City communications manager urges ongoing campaign to boost Match grant awareness

Alex Regalman, the city’s newly hired communications manager, told the Match board that one of his earliest priorities is to increase public awareness of the Match grants program so more local artists and community organizations apply.

"My goal is pretty simple for today: I just want to make sure the great work that Match is already doing is more visible, more accessible and reaches more people," Regalman said, urging the board to treat the grant cycle more like a sustained communications campaign than a single announcement.

Regalman pointed to a gap between public awareness and knowledge. He said many artists he’s spoken with were surprised the program existed. He recommended using the city newsletter as an anchor for continuity, adding targeted content, local columns and in-person outreach at events to reach people who do not rely on social media.

"The city newsletter... continues to increase consistently," Regalman said, describing it as an easy and reliable way to create continuity for newcomers who otherwise have to 'catch up' to existing conversations.

Board members responded with practical suggestions: place larger, clearer copy on the new event banners that notes an event "is funded by Match," add QR codes that link directly to application guidelines, create a short recurring 'Match' column or feature, and encourage board members to serve as in-person ambassadors at community events. Several members suggested Match-branded buttons or T-shirts and distributing banner sizes suitable for different venues.

Councilmember Judith Chandler said city council will work with Regalman and staff on promotion. "City council has a role to play in that," she said, noting recent community events such as the pollinator garden that received Match support and urging better public acknowledgement of grant support in event signage and plaques.

The board agreed to follow up: staff will revise the Match FAQs and guidelines, the banner design will be adjusted to enlarge credit text where practical, and members will test QR-code placements and pickup/storage plans for banners at the MAC and the Chamber. Regalman said he will stay in regular contact with the board as the outreach plan is implemented.

The presentation concluded with the board endorsing the outreach emphasis and several members volunteering to draft copy for banners and newsletter items. The next steps are to finalize banner wording, include QR links in printed materials, and incorporate the communications approach into the revised Match guidelines.