ARTSERVE: Federal Action Alerts + Cultural Data Project = MI Orgs Needed

ArtServe Michigan

Federal Action Alerts and Cultural Data Project – Organizational Participation Needed

Two Federal Action Alerts Need Your Attention!!!!

Earlier this week, 165 conservative members of Congress representing the Republican Study Committee called for termination of the National Endowment for the Arts and key arts education programs at the U.S. Department of Education.

Please take two minutes to take action and send a message to your member of Congress in support of the National Endowment for the Arts AND arts education at the U.S. Department of Education.

Each link will take you to a draft email that requires nothing but your approval of the content and your address. Your help in ensuring that the Michigan Congressional delegation knows of the importance of the NEA and arts education programs within the U.S. Department of Education is greatly appreciated!

Cultural Data Project – Organizational Participation Needed

In the fall of 2008, ArtServe, the Pew Charitable Trust and the other members of the Michigan CDP Task Force began the information discovery process that would lead to the arrival of the Cultural Data Project in Michigan.

If you are not aware, the CDP is a powerful online management tool designed to strengthen arts and cultural organizations. It began in Pennsylvania in 2004 and will be operating in 11 states and Washington DC by the end of 2011. Arts and cultural organizations enter financial, programmatic and operational data into a standardized online form and can then use the CDP several different ways.

The abridged version of what CDP will provide organizations is:

• After entering your historical financial and operational data, you can rely on technology to reformat the data to match the needs of different funders.
• Tools to easily track trends in performance and benchmark against the more than 10,000 organizations in the system nationally
• Reports that will help you make your case for support to funders, board members and policymakers.

Just as important as the value it brings organizations is the aggregated statistical data that it will offer to make the case about the impact of the arts in Michigan. If you have been paying attention to any of the discussions in Lansing regarding the budget, you’ll know that data and value for money is very important to Governor Snyder. The more organizations that participate, the bigger the impact we will be able to demonstrate when we testify in front of the Senate and House General Government Appropriations Subcommittee in March.

I’ll be honest with you – the steps to find the correct information and enter the data are demanding and may take some time. However, YOU’RE NOT ALONE. The Michigan CDP Help Desk is offered as a FREE service to assist you along every step of the way. If you require the assistance of an accountant, you will be put in touch with a specialist that will help you for FREE. If you have questions of which figure goes where, the Help Desk will stay on the phone until you get it right – for FREE.

While many organizations have already taken the lead by beginning to enter their data or completing their entry to receive “Gold Star” status (information is verified and ready for research), unfortunately there are still many who have not. Some organizations have commented that they do not have the capacity or time to take on such a project.

I can certainly sympathize with the workload each organization is currently taking on and can assure you that, as nonprofits, we are all under the same amount of stress - juggling increased programs with smaller staffs...and definitely not enough hours in the day. Those who refuse to participate will miss out on not only an opportunity to possess a new organizational management tool designed to strengthen their organization, but they will miss out on contributing to the advocacy efforts of ArtServe Michigan.

Currently, ten Michigan’s arts, culture and arts education funders either require or recommend the use of CDP. This means that, for those that require it, organizations will have to submit a funder report to the grantmaker through CDP in order to be eligible to receive a grant. Click here to view the growing list of funders requiring or recommending the use of CDP.

In the end, it is up to each organization to participate and be counted. While resources are low, this is the one tool that provides the free support you need to participate and brings more value with it than the time it takes to participate.

As organizations continue to enter their data and consider whether or not they should participate I offer myself, Mike Latvis, and Jennifer Hill as resources for any questions or comments you may have.

How to Generate a Funder Report

There have been some questions raised as to how to generate a funder report through the CDP. Click here to download or view step-by-step instructions.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please email or call Mike Latvis at 248-379-5897.

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