Non-Profits Need Funds to Function: Can the Arts Survive?

In recent years, the arts has lost support within small town communties. The organizations that promote the arts are non-profit and depend on grants, municipal and communuity financial support to function. Such organizations could be forced to close their doors.

Several non-profit organizations in Chautauqua County, New York, are members of the United Arts Appeal, which was designed to take on the task of fundraising for the participating members. This year, according to Sally Ulrich and Al Cecchini, (president and vice president) there has been a significant decline in donations and past donors have been slow to remit their pledged support. In addition, the United Arts Appeal (UAA) is struggling to become a well known entity in the art community. The UAA is searching for ways to promote the organization within municipal, county and state departments in an attempt to gain additional funding. Funding that would support the arts across the county.

Grants applications require a great deal of time to complete and require large amounts of supporting data that reflects an organization has sufficient financial backing. Without that backing it is useless to apply for grants. Each organization must have scheduled programs a year in advance and be able to support their request for funding. Basically, if they make money they qualify for more money to run additional programs. Non-profit organizations continue to struggle to gain firm financial footing with minimal support from granting agencies. The New York State Council for the Arts, will not accept an application unless there is significant financial stability and ongoing support from agencies like the United Arts Appeal, municipalities, community, and grant resources. The more money a non-profit makes have the more money they get.

The Access to the Arts - Adams Art Gallery, located in Dunkirk, New York is an organization that has battled with the financial support issues for many years. The gallery was once an elite organization funded through memberships, high class fundraisers, and the support of state, county and local agencies. Those funds have consistently declined. Memberships and donations have also declined.

Recent fundraisers for the gallery have been less than successful. Ongoing attempts are difficult because communities are tapped out by the multitude of fundraisers held to help struggling families, individuals with catastrophic illnesses, and struggling non-profit organizations. Volunteerism has been at an all time low as well.

Increasing costs mandated by the state for insurance coverage, repairs and access issues, and ever increasing utility costs have left the gallery pinching every penny to meet operational expenses. Unfortunately, there are no grants that can be used towards operational expenses. A portion of those costs may be incorporated into program grant requests. The cost for insurance coverage sucking up the majority of the revenue.

The mentality has come to non-profit groups maintaining a "mine" attitude to the point that they will undermine each others programs and are frequently unwilling to work together on grants due to the lack of funding. What they apply for is needed for themselves and not something to be shared. Shared services is another ball game.

The gallery has been redirected to include the Dunkirk and surrounding communities as potential members and program participants. At the present time, the gallery provides program scholarships for disadvantaged and at risk youth and the other income classes across the region. Many of the youth that attend gallery promoted events come from welfare, low income families and families on disability. An estimate 98-percent of people entering the gallery during 2006 and 2007 have never been inside the gallery or did not know that a gallery existed within their hometown. The economics of the region is severely impacting businesses, non-profits and employment. It is difficult to provide quality programming without funds. The gallery has managed to provide many events based on the volunteering of artists. Many artists donate all or a portion of proceeds to assist the gallery financially.

Art is a a creative mode of self-expression and promotes healing. It teaches all children and adults that they can use the arts to express their pain, joy, wonder of life, and the environment their lives. Classes, workshops and presentations held at the gallery provide a safe and supervised activity in the center of town where police supervision and monitoring is visible. This also promotes interaction and communication among the cultures that make up the Dunkirk and surrounding communities.

Many program participants are struggling to survive let alone to give their children a rare and precious opportunity at safe self-expression. Without support the galleries, Boys and Girls Club, and other non-profit organizations will be forced to close their doors leaving more room for juvenile delinquency and violence in the communities. The beautiful waterfront will be just that and a target for the kids we are unable to support.

It is hard to say where to direct the needed petitions for help because the higher powers are unwilling when it comes to the arts. Without funding doors of opportunity will begin closing and more buildings in the city will be torn down and made into parking lots. Some that will never be used for anything more than a place for vandalism to occur.