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!

July 30, 2010, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Berkshire Cultural Resource Center at MCLA Gallery 51, 51 Main Street, North Adams, MA

RSVP by July 26 to Adrienne Petrillo apetrillo@nefa.org 617.951.0010 x527 Space is Limited! RSVP today!

The meeting space is handicap accessible.  If you require other accommodation, contact Adrienne Petrillo ASAP.

Click here to read more about NEFA.

CONNECT WITH NEFA!

What does NEST stand for? Do I qualify for any NEFA grants? What IS MatchBook.org? Am I a part of the creative economy?

Learn the answers to these questions and much more at NEFA’s info session for organizations and performing artists about the New England Presenting and Touring programs:

• Expeditions: Provides grants to New England nonprofit organizations for high quality and innovative touring projects in New England.
• Meet the Composer/New England: Offers grants to nonprofit organizations in New England to provide interaction between New England-based composers and audiences, in conjunction with performances of the composer’s work.
• New England States Touring (NEST): Provides grants to New England nonprofit organizations for performances, readings, and related community activities by NEST-eligible artists listed on MatchBook.org.
• Presenter Travel Fund: Provides monetary assistance to arts programmers or curatorial staff in New England so that they may investigate new or unfamiliar work outside of their home community.
• MatchBook.org: An online cultural directory of New England’s performing artists, venues and presenting organizations.
• CultureCount.org: NEFA’s creative economy database.  Visitors can search a comprehensive directory of New England’s cultural nonprofits, creative businesses, and individual artists. Other financial, grants, and geographic tools are built onto the directory.

Questions and Contact: Adrienne Petrillo | Program Manager, Presenting & Touring |617.951.0010 x527 | apetrillo@nefa.org|Erin Johnstone | Program Coordinator Presenting & Touring, Native Arts|617.951.0010 x533 |ejohnstone@nefa.org

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.

Americans for the Arts’ national Arts Advocacy Day is the centerpiece of their legislative efforts in Washington, DC. But this summer, they’re urging arts advocates to use their respective arts institutions to convey their message about the arts in a setting that reinforces themes of economic development; jobs in the arts; arts education; and partnerships between artists, institutions, and local policymakers.

Starting on Saturday, July 31 and continuing until Saturday, September 18, Americans for the Arts Action Fund will coordinate a “50 States 50 Days” initiative that supports local advocacy activities in all 50 states and in as many congressional districts as possible.

Sign up now for a free 50 States 50 Days webinar on Thursday, July 8 at 3:00 p.m. (EST) to learn more about details, logistics, and tools you should know when hosting an event in your community that includes your members of Congress. Note: If you are attending the Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit in Baltimore, stop by the 50 States 50 Days initiative launch on Saturday, June 26, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.

On the webinar, Americans for the Arts Action Fund staff will walk participants through the easy steps to producing an event and using the 50 States 50 Days website to help you spread the word to your community, manage your event, and download materials you can use to advocate for the arts and arts education. This is an important opportunity for you to engage congressional district staff and reinforce your role as a ready resource for members of Congress, their staff, and constituents.

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!

Two national funders are now offering opportunities for arts and cultural organizations to access capital grants. One is for pre-development phases of construction, and the other is for renovation costs and capital reserves. Please be aware that both funders are requesting pre-application letters of intent be sent in May.

Kresge Foundation Institutional Capitalization Program- Deadline for pre-application emails: Monday, May 17, 2010.

Funding support for cultural facility investments and building reserves funds, with a focus on renovation and repair projects.

Click here to learn more.

Ford Foundation Space for Change-Deadline for Letter of Intent: May 28, 2010.

Support for critical planning and pre-development activities that may precede partnering in or leading a facility project.

Click here to learn more.

ArtistLink helps to create artist workspace and housing by providing technical assistance and marketing support to Massachusetts artists, developers, and municipalities.

To be eligible for free legal assistance, the organization should:

• Be nonprofit or seek to establish nonprofit status
• Provide services to low or moderate income people or serve a compelling community need
• Be unable to afford legal services or demonstrate that the cost of obtaining assistance would adversely affect their ability to fulfill their mission

The Clearinghouse helps with a wide range of legal issues including real estate, corporate, intellectual property, contracts, employment, formation, tax, corporate governance, and regulatory matters, by:

• Matching volunteer lawyers with nonprofit groups that serve our communities in areas including housing, heath care, the environment, education, and social services.
• Leading monthly seminars for nonprofit representatives seeking assistance with incorporating in Massachusetts and/or filing for federal tax-exempt status and collaborate with several community partners to provide workshops on other legal issues for nonprofits and timely legal trainings for pro bono lawyers.
• Providing on-site legal services to the guests of the Pine Street Inn, St. Francis House, Medeiros Center, IMPACT, and hopeFound.

There is a $75.00 – $150.00 administrative fee for successful placement of each case with the volunteer attorney. There is no charge for the legal services provided.

To apply for assistance, contact Machiko Sano Hewitt at msanohewitt@lawyersclearinghouse.org or 617 778-1954. Additional information and applications are available online at click here.

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.