Goal: To increase public awareness of and engagement in arts and cultural activities

Overview: Engagement with arts and cultural activities is not only an important aspect of an individual’s personal development and quality of life, but also a primary factor in fostering a sense of community and respect and understanding of others. Yet many factors are undermining the effectiveness of the arts in building community, including impediments to the public’s awareness of arts and cultural opportunities, time constraints on individuals and families, competing sources of recreation, and the segmentation of audiences. Arts and cultural organizations need improved understanding of the economic and cultural marketplace in Marin County and strategies designed to engage diverse audiences more effectively. MCF grantmaking in this area will take a capacity-building approach to strengthen both the providers of cultural experiences and people’s connections to them.

Under this goal, MCF will support projects that incorporate the following strategies:

Strategy 1 (focus on audience development): Support arts and cultural organizations to broaden, deepen, and diversify the public’s awareness of and engagement in local arts and cultural activities.

With support from diverse partners, MCF will conduct a community census of public engagement with the arts and culture in Marin County. MCF will also support a broad, multi-year audience development effort to provide Marin’s arts and culture organizations with technical assistance to craft strategies to broaden, deepen, and diversify public engagement in their offerings, as well as targeted assistance to implement and evaluate these strategies within the context of a learning community of arts and culture providers.

Beginning the first year, MCF will provide technical assistance and provide planning grants to an initial cohort of organizations. In the second year, selected organizations that have received planning grants will be eligible for multi-year implementation grants, while additional organizations will receive planning assistance. In addition, limited support will be available to assist participating organizations in devising and implementing audience development efforts developed during the planning phase.

Process for Strategy 1: In the first year, participation in the audience development strategy will be supported through a Request for Proposals process. RFPs will be sent to eligible applicants.The Grant Application Center will not be used for this goal.

Strategy 2: Enrich the lives of Marin’s isolated and institutionalized residents by engaging them in the arts

MCF recognizes that many Marin residents are unable to engage in arts and cultural programs and activities due to isolation and/or institutionalization. The arts offer a powerful mechanism to make a difference in the lives of these residents and assist their continued, or renewed, participation in community activities. MCF will support organizations providing programs or activities that use the arts to enrich and improve the lives of these residents.

Process for Stragegy 2: Participation in this strategy will be supported through a Request for Proposals process. RFPs will be sent to eligible applicants. The Grant Application Center will not be used for this goal.

Contact: James Flavell (program officer, arts) by e-mail or at 415.464.2529