2020-743-Arts Commission-Hillsborough Arts Council

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Deficit/Surplus Fiscal Year (FY) 209-2020 ended with a deficit as a result of unexpected lost rev enue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget for FY20-21 was revised to incorporate the expected losses due to continued gathering restrictions and limitations caused by the pandemic. Expenses for FY20-21 hav e also been adjusted to accommodate for lost rev enue in the upcoming months; HAC expects FY 20-21 to be a nearly ev en with the help from this OCAC grant funding; this budget assumes all restrictions will last into calendar year 2021. Fundraising and sponsor solicitation will continue through this fiscal year, with additional resources and requests being made to help correct the deficit that was incurred in FY 19-20. Howev er, we don’t anticipate a full recovery from the FY 19-20 losses until the pandemic has ended and we are able to function fully with in-person programming again. PROJECT/PROGRAM INFORMATION Tell us about your project or program Title of Grant Request Hillsborough Arts Council Salary Support Grant Amount Requested $5000 Is the person in charge of this program or project different from the Authorizing Official? No What are you requesting funding for? Operational expense (arts organizations ONLY) Request Summary This application requests support for the full-time Executive Director (ED) position to ensure continuation of the ED’s important role in maintaining a high lev el of educational arts programming and outreach opportunities for the Hillsborough community. The specific areas of operations the ED is responsible for include: planning, coordinating, developing, promoting, and ev aluating HAC’s twelv e arts-related programs. These programs create free, arts-oriented educational and creativ e opportunities for the community, encourage widespread participation, and promote access and inclusivity. During the challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ED has led the board and program leaders in the creation of new initiatives, and adaptation of existing plans, and dev elopment of new plans. The ED is more important than ev er as the HAC nav igates uncertain times and unexpected and rapid changes impacting arts- oriented non-profits and local businesses in Orange County. Consistent and strong leadership is needed to ensure the sustainability and longev ity of the HAC during and after the COVID-19 crisis. Organizational Goals The Executiv e Director is directly involv ed in planning and support of all organizational and program goals and ensures that both administrativ e and financial goals are met. HAC’s primary goals focus on ways to increase involv ement in educational and enrichment opportunities through the arts in Hillsborough and the surrounding communities. The target audiences for these programs include: the general population, schools, senior centers, community centers, and other nonprofit groups and organizations. HAC’s goals are achiev ed through a v ariety of ev ents and programs aimed at engaging audiences, connecting with and supporting artists, and fostering an appreciation for the arts in Hillsborough. This includes an ongoing effort to increase audience div ersity and inclusion of all populations that make up the Hillsborough area and greater Orange County. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges that affect HAC’s ability to meet its primary goals. Although these obstacles hav e not altered the primary objectives of the organization, we have had to make some alterations to adapt to the rapidly changing pandemic env ironment. HAC’s short-term strategy has been rev ised to meet the impact of the pandemic on the Hillsborough community through the re-design of existing programs, addition of new initiativ es, increased fundraising activ ity through multiple channels, and the creation of a strategic marketing plan to promote growth or, at least, our survival under these difficult circumstances. W e can all agree that 2020 is going to be a most difficult year for nonprofit organizations. HAC, like many other nonprofits, has lost major sources of rev enue due to the restraints on gathering imposed by the health hazards of the pandemic. In addition, many of our donors hav e experienced sev ere financial setbacks due to unemployment and rev enue lost to their businesses. Despite the fact that we face an existential threat, HAC will continue to fund raise, modify programs, and create new programs. An infusion of grant money will be extremely helpful as we ev olve what may be a v ery different env ironment for nonprofits. We do hav e an adv antage. We are artists, we are creativ e, we like to innov ate, and we are used to challenges. Funding for leadership and program development will help us meet our primary goals of art promotion and enrichment of our community through the arts. DocuSign Envelope ID: 272BCC8F-92B2-46D2-BE9B-3765A91AF9FA