Rod and Hal -
You guys got your ears on? :-)
Bob
Robert Boyer
Patten Performances Director
UTC Fine Arts Center
www.utc.edu/finearts
423.425.4379
On Saturday, June 21, 2008, at 11:35 AM, Lee Warren wrote:
> Hi everyone! It occurs to me after reading all of these reactions that
> it might be good to put to the SAF through Hal Partlow that smaller
> organizations could benefit from some sort of "fast track" grant that
> requires a little less paperwork and support materials in application
> and less reporting requirments post performance. A lot of us out here
> could use any amount possible but we are working with small numbers of
> staff members and its just hard to get it all done well!
>
> I think this is one of the best converstations we have had on this
> list serve!
>
> Lee Warren
>
> On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 9:20 AM, sojack <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> We have applied to the SAF in the past and have found the
> same thing -- too hard to identify what they really want.
> Dance is big granting for them and we do not present that
> much dance because it does not sell as well as we would
> like. Unfortunately, money sometimes is the deciding factor
> rather than bringing in art that would benefit our area. We
> are a rural organization and in an area where other things
> (sports, high school band, etc.) take our audience, so we
> have to be very careful about dates as well as artists. We
> are small so every little bit helps but the larger SAF
> categories do not always fit us well. Our series do not
> always fit their criteria either and it is a lot of
> paperwork for $500. Too many man hours for so little money.
>
> Coleen Saunders
> South Jackson Civic Center, Tullahoma
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert Boyer <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Subject: Re: Need help identifying some organizations...
> Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:15:25 -0400
>
> >Lee -
> >
> >That's really good to hear...and certainly something for me
> >to think seriously about.
> >
> >Understand that your mission is much broader and affords
> >many more opportunities for a variety of arts than mine,
> >so it may be that UTC in general, and the Patten
> >Performances in particular, operate in ways so far off the
> >beaten path that grants funding for my type of series is a
> >tough issue even under the best of circumstances.
> >Consequently, I don't bother.
> >
> > From an operational standpoint as a presenter, it comes
> >down to two concepts for me: 1) if you're absolutely
> >depending on $500 or so in grant funding to make something
> >work, you probably ought not do it to begin with and 2)
> >those who have staff support for writing multiple small
> >grants and tracking them can put some money in the budget,
> >perhaps enough to overcome the personnel costs of obtaining
> >the money. Where grants become worthwhile is when they go
> >over the $3000 mark. At that point, you should at least
> >double your money because (in my experience with Tennessee
> >Presenters) it takes about $1200 in staff time and travel
> >expenses to prepare a grant, attend a funding hearing,
> >resubmit the required modified budget and fill out the
> >paperwork on the back end.
> >
> >Applying that same calculus to touring grants and such, if
> >you're spending 50 hours of your time (total) in obtaining
> >$1500 for one show, I submit that you can use that time
> >more effectively by seeking out corporate sponsors through
> >sales efforts and building new audiences through
> >programming. But as I say, at around $3000 and up, grants
> >strike me as well worth the effort.
> >
> >I guess it's my economics degree finally coming out after
> >30 years - opportunity cost for me has become a huge
> >personal consideration. And, as a long time small business
> >owner, I always looked for money by first cutting costs to
> >the bone before going after additional revenue sources.
> >The cost of finding one new customer was always far higher
> >than the revenue generated through operating budget savings
> >and getting the customers you have to spend more.
> >
> >See you Monday!
> >
> >Bob
> >
> >
> >Robert Boyer
> >Patten Performances Director
> >UTC Fine Arts Center
> >www.utc.edu/finearts
> >423.425.4379
> >
> >
> >On Friday, June 20, 2008, at 10:09 AM, Lee Warren wrote:
> >
> >> Bob - I had a difficult expereince the first time I
> >> applied as well. They did give us some money but later
> I
> >> was so excited to be able to open one of their visual
> >> arts shows here at the Dixie. I try to think beyond the
> >> money and the reporting difficulties with organizations
> >like SAF to what else they might be able to bring to the
> >> table at a later date.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Lee Warren
> Executive Director
> The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center
> Home of the Hal Holbrook Theatre
> 191 Court Square
> Huntingdon, TN 38344
> (731)986-2100, ext. 223
> (731)986-0550 fax
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