationship with Community -‐ Quality of artistic work, programmatic activities and/or services of the organization in expressing/supporting the experiences of the historically underserved community -‐ Quality and depth of the organization’s relationship and service to the historically underserved community on which its mission is focused -‐ Demonstrated substantial and continuing support from the community served • The organization is not quite 35 yrs old; they have an upcoming anniversary. I had no idea about

their history that their first performance was at Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk’s memorial. This links in a profound way to the anniversary and their plan for the Harvey’s children project and gaining support from young people. Music and compositions will be solicited from young people.

o I would love to hear about the submissions to Harvey’s children. o I had many of the same impressions. They have impressive historical significance. o (SFMGC) We postponed the deadline for submissions a little. It will go out on the 7th of

November. We need to make sure we picked the right date with the right partners. The partners will help broadcast the call for submissions. It has taken longer than anticipated. We are ready to go now.

• I am also impressed by their partnership with Mission High School, and wanted to hear more of testimonial or impact on youth from that programming.

o (SFGMC) The Mission High School chorus partnership: they have performed with us, and we perform there. This will continue. We had another look at our ambitions with music education and decided to change them. We had grander plans, but we have had a reality check.

o (SFGMC – Board President) One thing was that the original plan was created when we were transitioning between Artistic Directors. Our initial intent was to be more involved. But reaching SFUSD was very challenging. There was a feeling of excitement, to have support in teaching music, and tolerance but, in up to 14 years old, there was trust issues. And to do something authentic, long-‐term classes would take more than we planned. To go about it, Tim has helped us to look at our pedagogy and teaching teachers. We want to gather music teachers, and have the inspiration and excitement going. Also, to do more in performing partnerships with youth choruses. And, we want to leave a legacy of music in the schools, to look for funding to purchase a piece of music as a gift for schools. For schools to buy music is extremely expensive, and we want to give it. Tim was very helpful with the planning committee. We needed to rethink. We knew we had to be more realistic.

o (SFMGC) We at down with music teacher at Mission HS, and spoke about how to be most useful, and will create funding towards the purchase of a sound shop. and supporting the chorus taking a tour of Southern California.

o (Panelist-‐) As you dream up impacting the younger students. Is the reality check from bureaucracy? Or PR? What was the block?

o (SFGMC) So much could be done, and in answer to how can we be helpful, we were told well, ALL OF THIS. And it was a reality check. Some other organizations were doing pieces, and we didn’t know how we could make a real difference.

• The promotional video was concise. There was much emphasis on the new artistic director being an audience magnet. They have sold-‐out shows, and achievement.


• Speaking to relevance. I want to know what has been discovered since the writing of the strategic plan around perceived irrelevance. What is different than 1978: what do they want to have or need?

o (SFGMC) Relevance is something LGBT choruses discuss when we get together. We had been coasting on the art of maintaining our edge. A capella singing is seeing growth. In some ways the choral art form is what it is, stage and audience. In a broader context, how do people participate in arts, and what are the expectations. Our strategic planning process was addressing that. The “Dear Harvey” project was designed to connect more deeply.

o (SFGMC – Board President) The age of chorus members has impacted our audiences. During the last few rounds of try-‐outs we have seen many younger singers. As we think about programming, season subscriptions, and choose to remain mindful that we don’t have to be perceived as a 50 yr old white men. We have 20 yr olds and 70 yr old singers with the space to be authentic with each other. It brings people together that wouldn’t have stopped each other on the street to connect. It is a sacred and energizing space. It is what we think the world should be like. It’s not the heart of the AIDS crisis. We can be classical, silly, or Broadway and it allows us to stand on stage and be unapologetic about whom we are. Some think, “Oh, this wasn’t as campy as I feared it would be”. To have tickets at the price point is important so we can have the full breadth of audience in San Francisco that is so diverse.

Initiative’s Merit and Impact -‐ Consistency and appropriateness of the proposed Initiative with the organization’s mission, stage of organizational development, and if available, Board-‐approved strategic or business plan: -‐ Thoroughness of the organization’s assessment of its own and its community’s needs, and how well the proposed Initiative addresses those needs: -‐ The soundness, clarity, credibility and internal consistency of the proposed Initiative: -‐ The proposed initiative’s likely impact on the development and sustainability of the organization and its ability to serve its community: -‐The viability of the plans for sustaining the organization’s health beyond the term of the grant: • The request is simple and clear. They plan to hire a part-‐time development staff member to focus on

corporate and individual giving. I would be more skeptical about receiving corporate dollars, but their Executive Director has actually had a lot of success in a previous position. The track record and knowledge is there. It will hopefully pay for more than the half-‐time salary. Where they will find increased revenue makes a lot of sense. It is right for an organization of this age, and with the story, and connection to community. The chorus is 200 people, and that alone shows support.

• The Development Associate position seems clear. The tasks and responsibilities are well spelled out. The application was humble without being modest. They are forward about areas they haven’t been able to improve. I love that honesty.

• Sustainability: the numbers are weird. The initiative budget with the income sources, I see it as being very dependent on this grant. Are there other sources of income going toward the initiative? The salary of $31K—where are the other $6K coming from?

• I observed that long-‐range plan prioritizes young and people of color. These are worthy goals. I am interested to know how to link the goals of the development plan with that goal. Are younger people chorus members? How are they reflected in the agency?

Organization Capacity -‐ The availability of appropriate human resources, including active support of the board, and financial resources for the Initiative: -‐ The organization’s ability to implement the Initiative given its existing operational needs: -‐The organization’s general soundness as reflected in their programming, finances and staffing: • They have many, many part time employees. How do they live on $33K. Is there no one on the staff

currently that could become full time? Lots of part-‐timers can lead to turnover because they can’t


afford to stay on the salary. They do have an endowment. I guess they know how to increase corporate giving even at this time.

o (SFGMC ) In relation to part time employees; we don’t have the expertise in house (for the Development Associate). We need to seek it out. I have the expectation that if this is successful we could increase this position. We thought about combining this position with other roles, but our plan is that it will stand-‐alone. Our plan “B” would be to combine it with other responsibilities. However, we’re often focused on reaching the goals of a performance rather than long-‐term organizational needs.

• I am curious what impact has it had, for the ED to serve in the board? I’ve seen it from both sides. Sometimes it leads to reliance on the Executive Director to make board active.

o (SFGMC – Board President) It’s an interesting question about the board. It is fully functioning and is thriving. This is my tenth year of being in the chorus. This year, the board has been on board and supports executive staff. They are committed with their time and board giving is at 100%. You like to hope for meaningful gifts, but we are seeing strong average numbers. It’s very easy to write a check. Seeing board members support ideas, and able to stand right beside our Executive Director in the work is important. Donor acknowledgement letters are done by the board members focused on personalizing them. Having board members at our retreats, we are very excited about doing internal data mining. We have grown in the last year by 300. Not all are working in big companies, but some are. They provide us also with volunteers. We’re looking for clusters of members so that we can raise that information to the company. Many of us work at the Gap. To pull that together is important. It is exciting to be on a board of people who get that. Everyone understands how critical it is for the lifespan of the organization.

o (SFGMC) IT is exciting for me to have this level of commitment. Providing administrative support will make the effort pay off.

o (Panelist) To be transparent, I just want to know if Teddy couldn’t be around, would the Board be on autopilot? Who carries the organization?

o (SFGMC – Board President) As with any board the 100% engagement, it varies with people. Some are very involved. We have worked on succession planning. We have looked to see what our position will be. It will likely be me and we’ll pull ourselves up. The board would continue to thrive.

o (SFGMC) We have long-‐term staff members in the organization. We hired a new Artistic Director, but I have been here 5 yrs and the box office person has been there for 15 years. People know what each other are doing in the office. We had a scheduling snafu with the retreat and met without the executive staff. We held it anyway.

Documents

CEI L1 CoverMemo CAEG 10Jan12 - sfgov.org