TO: CRA Board of Commissioners
FROM: Alexina Jeannite, Grant Manager
THROUGH: Renée A. Jadusingh, CRA Executive Director
DATE: August 25, 2020
Title
CRA A-G.U.I.D.E.: ACHIEVING GOALS USING IMPACT DRIVEN EVALUATION FY 2020-2021 FUNDING REQUEST - RECREATION & CULTURAL FACILITIES
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Discussion and feedback regarding the A-G.U.I.D.E. FY 2020-2021 Funding Requests for Recreation & Cultural Facilities.
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Background:
A-G.U.I.D.E.: Achieving Goals Using Impact Driven Evaluation is a grant program to assist organizations that engage in activities that further the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) mission. The A-G.U.I.D.E. Program provides funding to address “Overall Needs” within the Community Redevelopment Area as defined in the Community Redevelopment Plan. The following "Overall Needs" are area-wide in scope and encompass some of the more serious problems that are prevalent throughout the area and contribute to the overall state of decline:
• Removal of Slum and Blight
• Land Use
• Economic Development
• Affordable Housing
• Downtown Housing
• Infrastructure
• Recreation and Cultural Facilities
The A-G.U.I.D.E. Funding Evaluation Committee, consisting of the following CRA staff, Executive Director, Renee Jadusingh; Finance and Operations Director, Lori Hayward; and Arts Warehouse Manager, Grace Gdaniec; met to review the A-GUIDE FY2020-2021 funding proposals. The applicants are:
1. Arts Garage (Cultural)
2. Expanding and Preserving Our Cultural Heritage (EPOCH)/Spady Museum (Cultural)
3. Delray Beach Community Land Trust (Affordable Housing)
4. Delray Beach Public Library Association (Program A: Open Sundays/Mondays - Cultural/ Program B: Training, Technology & Innovation Lab - Economic Development)
5. Delray Beach Historical Society (Cultural)
6. Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce (Economic Development)
7. Old School Square (Cultural)
To slow the spread of COVID-19, under Executive Order 20-91, the public was urged to “avoid all social or recreational gatherings of 10 or more”, and approved business activity was limited to essential services. Recreation and cultural facilities were not listed as essential services and subsequently had to close or significantly limit operations in accordance with the executive orders. However, recreation and cultural facilities, namely, the A-G.U.I.D.E. Nonprofit Partners, shifted programming to virtual engagement. Considering this shift in programmatic and operational activities, the A-G.U.I.D.E. Review Committee was unable to make funding recommendations for the Recreation and Cultural Facilities Overall Needs category, without first requesting feedback from the board.
Below is a summary of each application from the Recreation and Cultural Facilities category:
Arts Garage is requesting $275,000 (20% of organization budget) for the Community Building through Music & Art Program. The program provides equitable access to music performances and art exhibitions for Delray Beach residents and the regional community. Arts Garage aims to provide performance & visual arts programming that serves a broad community of patrons. With local, regional, national and international performing artists and a focus on emerging artists with the weeknight and visual arts programming, Arts Garage provides a variety of diverse entertainment to the public. Arts Garage ensures that programming is accessible through volunteer opportunities and a variety of genres and ticket prices to appeal to all demographics. For FY2020-20219, Arts Garage will continue producing its virtual programming and will launch a series: Music at Home: Live from Arts Garage, where concerts and shows will be streamed live during COIVD-19 closures. For FY2020-2021, the Arts Garage will continue with its regular programing once recreational and cultural facilities are able to fully reopen. Full details regarding FY2020-2021 programming are outlined in the supplemental attachment.
Expanding & Preserving Our Cultural Heritage (EPOCH) - Spady Museum is requesting $106,000 (25% of organization budget) for Museum Programming (Exhibits, Education Programs, Archives). The program is the foundational component in EPOCH’s commitment to being a center for cultural and historical understanding and awareness. For FY2020-2021, EPOCH will continue its programming virtually and has plans to ensure in-person events follow social distancing guidelines if still in effect. Full details regarding FY2020-2021 programming are outlined in the supplemental attachment. (Please note that funding for FY2019-2020 equals $92,139. The City of Delray Beach funding equals $31,000).
Delray Beach Historical Society (DBHS) is requesting $75,000 (25% of organization budget) for Cultural Heritage Exhibit, Museum & Learning Center Programming. It is the goal and vision of the DBHS to expand its archival collection, its service capacity, and knowledge in order to continue to share the history and heritage of Delray Beach with the community. The DBHS collects and preserves the City of Delray Beach’s history in the City Archive and offers educational workshops, lectures, and presentations; facilitates tours and exhibitions; hosts celebratory events; and more. For FY2020-2021, the DBHS will shift from growth and surplus to maintaining its status until programming can resume to full service. The DBHS will continue operations, but with limited programming and with social distancing measures. Full details regarding FY2020-2021 programming are outlined in the supplemental attachment. (Please note that funding for FY2019-2020 equals $125,000, which includes the City of Delray Beach’s portion of $50,000).
Old School Square (OSS) is requesting $900,000 (21% of organization budget) to provide cultural arts activities for the Delray Beach community through Crest Theater, Cornell Art Museum, and the Pavilion. For FY2020-2021, OSS will continue its programming virtually, and has plans to transition to a mix of live/in-person and virtual performances, education, and museum experiences. Full details regarding FY2020-2021 programming are outlined in the supplemental attachment. (Please note that funding for FY2019-2020 equals $750,000).
Based on the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the following possibilities were discussed by the Committee in terms of the CRA’s A-G.U.I.D.E. FY2020-2021 awards and subsequent disbursement of funds:
• Six-month funding plan v. Twelve-month funding plan
• Potential reduction in funding during closures depending on acceptable program deviations
• Reimbursement based funded on A-G.U.I.D.E. program-specific expenses
At this time, CRA staff requests feedback regarding the funding requests in the Recreational and Cultural Facilities category.
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Attachment package for Arts Garage FY2020-2021: Logic Model; Supplemental Information; Combined Budget and Narrative; PowerPoint Slides.
Exhibit B - Attachment package for Delray Beach Historical Society FY2020-2021: Logic Model; Supplemental Information; Combined Budget and Narrative; PowerPoint Slides.
Exhibit C - Attachment package for Spady Museum FY2020-2021: Logic Model; Supplemental Information; Combined Budget and Narrative; PowerPoint Slides.
Exhibit D - Attachment package for Old School Square FY2020-2021: Logic Model; Supplemental Information; Combined Budget and Narrative; PowerPoint Slides.