Opportunities for - The Arts Council

Opportunities for
VoTing MeMber
groupS

J
Opportunities for
Voting member
groupS
The mission of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
is to support individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic
development and lifelong learning through the arts. In order to support
and grow our creative community the Arts Council offers a variety of
opportunities to our cultural (art, science and history) organizations
throughout Cumberland County by participation in the Voting
Member Groups program. These opportunities include:
• access to grants.
• organizational development training such as technical support in
finance and marketing.
• public exposure opportunities such as Neighborhood Art Attacks,
4th Fridays, a Dickens Holiday and the International Folk Festival.
Fayetteville/Cumberland County has a vibrant and diverse creative
community. Voting Member Groups (VMG) are the cornerstones
that make Fayetteville and Cumberland County an attractive place to
live, work and visit. These cultural organizations are a vital component
of economic development, education, tourism and many other areas
that define a healthy community and creative economy. VMGs are
instrumental in creatively enhancing the reputation and vitality of our
city and county with our local as well as national and international
audience.
The following information is provided to help VMGs utilize
opportunities through the Arts Council.
Our VMG program is a work in progress and we welcome your input.
Thank you for your vision and creativity. Your organization is an
important community asset and we look forward to working with you.

What is a voting member group?
Any corporation which qualifies as:
• a tax-exempt organization described in Internal Revenue Code
Section 501(c).
• has as its primary mission artistic and/or cultural activities.
• is based in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
An organization that meets these criteria is eligible to apply and may be
admitted as a “Voting Member,” subject to the approval of the Board of
Trustees.
What are the responsibilities of a
Voting member?
There is no cost to be a VMG. The responsibilities are:
Attendance: It is expected that the director and/or president of each
voting member agency will be the delegate, or appoint an alternate
to serve in his/her place, to attend and vote at meetings of the Voting
Members. It is the responsibility of the director, president, or alternate
to keep his/or her organization informed of Arts Council business.
Annual Meetings: An annual meeting of the Voting Members will
be held each year to elect the Arts Council Board of Trustees and to
transact such other business as may be necessary.
Updates: Voting Members are to notify the Arts Council of any updates/
changes to board members or contacts annually.
How to Apply As a Voting member Agency:
• Step 1. Submit an application to the Arts Council. (See Arts
Services Director or the back of this book for an application).
• Step 2. The staff and then the Arts Council Board of Trustees
review the application and approve or deny.
• Step 3. Notification of board decision.

Voting member group opportunities
To To strengthen the effectiveness of local arts and cultural agencies,
the Arts Council offers member agencies the following opportunities:
Advocacy
We advocate for the arts through long-established relationships with
local school systems, local municipalities, City and County leadership
and with the State Legislature.
Facility
The Arts Council building is owned by the City of Fayetteville. The
Arts Council, as an independent agency, has invested close to $1 million
in the facility. The Arts Council pays for utilities, cleaning, security and
general day-to-day maintenance costs.
As a Voting Member Group, you may schedule use of the Arts Council
building for meetings and events. If needed, technical advice and
support is available. If your event is free to the public, there is no
usage fee. If the event occurs during regular Arts Council office hours,
generally security guards are not required. If the event occurs outside of
those hours, security service can be arranged through the Arts Council
for a small fee.
If your event requires a ticket price, fee or recommended donation, the
Arts Council asks for a fee of $1 per person up to a maximum of $100 to
help defray the cost of shared services.
Some member groups hold monthly membership meetings in the
Arts Council building after regular office hours. Security service is
not a requirement since the meeting is not “open to the public.” These
agencies must go through an orientation about the alarm system and
general building usage. After this orientation, a set of keys is kept on file
for their use. The agency director or president or designated agent picks
up the keys the day of the meeting and drops the keys in a key drop box
upon exiting the building. There is no fee for this usage; however, a fee
may be charged if significant custodial work is required following an
agency meeting or accidental triggering of the building alarm.

Office space, at Liberty Point, is available for qualifying 501(c) grassroots
agencies based on availability. Application is required and after
approval, space is provided on a first-come basis. There is no rental fee
for the space however, tenant agencies share expenses for utilities and
other shared facility needs. We are grateful to the Fayetteville Publishing
Company for providing this wonderful benefit to our cultural agencies.
Publicity
VMG agency’s events and activities qualify for the following:
• Inclusion in the monthly “ArtWorks” publication for 4th Friday
events that are free, open to the public and art-related, as well as
artist opportunities (calls for art, etc.) as space permits.
• Website: Shared space on Home page, Member page links and
cultural calendar listings.
• Opportunity to place information on Arts Council bulletin board.
• Information about your agency as an educational resource in the
Artist in Schools Directory provided to all principals, teachers and
PTAs in the Cumberland County/Ft. Bragg area.
• Free information booth space at International Folk Festival,
A Dickens Holiday, 4th Fridays and Neighborhood Art Attacks.
• Dissemination of agency print materials at area community/
business fairs.
• Access to Arts Council mailing list of over 11,000 arts-interested
people.
Notary Public
The Arts Council maintains a Notary Public on staff and offers this
service to Voting Member Groups free of charge.

grants and grant Services
The Arts Council has a number of community grants programs.
While some grants programs are available to any non-profit, projects
must have a specific cultural (art, science or history) focus. In order to
assist in the application process, Arts Council staff will review a draft
application and make recommendations if the material is sent well in
advance of the grant application deadline. Grant programs that are
available to VMG include:
Project Support Grants may be awarded to local non-profit agencies
in Cumberland County who demonstrate financial and administrative
stability. As noted, programs must contact a cultural component. See
the Arts Council website for specifics on the grant, application process
and timeline.
Operating Support Grants may be awarded to local arts agencies in
Cumberland County whose programs are vital to the cultural life of the
community and whose organizations have reached a size and maturity
that assure their so they may continue to deliver high quality cultural
services to the citizens of Cumberland County. These grants are
invitational.
Festival Park Space Grants are awarded by the Fayetteville-
Cumberland Parks & Recreation Department and administered by the
Arts Council. These grants are available to local arts and cultural nonprofit
agencies. Four grants will be awarded each year. The rental fee
for the use of Festival Park is waived for each award recipient, however,
special event permit fees and other fees may still apply.

Additional Resources
Arts Council Voting Member Group list
For a list of current Member Groups and their contact info:
www.TheArtsCouncil.com/member_groups.php
Americans for the Arts
artsusa.org
Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
www.theartscouncil.com
Arts Lynx International Arts Resources
artslynx.org/aotl
Arts North Carolina (arts advocacy)
artsnc.org
Foundation Center
Funding and Managing Arts Organizations: A Resource List
foundationcenter.org/getstarted/topical/arts.html
National Endowment for the Arts
nea.gov
North Carolina Arts Council (an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources)
ncarts.org
NC Center for Non-Profits
ncnonprofits.org
NC Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
ncvla.org
South Arts
southarts.org

Arts Council Staff
For assistance, contact your Arts Council staff at 910-323-1776
or e-mail admin@theartscouncil.com.
Deborah Martin Mintz, Executive Director, Ext. 224
deborahm@theartscouncil.com
Jennifer Gilbertson, Executive Assistant/Office Manager, Ext. 235
jenniferg@theartscouncil.com
Nancy Silver, General Manager, Ext. 225
nancys@theartscouncil.com
Margo Jarvis, Research/Analysis & Special Projects Director, Ext. 222
margoj@theartscouncil.com
Anne Rawson, Community Investments Director, Ext. 242
anner@theartscouncil.com
Sydnie Fiesel, Finance & Grants Assistant, Ext. 226
sydnief@theartscouncil.com
Calvin Mims, Development & Membership Director, Ext. 228
calvinm@theartscouncil.com
Mary Kinney, Marketing Director, Ext. 239
maryk@theartscouncil.com
Christina Williams, Donor Relations & Communications Coordinator, Ext. 234
christinaw@theartscouncil.com
Robert Pinson, Operations Director, Ext. 229
bobp@theartscouncil.com
Kitty Kramer, Receptionist, Ext. 221
kittyk@theartscouncil.com
Roy Dillard, Facilities & Special Events Technician, Ext. 227

VOTING MEMBER APPLICATION
Arts or Cultural Agency Information
Agency Name:_______________________________________________________ Date Incorporated: __________
Agency Mailing Address:_______________________________________________________________
Chief staff contact name & position (if applicable):_____________________________________________________
Phone number: _________________________________ FAX:__________________________________
e-mail: __________________________________ website: _____________________________________
Check the discipline in which your organization is engaged: □Visual Art; □Crafts; □Design Arts; □Media Arts; □Theatre;
□Dance; □Literature; □Music; □Folk Arts; □Interdisciplinary; □Humanities; Describe other:______________________
Do you have non-profit status registered with NC Department of Revenue?
Do you have non-profit status registered with Internal Revenue Service?
□ yes □ no
□ yes □ no
Agency’s fiscal year begins ______________________(date) and ends _______________________ (date)
Do you have an annual fund drive? □yes □no If so, when? _______________________________
Current year budget: __________________ What % of this budget is spent on the arts? ___________
Board President/Chair Contact Information
Name:________________________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________________ FAX:_____________________________
Number of Directors/Trustees on Board ________Who elects the Board? ___________________________
When are Board members elected? ______________ How often does the Board meet?________________
If your agency occupies a facility or meets at another location, indicate when and where your agency meets
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Please provide a brief description of your agency and it’s activities (attach on separate sheet if necessary)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Please include this following information to complete your file:
□ Agency Mission Statement
Please return this form and attachments to:
□ Agency By-laws
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County
□ Tax-exempt letters (State & Federal)
PO Box 318, Fayetteville, NC 28302
□ Current Staff contact list (if applicable)
□ Current Board contact list with address, phone and email contact info
□ Budgets for current year and next year
______________________________________________________________________________________
Signature of person completing application Position
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Printed name
Date
______________________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Board President
Date
_______________________________________________
Printed name

The Arts Council
of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
P.O. Box 318
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Street Address: 301 Hay Street
p: 910-323-1776
f: 910-323-1727
www.TheArtsCouncil.com
The Arts Council’s grants, programs and services are funded in part by
contributions from businesses and individuals, and through grants from
the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the North Carolina
Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources.
3/13