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MISSION OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM
The City of Wichita will strive to encourage and provide financial support to arts and cultural organizations that demonstrate and document excellence in quality artistic programs, professional artistic and administrative staffing, financial stability and their contribution to the community at large.
HISTORY OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM
In 2004, the Arts Council created an Arts Task Force to research funding support for the arts in Wichita. In response to that study, in May of 2006, the City Council voted to provide funding for arts and culture at a level approximating 1 mill of the City’s general, ad valorem tax levy and directed the Arts Council to develop an application form and process to award the funds.
Subsequently, the Arts Council recommended an 11-member Cultural Funding Committee (seven members to be appointed by the City Council and four to be appointed by the Arts Council). This committee would work with the Division of Arts & Cultural Services staff to develop criteria and guidelines, an application form and an annual grants review and reporting process. The funds are to be used for operations only.
During the first five years of the program, a total of almost $15 million dollars was awarded to approximately 40 arts organizations. In 2008, the City Council approved the continuation of the commitment for five more years.
*Organizations MUST use the income and expense budget forms provided. Departments or divisions applying under a large umbrella organization need to provide budget information for its department only (ex: A theater department that is applying for its department only but operates within a large university). For more specific information, please contact Division of Arts & Cultural Services staff at (316) 303-8663.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
CULTURAL FUNDING COMMITTEE
The City of Wichita’s conflict of interest policy is hereby adopted by the Cultural Funding Committee. (see attached) In addition to such policy, the following shall apply.
Wichita has many citizens who are involved in cultural institutions and serve as volunteers and are members of cultural institutions that may apply to this committee for funding. Thus it is extremely difficult to remove all possible conflicts of interest and unlikely that all appearance of the possibility of a conflict of interest will be removed from the process.
However, it is the intent of the Arts Council and of the Cultural Funding Committee that such conflicts, appearance of conflict and appearance of the possibility of a conflict shall be dealt with in an open and straightforward manner, in full view of the public and with reliance upon the good judgment and reasonable nature of all involved parties, including the applicants.
Therefore, all members of the Cultural Funding Committee shall announce any conflict of interest, direct or indirect, or any known appearance of a conflict of interest at such time as applications for funding are received.
Members of the Cultural Funding Committee who are directly involved in the governance or management of any applicant shall not participate in committee activities that would constitute a conflict of interest or give the appearance of a conflict of interest, and shall not vote on the application.
No member of the Cultural Funding Committee who has a direct conflict of interest shall remain in the room during any presentation by an agency or institutional applicant, nor shall they remain in the room during any significant discussion on the merits of the presentation, or of any significant discussion of the application or of its ranking, or of its standing or of its quality or of its recommendation for funding.
Members of the Cultural Funding Committee who are indirectly involved in the governance or management or direction of any applicant agency or institution that is seeking funding are encouraged to both declare the indirect conflict or appearance of a conflict of interest and to excuse themselves from discussion about, presentation of and voting on the application. Moreover, members are encouraged to declare on a potential conflict of interest and to abstain from voting when a potential conflict of interest exists.
No member of the Cultural Funding Committee who is a director or manager or staff member of any applicant agency or institution may appear before the committee on behalf of an application for funding.
No member of the Cultural Funding Committee, who has declared a conflict of interest with respect to an applicant agency or applicant institution shall lobby or attempt to influence the vote of any other committee members concerning such agency or applicant.
None of the above is meant to discourage an open and honest exchange of ideas, arguments or knowledge, nor should it discourage or prevent the presentation of crucial factual material to the committee.
Should a conflicted party, or a party with an apparent conflict of interest know of factual material crucial to any matter before the Cultural Funding Committee, that party should present said factual material to the director of the City Department of Cultural Affairs or to the Chair of the Board of the Arts Council or to their representatives so that a determination of the nature and value of the factual material may be made before such material is presented to the Cultural Funding Committee by the Director or the Chair.
Cultural Funding Committee
Gwynne Birzer
Ken Ciboski
Joan Cole, Committee Chair
Kenya Cox
Joe Miller
Donna Perline
Diane Post
Novelene Ross
Dan R. Rouser
Donnah Taylor
Norm Terry
Support Staff
John D’Angelo
Bernadette Bradshaw
Sharon Mallory |