13.6.500.362 Application
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc.

Proposal Information

Item	Response
Application #	13.6.500.362
Program	General Program Support
Proposal Type	Local Arts Agency
Funding Category	Level 3
Discipline	N/A
Applicant is requesting REDI waiver	N/A
Residency Contact Hours	N/A
Proposal Synopsis	This request supports the general program of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, which serves as the official local arts agency for Duval County, and on behalf of the City of Jacksonville, the official regranting agency for funding to arts and cultural organizations and the manager of Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places Program. The Cultural Council’s mission is to champion the appreciation, relevance, and expression of art and culture.

Applicant Information

Item	Response
Corporate Name	Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc.
DBA Name	N/A
Federal Employer ID	23-7347442
Principal Address	300 W. Water St., Suite 201 Jacksonville, FL 32202-4443
County	Duval
Applicant Email Address	apalmer@culturalcouncil.org
Grant Contact	Amy Palmer, Director of Grants Administration
Authorized Official	Robert Arleigh White, Executive Director
Website	www.culturalcouncil.org; www.experiencejax.org

Mission Statement

The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville champions the appreciation, relevance, and expression of art and culture.

Proposal Description

The Cultural Council serves as the local arts agency for Duval County. On behalf of the City of Jacksonville, it administers grant funding to arts and cultural organizations through a process governed by city ordinance and manages the city’s Art in Public Places Program. As an umbrella agency, the Cultural Council serves a variety of constituent groups in the following ways:

Organizations – provides operating, capital (when funding available) and program grants as well as technical assistance and informational resources; leads advocacy efforts; promotes area’s cultural attractions to residents and tourists.

Individual Artists – provides technical assistance, artist’s workshops, informational resources, opportunity to participate in public art program, and visibility through featuring visual and performing artists during the annual Arts Awards. The Council is working to expand its services to individual artists – through the opportunity to lease studio space through Off the Grid, planning for a new downtown arts district, through its contract with the DCA to host professional artist workshops with Creative Capital, and by seeking to establish a new grant program open to individual artists.

Educators – offers professional development opportunities and informational resources, coordinates the artist-in-residence program for the Duval County Public Schools, partners with the school system on implementation of model programs, makes grants to public school teachers to enhance arts education, and provides leadership for arts education advocacy efforts.

General Public – provides informational resources, advocates for art and culture, opportunity for membership in Cultural Council.

Through a comprehensive strategic planning process that is currently nearing completion, three primary roles for the Cultural Council have been identified:

CONVENER/COLLABORATOR – To develop strong, strategic community partnerships across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors in order to improve the arts and cultural sector and enhance the greater Jacksonville area’s quality of life.

ADVOCATE/ACTIVIST – To champion arts and culture as an integral part of the life in our community demonstrating the relevance and impact of arts and culture to a broad range of community issues.

GRANTMAKER – To act as community stewards of public and private funding while developing processes, strategies, and resources for investments in community change.

Filtered through these roles, the Cultural Council’s plan of work for the 2012-2013 grant period – while continuing its core services described above – will entail the following new major goals and objectives:

Goal 1: Strengthen the arts and cultural sector and improve the quality of life in our region through:
Convening/collaborating
Advocacy/activism
Grantmaking

Timebound Objectives & Activities:
By June 30, 2013, support downtown core revitalization efforts through the development of pedestrian-friendly experiences including:
-implementing a temporary juried outdoor sculpture exhibition
-initiating a mural competition in concert with downtown property owners, which will award prizes subject to public vote
-beginning the design phase for a downtown walking trail and public art tour
-releasing call to artists for a new downtown mural on the city-owned Ed Ball Building

By June 30, 2013, initiate a board-led program to involve local corporations in the art community by developing stronger relationships through highlighting corporate art collections through tours and inclusion in the downtown walking trail

By June 30, 2013, improve capability, processes, and efficiency in grantmaking through:
-designing and implementing a new online grantmaking system
-raising seed funding and developing guidelines for a new “spark” grant program open to cultural organizations and individual artists

By June 30,2013, complete a demonstration project for local public schools to bring greater awareness to elementary and secondary curriculums featuring Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places collection

Goal 2: Diversify and increase revenue streams and retain institutional credibility particularly with agencies funded through the Cultural Council

Timebound Objectives & Activities:
By June 30, 2013, implement initial phases of a comprehensive development plan that:
-expands and diversifies organizational revenues by targeted amount
-implements a new model for the annual arts awards with a focus on a prominent arts speaker as well as increased capacity for raising revenues
-involves the board of directors in advocacy and fundraising through dedicated committees

By June 30, 2013, thoroughly investigate and develop advocacy plan for new dedicated sources or mechanisms for public funding for art and culture (i.e. bed tax)

Goal 3: Establish recognition for the Cultural Council as an effective leader in championing the importance of arts and culture

Timebound Objectives & Activities:
By June 30, 2013, execute first phase of a new marketing and communications plan that:
-maximizes new funding opportunities with a tiered range of stakeholders
-increases followers on social media platforms
-redesigns organization’s website

Goal 4: Create an organizational structure that reflects the new roles and vision of the Cultural Council

Timebound Objectives & Activities:
By June 30, 2013, new board roles and committee structure will be implemented

By June 30, 2013, new staff organizational structure and job description alignment will be implemented

Culture Builds Florida's Future

1. Strengthening the Economy

   Cultural organizations have a positive and significant impact on the economy. The Cultural Council measures this impact annually through a local economic impact survey. The Council commissions the Northeast Florida Center for Community Initiatives at the University of North Florida to gather and interpret data, which is released as a comprehensive report. Results for the 2010 study indicate that the arts and cultural organizations funded by the City of Jacksonville had a more than $60.8 million impact on the local economy.

   Additionally, the Council participated in a national study conducted by Americans for the Arts called “Arts & Economic Prosperity III.” The results of this study, which were released in late 2009, were shared with local media and elected officials. The report was compiled as part of a comprehensive national economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry conducted in 156 communities and regions, including Jacksonville.

   The Cultural Council helped facilitate the gathering of detailed economic data from 43 local arts organizations. The local data shows that the nonprofit arts and cultural industry in Duval County generated $184.7 million in economic activity annually, including: 2,399 full-time equivalent jobs and $52.9 million in resident household income. Event-related spending by patrons attending events in Jacksonville topped $117 million, excluding admission costs, and reflects an average of $26 per person ($35 per non-local person) in spending for hotels, restaurants, parking, souvenirs, refreshments, etc.

   The Council shares its findings with local elected officials, business leaders, and community-based organizations, helping Jacksonville’s leaders to appreciate the fact that vibrant arts and cultural organizations and institutions impact Jacksonville’s quality of life, strengthen its sense of place for residents, its ability to attract and retain businesses and desirable employees, the education of its students, and its cache as a tourist destination.

2. Learning and Wellness

   According to a 2011 report from the President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities, “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future through Creative Schools,” an education without the arts is incomplete. The study notes that students who have art classes are more likely to be engaged in the classroom, attend school, achieve better test scores, and graduate. It details the powerful role that arts education strategies can play in closing the achievement gap, improving student engagement, building creativity, and nurturing innovative thinking skills. The keys to success in the new economy are critical thinking and creativity, it concludes.

   The Cultural Council has taken on a leadership role in advocating for arts education for all school children. Through the local chapter of the Arts for a Complete Education (ACE) Coalition, it successfully worked with the Duval County School Board to find ways to significantly increase the levels of both music and art education being provided so that every child in every public elementary school in Duval County now receives both art and music instruction. (Previously, there were 24 elementary schools that had no art or music programs). The School Board is facing a $90 million shortfall for the 2011-2012 school year, and while sports programs are being cut, art and music will still be offered.

   Mayor John Peyton’s Early Literacy Initiative makes early literacy a core value in Jacksonville by helping prepare four-year-olds to read and thereby increasing the number of children who are ready for school at the beginning of kindergarten. Since its inception in 2004-2005, the Cultural Council has mandated that Cultural Service Grant recipients develop programming that ties into the initiative, helping to make art and culture part of the solution to this community issue. Area cultural organizations reach 500,000 children annually through educational programs and outreach.

3. Building Leadership

   Through its roles as local arts agency and city regranting arm, the Cultural Council provides an umbrella for Duval County’s arts and cultural community and works as its seminal advocate. Under the Cultural Council’s leadership, Jacksonville’s arts and cultural industry has managed to prevent catastrophic public funding cuts at the local level.

   Recent advocacy strategies have included:
   -creating a candidate’s survey for Jacksonville’s pivotal mayoral and city council races in spring 2011, injecting the importance of art and culture to the city’s future progress into the election.

   -joining forces with the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida on communication and advocacy efforts on behalf of all nonprofits throughout the ongoing fiscal crisis of recent years.

   -developing a printed advocacy piece, the “latte card,” to educate elected officials and the general public about the high return on a small public investment in arts and cultural non-profits.

   Cultural Council leadership contends that art and culture can be part of the solution to any community problem. It supports community-wide initiatives, such as the Jacksonville Journey Anti-violent Crime Initiative, designed to combat Jacksonville’s alarming murder statistics. The Council works to educate cultural organizations about city initiatives and determine ways they can contribute to these efforts and be part of the solution to any community problem.

   The Cultural Council regularly convenes meetings of cultural executives, routinely participates in community-wide studies, and interacts with a wide range of community-based organizations and entities – through strategic partnerships, project collaborations, memberships, serving on boards, accepting speaking engagements, providing a Cultural Council presence at events, etc.

   The Council’s new strategic plan hones in on its leadership role and seeks to increase its capacity in that area.

4. Design and Development

   DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION THROUGH THE ARTS
   The arts can play a key role in revitalizing urban core neighborhoods, increasing commercial activity, and stopping physical decline while stabilizing property values. To that end, the Cultural Council has entered a partnership with Downtown Vision (DVI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing downtown Jacksonville, to pair artists seeking studio space with vacant commercial properties located downtown. The “Off the Grid” program helps drive more pedestrian traffic, increase patronage of downtown retail stores and restaurants, utilize unleased commercial properties, and give artists low cost work space options. Since it began 18 months ago, 12 properties have been activated.

   A new, related Urban Core Initiative for rehabilitating Jacksonville’s core downtown neighborhood through the creation of an arts district involves the Cultural Council, DVI, and the City of Jacksonville. It encompasses: renovation and reuse of three historic structures, which will include work, performance and exhibit space for artists; events and temporary art installations designed to bring more people to the downtown core; and creation of strategic partnerships to provide affordable live/work spaces for artists relocating downtown. The Council facilitated an artist live/work feasibility study conducted by national arts consulting firm Urban Focus, which uncovered strong support for the effort.

   PUBLIC ART PROGRAM
   As administrator of Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places Program, the Council is involved in the creation of new works of public art for the City, most of which are associated with the construction or renovation of public facilities. The Council manages calls to artists, the selection and installation process, and maintenance for the artworks, which help create a sense of place for residents of Jacksonville. The Council also oversees outreach initiatives designed to involve the public with the collection and consults with non-city entities seeking to commission public art.

Proposal Estimates

Estimated Number of	Response	Instructions to the Applicant
school based youth benefiting	125,000	Enter the number of individuals under the age of 18 that are expected to be participating in organized school based cultural events. This figure should reflect a portion of the total individuals benefiting.
non-school based youth benefiting	214,260	Enter the number of individuals under the age of 18 that are expected to be participating in non-school based cultural events. This figure should reflect a portion of the total individuals benefiting.
elders benefiting	86,561	Enter the number of individuals over the age of 65 that are expected to benefit from the proposal activities. This figure should reflect a portion of the total individuals benefiting.
artists participating	3,076	Enter the estimated number of professional artists that will be directly involved in providing artistic services specifically identified with the proposal. Include living artists whose work is represented in an exhibition regardless of whether the work was provided by the artist or by an institution. This figure should reflect a portion of the total individuals benefiting.
individuals benefiting	857,040	Give the total number of individuals that are expected to be involved in proposal activities as artists, non-artists, participants, or audience members. This number should include the values listed for youth, elders and artists.
proposal events	21	How many different events will be produced or presented within the grant period as a part of this proposal? Be sure to list different events, not performances. For example, a musical performed 10 times is only one event, but a musical performed 10 times and workshop done once are two events.
opportunities for public participation	308	Each event will have one or more opportunities for public participation. For example a musical performed 10 times is one event with 10 opportunities for public participation.

Project/Program Location

• Baker
• Clay
• Duval
• Nassau
• St. Johns

Proposal Impact

The current public investment in art and culture through the Cultural Service Grant Program (CSGP) is $3.50 per person annually. CSGP is an annual lump sum appropriation governed by the ordinance code of the City of Jacksonville, Chapter 118, Part 6. The Cultural Council receives 13.5 percent of the total appropriation for its work on behalf of the city, and to support its programs.

The bulk of the appropriation is regranted through a competitive and rigorous process to Duval County arts and cultural organizations. Grants are for general operations and cannot represent more than 24 percent of an organization’s annual revenues. Matching funds are required 3:1. For its investment in 25 organizations in 2010, the City of Jacksonville realized the following economic impact, according to a survey conducted by the Northeast Florida Center for Community Initiatives:

-CSG-funded organizations directly supported 190 full-time and 106 part-time employees and 395 independent contractors;
-9,965 volunteers donated 159,114 hours to CSG organizations;
-The CSG organizations reported 637,468 admissions, with 63 percent of them being free or at a reduced price;
-CSG organizations in Jacksonville had combined incomes of over $31 million;
-Additionally, organizations received in-kind support in the value of $1.13 million;
-Over $31.2 million in expenses were reported by the CSGs, most of which was spent in the local economy;
-An economic impact of approximately $60.8 million, determined by using a final spending multiplier of 2.0 and subtracting out funds not spent locally.

The Cultural Council is playing an increasingly prominent role in downtown revitalization efforts. Off the Grid, a Cultural Council initiative that pairs artists seeking studio and gallery space with owners of vacant downtown properties, has activated over 40,000 sq. ft. of previously unused retail space in downtown Jacksonville since late 2009. Additional benefits include increased activity, energy and commerce downtown.

The success of Off the Grid has led to a mayoral effort to develop live/work space for artists through the reuse of vacant and underutilized buildings, including historic city-owned buildings, in the downtown core. The Cultural Council facilitated a feasibility survey by Urban Focus, national artist space development specialists. Goals of the study include: evaluating potential downtown buildings for reuse, surveying artists to determine interest and needs, and identifying financial strategies for implementation. Preliminary results of the study, which had three times the expected number of artists from a variety of disciplines to respond, found that:

-37% are seeking live/work space
-Downtown is a preferred location for live/work space
-79% of artists interested in live/work space and 68% of artists interested in work space indicate that they are likely or very likely to rent or buy downtown if units are available within the next 3 years.

Associated city legislation describes a redevelopment and cultural plan for the downtown’s Northbank core, and the Cultural Council is developing an associate grant program to encourage cultural organizations and individual artists to create special projects that will help ignite the “spark” for downtown revitalization.

As a result of its strategic planning, the Cultural Council has determined that it would increase its impact and effectiveness by increasing its role as advocate for arts education, and placing less emphasis on direct programming. Education and outreach activities for the grant period will include:

-Implementing a demonstration project for local public schools to bring greater awareness to elementary and secondary curriculums featuring Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places collection.

-Facilitating the transition of the Kennedy Center arts integration conference from the University of North Florida to the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership.

-Awarding grants to Duval County public school teachers for arts and culture-related programs.

Operating Budget

	Operating Expenses	Completed Fiscal Year ending 9/30/10
1.	Personnel: Administrative	449,830
2.	Personnel: Programmatic
3.	Personnel: Technical/Production
4.	Outside Fees and Services: Programmatic
5.	Outside Fees and Services: Other	32,067
6.	Space Rental, Rent or Mortgage	21,043
7.	Travel	1,379
8.	Marketing	778
9.	Remaining Operating Expenses	2,995,737
A.	Total Cash Expenses	$3,500,834
B.	In-kind Contributions	$1,100
C.	Total Operating Expenses	$3,501,934
	Operating Income	Completed Fiscal Year ending 9/30/10
10.	Revenue: Admissions	26,520
11.	Revenue: Contracted Services
12.	Revenue: Other	47,482
13.	Private Support: Corporate	49,240
14.	Private Support: Foundation
15.	Private Support: Other	16,779
16.	Government Support: Federal	248,152
17.	Government Support: State/Regional	77,382
18.	Government Support: Local/County	3,047,396
19.	Applicant Cash
D.	Total Cash Income	$3,512,951
B.	In-kind Contributions	$1,100
E.	Total Operating Income	$3,514,051

Additional Operating Budget Information

No answer provided.

Proposal Budget: Summary

	Proposal Expenses	A. Request	B. Cash Expenses	C. In-kind	Total
1.	Personnel: Administrative	150,000	150,000	0	$300,000
2.	Personnel: Programmatic	0	0	0	$0
3.	Personnel: Technical/Production	0	0	0	$0
4.	Outside Fees and Services: Programmatic	0	0	0	$0
5.	Outside Fees and Services: Other	0	0	0	$0
6.	Space Rental	0	0	0	$0
7.	Travel	0	0	0	$0
8.	Marketing	0	0	0	$0
9.	Remaining Proposal Expenses	0	0	0	$0
D.	Total Proposal Expenses	150,000	150,000	0	$300,000
	Proposal Income	A. Request	B. Cash Income	C. In-Kind	Total
10.	Revenue: Admissions		0		$0
11.	Revenue: Contracted Services		0		$0
12.	Revenue: Other		0		$0
13.	Private Support: Corporate		0		$0
14.	Private Support: Foundation		0		$0
15.	Private Support: Other		0		$0
16.	Government Support: Federal		0		$0
17.	Government Support: Regional		0		$0
18.	Government Support: Local/County		150,000		150,000
19.	Applicant Cash		0		$0
E.	Total Proposal Income	150,000	150,000	0	$300,000

Proposal Budget: Detail

	Proposal Expenses	A. Request	B. Cash Expenses	C. In-Kind	Total
1.	Personnel: Administrative	150,000	150,000	0	$300,000
1.1. Executive Director		42,881	49,921	0	92,802
1.2. Deputy Director		62,418	0	0	62,418
1.3. Grants Manager		44,701	0	0	44,701
1.4. Education Manager		0	41,200	0	41,200
1.5. Finance Manager		0	30,000	0	30,000
1.6. Community Services Coordinator		0	28,879	0	28,879
2.	Personnel: Programmatic	0	0	0	$0
3.	Personnel: Technical/Production	0	0	0	$0
4.	Outside Fees and Services: Programmatic	0	0	0	$0
5.	Outside Fees and Services: Other	0	0	0	$0
6.	Space Rental	0	0	0	$0
7.	Travel	0	0	0	$0
8.	Marketing	0	0	0	$0
9.	Remaining Proposal Expenses	0	0	0	$0
D.	Total Proposal Expenses	150,000	150,000	0	$300,000

	Proposal Income	A. Request	B. Cash Income	C. In-Kind	Total
10.	Revenue: Admissions		0		$0
11.	Revenue: Contracted Services		0		$0
12.	Revenue: Other		0		$0
13.	Private Support: Corporate		0		$0
14.	Private Support: Foundation		0		$0
15.	Private Support: Other		0		$0
16.	Government Support: Federal		0		$0
17.	Government Support: Regional		0		$0
18.	Government Support: Local/County		150,000		$150,000
18-1 Cultural Services Grant			150,000		150,000
19.	Applicant Cash		0		$0
E.	Total Proposal Income	150,000	150,000	0	$300,000

Additional Proposal Budget Information

No answer provided.

Fiscal Condition and Sustainability

The fiscal condition of the Cultural Council is healthy. The City of Jacksonville has funded the organization annually since 1989. Current appropriation level for the Cultural Service Grant Program of which the Council receives up to 13.5 percent is $3 million and survived the current budget crisis without a cut.

The organization has no debt. The Council has been building an operating reserve, which at fiscal year-end was over $300,000. The reserve is used to manage uneven cash flow from revenue sources, finance essential capital purchases, and ensure that the organization can remain viable if there were to be a hiatus in city funding. The Council has done a good job at expanding its operating reserve by budgeting for a surplus; cutting costs wherever possible; practicing low-risk investment strategies; evaluating, securing and maintaining bank relationships that maximize interest and minimize fees; and by withholding increases for staff salaries and benefits.

Funds for an endowment were donated a number of years ago. Earnings from the endowment are available for operations, however, because the amount is small -- approximately $20,000 -- all earnings from the endowment are reinvested.

Sources of revenue, other than city, state, and federal, include corporate, foundation and individual contributions. The Council is the designated recipient for State of the Art License Plate funds for Duval County.

The Council’s new focus is on further diversifying its revenue base especially through generation of income from non-governmental sources. One new funding strategy for the Council is to regrant on behalf of other entities, while earning administrative costs, and it has done so on behalf of Prudential and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.

This proposal describes the Council’s general program of work and requests support for key staff positions responsible for its implementation. Despite the uncertainty of maintaining local public funding, the Council has managed to sustain its programs, and in some cases, expand its programming.

Evaluation Plan

Strategic Planning – Current long-range planning process includes examining core essential programming, establishing measurable benchmarks and strategic action steps, and visioning for the future. Meetings with stakeholders (cultural organizations, funders, business community, elected officials, artists) have informed the process, identifying areas for improvement as well as sector and community needs.

Budgeting – Organizational goals and objectives are filtered through the agency’s budget. Monthly financial reports are generated to check progress against budget

Participation in community-wide studies, professional organizations and conferences, and other external groups.

Self-assessment - Written internal evaluations and follow-up meetings to analyze what happened and why and to suggest improvements

Biannual staff reviews

Surveys of constituents, funded agencies and grant panel – Written and anecdotal feedback solicited to continually improve the grant processes.

Evaluations of Council programs and workshops by attendees/participants.

Assessments to determine technical assistance and funding needs of cultural constituents.

For grant recipients – quarterly and final narrative and financial reports, monitoring by staff and on-site and program visits by grant panelists, degree of compliance

Art in Public Places – Written and anecdotal feedback to evaluate and improve process for selection of artworks as well as other operations and processes of program, and from site contacts where public art is located, artists and community members

Artists/instructors for Council arts education programs submit progress and final evaluative and summative reports.

Website – user surveys/focus groups plus analytical data on website usage

Major program initiatives undergo outside evaluations.

Results of Cultural Council-sponsored and other community-based research

Feedback from public through e-mails, phone calls, letters to the editor, op-ed pieces

Amount and quality of media coverage

Applicant Accessibility

Question	Response
Does the applicant have policies and procedures (including a complaint process) that address non-discrimination on the basis of disability?	Yes
Does the applicant have a staff person that is responsible for compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and Florida Statutes 553?	Yes (Vickie Andrews, Finance Manager)
Has the applicant completed the Section 504 Self Evaluation Workbook from the National Endowment for the Arts (linked) in the last 5 years?	Yes

Accessibility

The programs and physical location of the Cultural Council are fully accessible and ADA-compliant. The Cultural Council completed an ADA self-evaluation in 2006. The Cultural Council’s Finance Manager is responsible for managing accessibility complaints and issues. The Cultural Council requires its grant applicants to provide information on their ADA compliance and accessibility.

An example of making its programs and services accessible is ExperienceJax.com, the interactive online events calendar. The site is compliant with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which governs the Internet. Web developer nGen Works, which designed and built the site, describes site accessibility as something that they automatically “bake in” to a site, rather than “bolt on.” Most of the accessibility features relate to visual impairments and involve making the site compatible with a screen reader, which is the special equipment used to “read” the Internet. Sight-impaired users can post and find event information just like any other visitor to ExperienceJax.com.

Examples of ways the site is accessible include:

-Ability to increase font size of text without breaking the layout
-Use of clean and semantic code, which is screen reader-friendly
-Proper source ordering for easy navigation and surfing
-Use of labels for all forms
-Titles on links where the link text is not obvious
-Accessible summaries included with tables

ExperienceJax.com also provides a free avenue for small organizations and individual artists to promote their work.

The Cultural Council works to make more art more available to more people. Through the Cultural Service Grant Program the Cultural Council strives to ensure that arts and cultural programming is accessible to underserved audiences and that organizations receiving funding develop a diversity plan. Of particular importance is the inclusion of minorities on the boards of cultural organizations. Currently, minority representation on the boards of agencies receiving Cultural Service Grants averages 23 percent.

As part of the Cultural Service Grant Program, funded agencies are strongly encouraged to provide outreach and service to the underserved. Currently, 91 percent of the organizations funded through CSGP do, through free admission days; student rush tickets; free and reduced tickets; scholarships; and programs for at-risk youths, seniors and the disabled. Among the CSGP organizations are some that target a majority of their programming to the underserved. Examples include:

-City Kids Art Factory (offers visual arts instruction free to at-risk children in a predominately African American neighborhood);
-Cathedral Arts Project (runs after-school artistic programs at public schools where a majority of students receive free or reduced lunch); and
-Stage Aurora Theatrical Company (provides main-stage theatrical productions for residents of the underserved Northside, as well as after-school music and theater programs).

Public art works are located in easily accessible public areas.

The Cultural Council, too, has a history of creating model programs to provide further accessibility to the arts. For example, the Council teamed up with the State Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department to create the “Art in the Jail” rehabilitation program for juvenile inmates of the Duval County jail. The program, which ran for 10 years, grew out of a task force report on risk factors for juvenile offenders.

One of the most important constituencies the Cultural Council supports is small, new and emerging cultural agencies, which often work at a grassroots level. The Council identifies, cultivates, and guides these organizations through the provision of technical assistance and by helping them prepare to enter the grant process.

Required Materials with Original Copy:
-IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
-Documentation of LAA designation

1. Letters of Support:
-Kiki Tovey, artist
-Joe Schwarz, Executive Director, Players by the Sea
-John Peyton, Mayor of Jacksonville
-Jack Webb, President, Jacksonville City Council
-Ed Pratt-Dannals, Superintendent, Duval County Public Schools

2. List of Board of Directors

3. Press & Press Releases Describing Programs:
-Financial News & Daily Record – “Downtown Today: A ‘Spark’ for the Northbank Core.” 5/4/2011
-Arbus – “More Activity = More Life: OTG in Downtown.” Sept./Oct. 2010
-Florida Times-Union – “Jacksonville Cultural Council recognizes arts with awards luncheon.” 4/13/2011
-Florida Times-Union – “’Radical’ art contest revives city.” 4/8/2011
-Florida Times-Union – “Arts organizations get $2.6 million in grants.” 10/12/2010
-Florida Times-Union – “Cultural Council awards 6 grants.” 4/27/2011
-Press Release (Duval County Public Schools) – “Spotlight on Education: West Riverside Elementary Schools’ 100th Birthday Mosaic” Nov. 2010
-America’s Education Guide – “Arts Education Stirs the Imagination and Develops Creative Thinking.” 2010-2011
-Chicago Suntimes – “Sunshine and surprises in Jacksonville, Fla.” 5/12/2011

4. Printed Materials:
-“Latte Card” Advocacy Tool
-“Off the Grid” Map
-ExperienceJax.com Promotional Rack Card
-“What If … “ Arts & Cultural Education Resource Guide
-Guide to Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places Program
-Kennedy Center Summer Institute Brochure
-Thirty-fifth Annual Arts Awards Program

5. Other:
-Art in Public Places educational curriculums (http://culturalcouncil.org/educators/)