THE FOLLOWING IS THE BODY OF A FUNDED GRANT APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY INDEPENDENT PICTURES TO COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR ARTS AND CULTURE FOR A WEBSITE PROJECT
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
Please see appendix.
PROJECT HISTORY
In 2003, IP filled out a multi-page questionnaire, responding to detailed questions about strategic planning, financial management, human resources, communications, board operations and information technology. On January 12, 2004, IP participated in CultureADD’s Initial Diagnostic Session. Based on IP’s answers on the questionnaire and the session, IP was analyzed along its Business Practices and Performance Themes (direction, systems, time perspective, external orientation, control). IP rated High in terms of Financial Management, Strategic Planning, and Control; Moderate in terms of Board Operations, Direction, External Orientation, Systems; and Low in terms of Communications, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Time Perspective.
IP participated in CultureADD’s second diagnostic session on March 3, 2004, where the participants were introduced to appreciative inquiry methodology, determined overarching topics of inquiry, and developed questions based upon the core issues identified in the initial diagnostic session (Market Orientation, Utilization of Information, and Human Resources). These questions were used throughout March and April 2003 to conduct an interview process of current and past Trustees, independent filmmakers, and former IP staff in preparation for the solutions development summit.
IP convened on Saturday, May 1, 2004 for the all-day Solutions Development Summit with 100% Trustee and staff attendance. This grant proposal is a direct result of the Solutions Development Summit.
IP’s organizational vision was solidified through its preparation for the Solutions Development Summit and the organization’s hard work that day. That long-term vision is:
I. Independent Pictures clearly understands how we fit into the community at large. We define our community as artists, IP fans, funders, our geographical area and the underserved. We serve artists through our commitment to the Northeast Ohio Arts scene. We are a valuable resource for filmmakers and scriptwriters. We create a culture that values “Ideal Sharing” and creates a venue for artists to expand their horizons. We serve the IP fan by providing bleeding edge material that is not accessible in other venues. We effectively manage the fundraising process focusing on funders that are aligned with our vision. We target progressive funders that value providing a voice for the underserved. We target the families of filmmakers that we support through our festival and target government grants that support artists. Through our involvement with the Oscar Night America celebration we have been able to dramatically increase brand recognition for IP in the Northeast Ohio area. We serve our community through a progressive arts presence in the Detroit Shoreway corridor and by providing a voice for the underserved. We are perceived in our community as the little arts organization that could. We are a grassroots organization that is easily approachable and extremely unpretentious. We value people and ideas. We manage awareness as a strategic business initiative. We have improved our leverage model such that we have a 2:1 ratio of staff to board members. We have formal documented data collection and storage procedures and a cross-trained staff.
II. Independent Pictures is an artistic, grassroots, community outreach resource, assisting in the production and exhibition of Independent Films. The organization operates via an integrated information management system designed and maintained by skilled individuals, tailored to sustain and perpetuate the organization. Its board of directors and sub-committees identify and foster specific skill sets designed to enhance targeted and personal outreach in the communities that we serve. Independent Pictures has realized healthy human resource management through the development of a diverse volunteer/intern base. Additionally, staff and board responsibilities have been clearly defined as well as specific goal oriented tasks. Goal oriented tasks will also be clearly defined for all volunteers and interns.
III. Independent Pictures has identified, created and managed strong collaborations with targeted organizations. All human resources personnel (i.e. board, staff, volunteers and interns) have a clear understanding of, have rallied around and are committed to the organization’s missions and goals.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
IP’s most urgent need along its path to the organization’s long-term vision is a professionally-designed website complete with Frequently Asked Questions and automation. A robust, professionally-designed website, which would be the organization’s first, addresses all three of the organization’s main challenges-Keen Sense of Awareness, Effective Utilization of Information, and Healthy Human Resource Management-as realized by the CultureADD process. The website is the smallest change that IP could make that will have the most significant impact.
The overall responsibility for the project lies with IP’s Board of Trustees, specifically its President Dave Megenhardt, and Co-Founding Artistic Directors Annetta Marion and Bernadette Gillota. Megenhardt is Executive Director of the United Labor Agency, Treasurer of Policy Matters Ohio, a member of the United Way Council of Agency Executives, and a Steering Committee Member of Jobs with Justice. Independent Pictures plans to use outside experts in the Information Technology business. Independent Pictures will utilize its own network (staff, trustees, funders, volunteers, artists, etc.) to recruit these outside experts as well as looking forward to help from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.
Some short terms benefits of IP’s project are clearly communicating who IP is and what the organization does both to the community at large and stakeholders; and the automating of some routine work e.g., adding email addresses to the database. Potential long term benefits are hastening Independent Pictures toward its vision of the future of an organization that is financially stable, known as a creator of new work, providing more services to emerging filmmakers, and a fun, challenging, and creative place to work. IP will evaluate its project by evaluating the website created against its
