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Committee advances ordinance to codify Milwaukee Arts Board sustaining grants
Summary
The committee considered Ordinance No. 1251618 to formally add a sustaining-grant program that removes a five-year cap so eligible Milwaukee arts nonprofits may apply annually for operating support; staff said organizations must still apply each year and there is no automatic renewal.
The Community and Economic Development Committee on a unanimous voice consent moved forward an ordinance (No. 1251618) to update the Milwaukee Arts Board’s project guidelines and formally codify a sustaining-grant program that removes an existing five-year cap on consecutive support.
The change, explained by Chris Silley of the Legislative Reference Bureau and Sally Fedick of Milwaukee Arts Board staff, does not create automatic renewals, they said. "Sustaining grants funded from the Milwaukee Arts Board shall be made to specific organizations and may be granted on an indefinite basis at the discretion of the board," Silley read aloud. Fedick clarified, "Applicants have to apply every single year, and they have to score high enough to receive funding every year no matter how many years they've been applying for."
Committee members pressed staff to explain how the "indefinite" language would affect new requests for proposals and new projects. Fedick said the program has been operating as a sustaining grant for several years and that the ordinance change reflects current practice: organizations will apply annually, the Arts Board will score and select recipients, and there is no automatic funding even for long-running awardees. She also said the program is competitive and typically funds about two-thirds of applicants.
Committee members asked about grant sizes and timing. Fedick said the sustaining grants are operating-support awards and are relatively small — "either $3,000 or $6,000 per organization" — and recipients must expend funds within the one-year grant term. The stated purpose of the ordinance is to permit the Arts Board to continue supporting organizations over multiple consecutive years when warranted.
After discussion, a committee member moved the ordinance for passage; hearing no objections, the committee ordered it forward.
The committee expected the Milwaukee Arts Board staff to return with the annual report in April with program statistics and additional context about awards and application results.
