She’s generously agreed to field artists’ questions on legal matters relating to their work. (Incidentally, if you have any arts law questions, send them our way for a future “Ask an Arts Attorney” post.)

Please note: this post is for informational benefit only and should not be used in place of actual legal services. Also, as a state agency, the Massachusetts Cultural Council does not endorse any individual business or service.

Click here to read more, including the first Q&A’s!

Sections include:

24/7 Tech Center Learn about the tech tools and services you need to stay connected with your employees and boost productivity–24/7.

75 Secrets to Startup Success Don’t let your startup dreams die because you’re overwhelmed or unsure of what’s really involved in getting started. Master the process with these top startup tips from business experts.

Ask Entrepreneur Whether you need to know how much to charge for your products or when to hire an outsourcing agent, our panel of small business experts is ready to answer your questions.

Business Calculators Start analyzing your business’s numbers with our free startup, e-business and financial calcuators. Determine your startup costs, cash flow, break-even point, e-mail marketing ROI, and more!

Business Resource and Event Center Tips, trends and trade shows to help you and your business.

Commercial Vehicle Center Our Commercial Vehicle Center is chock full of the information you need to make smart vehicle choices for your business. So start your engines–your business fleet will soon be a reality.

Entrepreneur Assist With this collection of free business tools designed with the entrepreneur in mind, you can create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, schedule events, customize business form templates and much more.

Click here for the full list and to learn more!

Local arts agencies are encouraged to work with their city and county governments to apply for these new funding opportunities to create more livable communities through the arts. The two new opportunities are the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant and a combination of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program and the Sustainable Community Challenge Grant program.

The webinar covered both new funding opportunities, highlighting where nonprofit arts groups can participate. Access the full PowerPoint now, and check back at www.hud.gov/webcasts in the coming days for the full webinar.

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

• Pre-Applications: July 26, 2010
• Full applications: August 23, 2010

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant

The Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant (SCRPG) is run by HUD and will be granting $100 million to eligible government municipalities and organizations. Read the full program guidelines. The application deadline is August 23, 2010.

This program aims to create stronger, more sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation, and building a clean energy economy. The program will provide grants to applicants who seek to simultaneously empower jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges to economic growth and revitalization, social equity, access to opportunity, public health, and environmental impact.

These grants will be awarded competitively to multi-jurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships as well as regional consortia consisting of state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic organizations. The program places a priority on partnerships, including nontraditional partnerships including arts and culture, philanthropy, and bringing new voices to the regional planning process.

There are two grant categories: Category I includes regional plans in areas where such plans do not exist. Category II allows implementation of sustainable regional plans or activities to strengthen elements of existing plans.

Successful applications should identify housing, transportation, economic development, land use, environmental, energy, green space and water infrastructure needs and priorities in a region. There should be a clearly defined single integrated plan for regional growth and/or reinvestment over a minimum of 20 years.

It was emphasized that a consortium is required to include at least one nonprofit, educational, or philanthropic group that targets a diverse population group in their bid in order for it to be successful. This is where nonprofit arts groups can participate. During the question and answer section of the webinar, it was asked if nonprofit arts groups can be the lead applicant. The HUD representative answered yes, but it has to have the capacity to implement the grant on a regional basis and form its own coalition.

Eligibility:

In addition to government municipalities, eligible applications can be nonprofit or educational institutions within the region that have the capacity and ability to work in partnership with the units of government comprising a consortium to advance the sustainable communities grant objectives.

For large metropolitan areas over 500,000 in population, the grants range from a minimum of $500,000–$5,000,000. For mid-sized regions (populations of 200,000–499,999), the grants range from $200,000–$2,000,000. For small regions and/or rural communities with a population of less than 200,000, the grants range from $100,000–$1,000,000.

U.S. Department of Transportation & U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department Joint Grant Program

This grant opportunity for nonprofit arts groups combines two existing programs from different federal departments. Read the full program guidelines. The pre-application deadline is July 26, 2010 and the full application deadline is August 23, 2010.

The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program (TIGER II) focuses on highways, bridges, transit, railways, ports, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The Housing and Urban Development Department’s (HUD) Sustainable Community Challenge Grants program (SCCG) concentrates on creating fiscally and environmentally sustainable communities.

Arts groups are encouraged to collaborate with their local/regional government bodies in the planning process, given that HUD’s description of the type of eligible projects under the SCCG includes “promot[ing] mixed-use development…and the reuse of older buildings and structures for new purposes.”

Eligibility:

State and local governments are eligible to receive funds, and one can apply for funding simultaneously from both HUD and DOT funds through a single application process. Other political subdivisions of state or local governments and multistate or multijurisdictional groups may apply through a single lead applicant. Projects that demonstrate strong collaboration among a broad range of participants and/or integration of transportation with other public service efforts will receive extra consideration.

These grants are for a 36-month period. The DOT will provide $35 million and HUD will provide $40 million to this grant program.

Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people’s eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. It also works to prepare students to be innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled workers in the 21st century economy through initiatives designed to improve learning in math, engineering, science and technology.

Visit Kauffman.org to find resources like the Infectious Talk podcast featuring renowned blogger and financial commentator Paul Kedrosky interviewing prominent thinkers about growth, innovation and entrepreneurship; videos on entrepreneurship like the one below, and much more!

Visit Kauffman.org to learn more!

While most economic impact studies of the arts have focused on the nonprofit sector (such as our own Arts and Economic Prosperity studies), Creative Industries is the first national study that encompasses both the nonprofit and for-profit arts industries.

Putting the Data to Work
By documenting Dun & Bradstreet business and employment data for both the nonprofit and for-profit arts sectors, you can paint a picture of a powerful engine in your community’s information economy. What makes this data especially potent is that it can be localized to any city, county, state, region, or political jurisdiction in the country, and it can be updated annually so that you can track trend data. View a list of key points (pdf, 41KB) on how this data provides a valuable visibility and advocacy tool for advancing the arts.

Want to know how many creative industries are located in your community?

• Select your state to view the 2010 Creative Industries reports for your U.S. Congressional District.
• Select your state to view the 2010 Creative Industries reports for your state.
• Visit our Creative Industries FAQ page to place an order for 2010 Creative Industries reports.

Defining the Creative Industries

Americans for the Arts  has taken a conservative approach to defining the Creative Industries by focusing solely on businesses involved in the production or distribution of the arts. For the purposes of this study, the Creative Industries are composed of arts-centric businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and advertising companies. Americans for the Arts have guarded against overstatement of the sector by excluding industries such as computer programming and scientific research—both creative, but not focused on the arts.

Click here to view a summary of the Creative Industries Classifications.

Americans for the Arts Data
The source of our data is Dun & Bradstreet—widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive and trusted source for business information in the United States—which provides very specific and reliable data about employment and the number of arts-centric businesses in both the nonprofit and for-profit arts. Americans for the Arts analyses demonstrate an under-representation of nonprofit arts organizations in the Dun & Bradstreet database, and consequently, in the data. Additionally, many individual artists are not included, as not all are employed by a business. Learn how to participate in our Creative Industries Study— Sign Up and Be Counted!

The mission of innovationDAILY is to accelerate the growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America. innovationDAILY is a service of Innovation America and Richard Bendis

Click here to subscribe!

This free website features an easy-to-search directory of artists, performance spaces and presenting organizations, designed to MATCH artists with presenters that BOOK them.

CLICK HERE TO FIND AN ARTIST // CLICK HERE TO FIND A VENUE // CLICK HERE TO GET LISTED

PARTNERS
New England Foundation for the Arts and Massachusetts Cultural Council are MatchBook.org’s lead development and administrative partners.

Other partners include: Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, Maine Arts Commission, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

FUNDERS
MatchBook.org is generously funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Opportunities Program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; and The Boston Foundation

CONTACT
For questions or comments, contact the MatchBook.org team at 617-951-0010 x 529 or info@matchbook.org.

The basic FanBridge account is FREE and provides a variety of tools and resources to collect email addresses and to create, manage, and send online email/social network/SMS campaigns.

Click here to learn more!

FanBridge Offers….(*Free/**Requires subscription)

*Start With Your Existing Email List-Whether you’re just starting to build a list or already have an established one, it’s easy to add existing fan info into your FanBridge account. If you send them your list, they’ll even import it for you (for free!). Plus, your info is organized in one secure place, accessible 24/7 from any computer connected to the web.

**Custom Fan Microsite-This is a super simplified microsite you can direct fans to for more information about joining your list, checking out upcoming shows/events (and creating show reminders), and to perform any other ‘Action’ you want them to take. Remember – the easier you make it, the more likely they are to do it!

*Fan Signup Forms-Customize the look of your forms, and select the info fields you want to collect. Then, just copy/paste the code we give you anywhere on the web (ie. websites, MySpace, Facebook, etc). We also offer downloadable signup forms for live shows/events that work on Mac and PC – with no internet connection required!

*Create Incentives to Join Your List-Reward fans for joining your list with a free song, exclusive photo or other file. Simply upload whatever you want to offer, and we automatically handle everything else. Fan Incentives are also automatically integrated into signup forms to make sure you are converting web traffic into fan list growth.

**Analytics That “Think”-We spend time collecting and analyzing the data from your fans, to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Who’s opening them? Who’s clicking links? Who’s forwarding or sharing? We let you see your most (and least) active fans, so you can tailor messages just to them.

*Turn Fan Interest Into Purchases-It doesn’t take a marketing degree to know that the easier you make it for fans to buy stuff, the more they will buy. With one click, you can turn your campaigns and promotions into purchase drivers. Easily add links that will take fans directly to the point of sale for tickets, albums, etc.

*Don’t Play To An Empty House-Fans aren’t mind readers, so it’s vital that they are regularly reminded about your upcoming live shows/events. With one click, add your Tour Calendar to your newsletters and let your fans easily set reminders via FanBridge. Tour Calendars are also automatically posted to your Fan ‘Action Page’.

*Go Viral With Fan-2-Fan Initiatives-It’s a big web and everyone’s connected, so grow your fan list by getting fans excited to get their friends to become fans. We make it easy by automatically integrating viral marketing “best practices” (ie. contests, prizes, “share this” links, etc.). We take care of the design/fulfillment and help make sure fans know all about it.

*Email Newsletters-Email is the most effective way to get your fans attention, but email can also be a big headache. We handle the boring stuff (unsubscribes, bounces, whitelists, feedback loops, avoiding spam filters, etc.) while providing you with all the templates, targeting, and tracking features you need to make sure your emails are being effective (and look good!)

*Mobile SMS-Easily collect mobile info from fans and send last-minute show reminders or live updates from backstage with our mobile text messaging platform. You can even schedule text messages to automatically send in the future, so you can always stay connected with fans even when you’re not online.

*So Many Networks, So Little Time-MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, oh my! Like you, your fans are spread out across many social networks, but that doesn’t mean you need to maintain every social network separately. With FanBridge, you can communicate with fans from a single location. We then track the effectiveness of each network so you know where best to spend your time.

*Custom Web Browser Toolbars-Keep your name in front of fans no matter where they go on the web by offering your fans a free customizable, and Google search powered, web browser toolbar. You can also update your toolbar with your latest announcements, so fans can stay up to date as soon as they surf the web!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

SPARKettes are an opportunity for colleagues in an industry cluster to meet and connect at a scaled down, focused networking event. Whether you are part of one of the clusters, seeking services from them, or are just interested in learning more about a particular group, SPARKettes are here to help you ignite that connection!

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SPARKettes are held once a month, February-November 2010, with a different industry cluster addressed each month!

5:30-7:00pm

Upstairs at Jae’s Spice, North Street, Pittsfield, MA

FREE

Cash Bar

Hors D’ouevres and venue generously provided by Jae’s Spice!

Click here to RSVP to the SPARKettes of your choice!

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MONTH//INDUSTRY

UPCOMING…

JULY//ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS
JULY 13th, 2010
Small Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Sole Proprietors, Freelance Professionals

AUGUST//YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
AUG. 10th, 2010
Young Professionals working in the creative economy

SEPTEMBER//MUSIC/PERFORMING ARTS
SEPT. 14, 2010
Musicians (beginners, teachers, and professionals), Actors, Theatres, Festivals, Venues, Managers

OCTOBER// EDUCATION
OCT. 12th, 2010
Museum Educators, Public and Private School Teachers, School Administrators

NOVEMBER// HOUSING SUPPORT
NOV. 9th, 2010
Interior Design, Landscape Architects, Architects, Builders, Home Product Designers/Makers, Real Estate Agents

PAST…

FEBRUARY// VISUAL MEDIA
FEB. 9th, 2010
Publishers, Printers, Writers, Photographers, Graphic Designers, Web Designers, Publicists, Marketers

MARCH//CULTURE AND HERITAGE
MAR. 23rd, 2010
Museums, Theatres, Theatre Companies, Garden Museums, Historic Homes, Libraries, Heritage Preservation

APRIL//VISUAL ARTS
APR. 13th, 2010
Artists, Artisans, Galleries, Arts Agents, Collectors, Museums, Art Venues, Crafters, Curators

MAY//COMMUNICATIONS
MAY 11th, 2010
Magazines, Newspapers, Radio, Television, Journalists, Bloggers, Publicists, Marketers

JUNE// FILM AND MEDIA ARTS
JUNE 8th, 2010
Film, Animation, New Media, and Supporting Industries

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SPECIAL THANKS TO SPARK! LEAD SPONSOR

GREYLOCK FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

If you live or work in the Berkshires, you are cordially invited to join Greylock Federal Credit Union.

AND

SPARKette SPONSOR

Join MassChallenge and compete for access to workshops, mentors, executives, other team members, free resources such as office space and sources of funding.

MassChallenge is launching the world’s largest start-up competition, and they want YOU to enter!

Entry Criteria
* Anyone can enter MassChallenge, with any idea, from anywhere in the world
* Goal: To support high-potential seed and early stage start-ups

o Less than $500K of aggregate investment to date (grants not included, except for non-profit entrants)
o Less than $1M in revenue over last 12 months

* You must engage in MassChallenge processes to win grants. The second round of judging and the finalist stage require physical presence in Massachusetts.
Click here for more information and the competition timeline!