11 April 2010
I attended a presentation of the Cultural Data Project (CDP) last week at the Redhouse in Syracuse. The CDP:
"is a powerful online management tool designed to strengthen arts and cultural organizations. This groundbreaking project gathers reliable, longitudinal data on the sector. Our emerging national standard enables participating organizations to track trends and benchmark their progress through sophisticated reporting tools, empowers researchers and advocates with information to make the case for arts and culture, and equips funders with data to plan and evaluate grantmaking activities more effectively."
Participation in this program is open to any size cultural project or organization:
"Although most are 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, the CDP is also used by arts programs housed in larger, non-arts organizations (e.g., Theatre Department of a university or arts program within a branch of local government) and non-incorporated arts organizations (e.g., festivals or collectives)." And in fact, it is even required by some funding agencies, and will be soon enough by the Gifford Foundation here in Syracuse, this coming summer.
This means that if you want to apply to Gifford for funding, you are going to have to participate in the CDP by completing:
"a Data Profile at the end of each fiscal year, using information from board-approved audit/reviews or board-approved year-end financial statements. The types of data collected include basic organizational information, revenues, expenses, marketing activities, balance sheet items, investments, loans and a wide range of non-financial information (including contributor numbers, attendance, facilities, pricing, capital and endowment campaigns, program activity and staffing). Even the smallest organizations use the Data Profile by completing only the line items applicable to them."
There are numerous tutorials and webinar resources available on the CDP website. And I grabbed a couple extra Reference Guides to have on hand at the Alchemical office that anyone is free to borrow, just get in touch. Remember, if you are one of Alchemical's fiscally sponsored projects, and are planning on continuing to apply for cultural and arts related funding in NY, you should sign up and participate with the CDP now so there is no lag when submission time arrives for your identified funding source timeline.
Click the following link that will take you directly to the online training resources at the CDP website:
http://www.nysculturaldata.org/training.aspx
Cheers ~Frank
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