ABSTRACT: The James Irvine Foundation, a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation, awarded $3,825,000 to fourteen Central California Coast arts institutions as part of their Arts Regional Initiative to: “improve organizational financial stability, management, governance and growth capacity, payable over 36 months.” Sunset Cultural Center was awarded $300,000. “With the grant money, Sunset will hire a consultant to help develop a new strategic plan that will outline the center’s mission and vision, state its values and list its goals. The plan will detail everything, from staffing to programming, and community outreach efforts like arts in education and senior programs,” according to the article Sunset gets $300K grant to attract bigger audiences in The Carmel Pine Cone. Information about the James Irvine Foundation, COMMENTS and REFERENCES are presented. And MISCELLANEOUS and INTERESTING READING are presented.
About The James Irvine Foundation:
James Irvine, a California agricultural pioneer, established the Irvine Foundation in 1937 to benefit the people of California. Over the last 70 years, the Foundation has met the objectives of its founder by providing over $1 billion in grants to more than 3,000 nonprofit organizations.
The mission of The James Irvine Foundation is to expand opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society.
The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. The Foundation’s grantmaking is organized around three program areas: Arts, Youth and California Perspectives, which focuses on improving decision making on significant state issues. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided over $1 billion in grants to more than 3,000 nonprofit organizations throughout California. With current assets of over $1.8 billion, the Foundation expects to make grants of $81 million in 2008 for the people of California.
COMMENTS:
• According the Executive Director Peter Lesnik, as reported in The Carmel Pine Cone, Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) will use the grant money to hire a consultant to development a “new strategic plan that will outline the center’s mission and vision, state its values and list its goals. The plan will detail everything, from staffing to programming, and community outreach efforts like arts in education and senior programs.” Questions: Now in its fifth year managing the City-owned Sunset Center, what does it say about SCC that they are using this grant money to develop a “new strategic plan” for the Sunset Cultural Center?
• The “new strategic plan” is to outline the Sunset Center’s “mission and vision, state its values and list its goals.” Yet presently on the Sunset Center website, there exists, “Mission, Vision, Values and Objectives,” as follows:
Mission, Vision, Values and Objectives
Mission:
The Sunset Center is a community gathering place, where citizens of the region meet to enjoy the full spectrum of performing arts, view visual-arts exhibits, exchange ideas, learn, and attend organization meetings and educational events. The Center is also home to some of the region’s leading performing-arts organizations, visual and arts service organizations, and volunteer groups.
Vision:
We bring artists, local citizens and regional neighbors together to share talents, ideas and enjoyment of one another in a carefully maintained, state-of-the-art historic facility, governed in a fiscally prudent manner that responds to the dynamic environment of the region.
Values:
• We believe in the vitality and power of the arts for all people.
• We treat our patrons, clients, artists, volunteers, neighbors and staff with care and respect.
• We build strong cooperative relationships with the diverse communities we serve.
• We deliver these services in a supportive, positive and dedicated manner.
Objectives:
• To operate in a fiscally responsible manner while working to improve facilities and programs.
• To offer a facility that meets the highest standards for all who enter.
• To present professional artists and performances otherwise not available to our communities.
• To be an active, participatory member of Carmel-by-the-Sea and to participate in the City’s marketing outreach to the wider community and its visitors.
• To provide a home for regional arts organizations.
• To host community celebrations, events, and organization meetings.
• To provide an experiential arts education program designed to inspire an appreciation of artists and their work.
Question: Are Carmelites to understand that SCC has to redefine its’ “mission” and “vision,” “values” and “goals” and requires a consultant to redevelop a “mission” and “vision,” “values” and “goals?”
• A blogger recently posted, as follows:
“So now that Sunset is to receive an unbudgetted $300,000 grant, does that mean that the city subsidy will go down by $300,000? It would be the right thing....” That would be a welcome gesture. But it is probably as unlikely as the Board of Trustees opening their meetings to the public, which also would be welcomed by Carmelites.
REFERENCES:
14 Central Coast Arts Institutions Receive $3.8 Million to Expand Audiences and Increase Sustainability
Third Phase of Irvine Foundation’s Arts Regional Initiative Continues Commitment to Leading Regional Arts Institutions
Grants Approved by The James Irvine Foundation Board of Directors
MISCELLANEOUS:
Top 10 California foundations awarding arts grants, 2004
Foundation-----------------Amount---Number of Grants
1. James Irvine Foundation $15,292,000 88
2. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation 13,329,500 111
3. Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation 12,693,538 129
4. J. Paul Getty Trust 12,272,338 114
5. Ahmanson Foundation 12,189,700 72
6. Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation 11,570,670 13
7. San Francisco Foundation 11,329,027 272
8. Packard Humanities Institute 9,733,798 30
9. Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation 9,202,421 123
10. McConnell Foundation 9,178,143 7
Source: The Foundation Center
INTERESTING READING
Critical Issues Facing the Arts in California: A Working Paper from The James Irvine Foundation, September 2006
1 comment:
With our luck SCC will parade this grant as reason for us taxpayers to subsidize them with even more dollars. With SCC is feels like the Sunset Center might as well be in another city or state. It does not feel like it is our community and cultural center anymore.
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