To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Economic Development Board
Staff Name and Phone Number: Kristen Madsen, 565-6120
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Creative Sonoma’s Grant Award Authority Limits
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Increase the Economic Development Board Executive Director’s signature authority to accept grant awards up to $500,000 annually, in consultation with County Counsel.
B) Increase the Economic Development Board Executive Director’s authority to execute grant agreements that award funding to individual artists and organizations through programs developed by Creative Sonoma that support creative projects, provide fellowships and stipends for creatives, and other kinds of support for the creative sector, all of which are in the interest of the public, from $200,000 to $500,000 annually.
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Executive Summary:
Creative Sonoma is dedicated to providing financial, informational, and networking resources to Sonoma County’s creative community and the public. Financial resources include grant funds from Creative Sonoma’s annual budget allocation (from Transient Occupancy Tax revenue), from supplemental funds to Creative Sonoma’s allocation ($300,000 provided from the Teeter fund in 2019-20) and from Creative Sonoma’s grant writing activities to non-County funding agencies. Current outside funding agencies include the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council. Additionally, Creative Sonoma has successfully built and implemented a process through which grant funds are awarded in an efficient, equitable, and transparent manner. The process has been built to accommodate an increasing level of resources as funding opportunities arise that support Creative Sonoma’s continued growth.
Creative Sonoma has been given prior authorization to award grants not to exceed $200,000 annually. However, Creative Sonoma does not currently have authorization to receive grants under an annual cap and must make an individual request for each grant that it receives. Creative Sonoma’s grant receiving and awarding activities are growing steadily and, in FY 2019-20, will exceed the $200,000 award limit.
Today’s actions will streamline the grant award process by delegating authority to the Economic Development Board (EDB) Executive Director to receive new funding grants and to award grants to arts individuals and organizations up to $500,000 annually.
Discussion:
In June 2014, the Board of Supervisors approved a Three-Year plan establishing Creative Sonoma as a new division of the Economic Development Board. One of the functions of Creative Sonoma listed in the plan is “Overseeing the distribution of funding for arts, culture and the creative sector, including basic operating support, project funding, artist fellowships and other kinds of support.” Since that time, Creative Sonoma has overseen the distribution of more than $1,100,000 in direct grants to the creative sector. These funds have included 60% in County-allocated funds and 40% in non-County funds.
In March 2018, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Economic Development Board Executive Director to execute grant agreements through Creative Sonoma for creative activities not to exceed $200,000 annually.
Creative Sonoma has established protocols for making grants in support of the creative community. Below are requirements for each grant category:
• Clear guidelines are established with goals and stated evaluation criteria;
• Completed applications are reviewed by staff for basic eligibility;
• Review panels evaluate eligible applications and make funding recommendations (Review panels are typically comprised of experts in the stated area of funding, and are often drawn from out-of-county to avoid conflicts - real or perceived);
• Contracts are implemented that include findings in compliance with Government Code sections 26100(a)(2) and 26227 to authorize grant funds to promote exhibiting or advertising the recreational, artistic, musical, cultural and other resources of the County;
• Final reports are collected from grantees to confirm compliance;
• A report is presented to the Board of Supervisors outlining the grant amounts and recipients for each program.
In addition, all of Creative Sonoma’s activities are under the supervision of the Executive Director of the Economic Development Board, and regularly reported on to that body’s Board of Directors. Creative Sonoma also maintains an Advisory Board that reviews guidelines, participates in reviews as appropriate, receives regular updates, and provides feedback.
Creative Sonoma has received a steady flow of funds to re-grant into the community from County and non-County sources. Most recently, in June 2019, the Board of Supervisors allocated one-time funds of $300,000 to Creative Sonoma to award to county nonprofit arts and culture organizations, a process that has been completed.
Currently, Creative Sonoma submits separate agenda items to the Board of Supervisors to receive individual grants, and to award grants that exceed $200,000 annually. In order to streamline Creative Sonoma’s grant receiving and awarding capabilities, and to allow Creative Sonoma to be nimble in responding effectively to needs and opportunities, staff is recommending the Board delegate authority to the Economic Development Executive Director to accept arts grants up to $500,000 annually and to increase Creative Sonoma’s grant awarding authority from the current $200,000 to $500,000 annually.
Prior Board Actions:
June 24, 2014 - Established Creative Sonoma
March 20, 2018 - Established Creative Sonoma grant making authority not to exceed $200,000 annually.
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There is no staffing impact as a result of this item.
Attachments:
None.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.