Burlington City Arts Foundation, Inc.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Burlington City Arts Foundation is committed to supporting accessibility to the arts for all, with special emphasis on those who may face barriers to participation.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Burlington City Arts
The BCA Foundation fundraises to support programs and resources needed to sustain the mission of Burlington City Arts, a municipal agency.
For more than 35 years, BCA has established and nurtured the creative spirit of our region and bolstered economic health by activating public spaces with arts events and installations, supporting Vermont artists, and offering an education and scholarship program that puts arts education and experience within every community member’s reach.
After operating on a volunteer and then ad-hoc basis for the first 9 years, BCA became incorporated as a City department in 1990. The City of Burlington general fund provides approximately 40% of BCA’s annual $2 million operating budget. BCA activities are implemented by fourteen RFT staff, three .75 RPT staff, one .5 PT staff, 40-65 temporary/seasonal teaching artists and event coordinators, and 30-40 volunteers annually.
The BCA board and leadership established The BCA Foundation (BCAF) in 1998 as a private, non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization with a mission to support BCA, ensure the sustainability of the arts in the Greater Burlington area and to ensure minimal impact from political transitions and economic volatility. Using its dual status as a non-profit organization and a City Department to leverage private donations through public investment, BCA has become a force for improving the quality of life for all in our region.
BCA ACTIVITIES CURRENTLY INCLUDE:
Curation and outreach for contemporary art exhibitions the BCA Center
Developing and promoting classes, workshops and professional development for artists of all ages and abilities at the BCA Center and the new facility at 405 Pine St
Producing festivals and events
Commissioning permanent and temporary works or art for public spaces, both city and privately owned
Administering awards and competitive grants to artists working to benefit the community
Placing teaching artists in Head Start classrooms and the Integrated Arts Academy to deliver curriculum through the arts
Bringing the arts to the UVM Medical Center via exhibition, acquisition and through Art from the Heart, a volunteer program that delivers art supplies and arts experiences to patients, families, and staff
Commissioning permanent and temporary works or art for public spaces, both city and privately owned
Collaborating with departments in the City of Burlington to plan and renovate City Hall Park and develop downtown design standards
Advocating for artist resources
Fundraising $950,000 annually to support operations
Promotion of programs, events, and the cultural community
Fiscal Sponsorship
In addition to its support of Burlington City Arts, the BCA Foundation acts as a fiscal sponsor for artists and small arts organizations that expand our ability to meet our mission. In this role, we accept fiscal responsibility for the project and grant funds appropriately. Examples of past fiscal projects include:
Martha’s Barn:
To support the arts activities of Martha’s Barn, which provides opportunities in a therapeutic environment for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.
Overnight Projects:
To support Overnight Projects, a nomadic, artist-run exhibition initiative whose mission is to expand the contemporary art conversation in Vermont, creating bridges to larger contemporary art communities, by inviting artists to develop works that respond to and activate non-traditional spaces.
Clemmons Family Farm:
To administer the Art Place America Grant for the Clemmons Family Farm, which celebrates African-American heritage (past, present and future) and fosters the appreciation of the heritage and cultures of all people. Owned by Jack and Lydia Clemmons since 1962, the 148-acre Farm, with its 6 historic buildings, continues the family tradition of blending farming with the arts, the sciences, and opportunities to learn and share across religions, cultures and experiences with the local community and with visitors from near and far. www.clemmonsfamilyfarm.org
Herb Lockwood Prize
The Herb Lockwood Prize is an annual celebration of artistic excellence at a level that inspires other artists and enriches the community. The Prize recognizes one Vermont artist each year who meets these criteria:
Mediums for consideration include visual arts, music, writing, drama, dance, film, and fine woodworking. Modeled on preeminent national awards in various disciplines, there is no application process, and artists do not know they are being considered for the Prize. Nominations are provided by anonymous arts advisors located throughout Vermont.
The Prize includes a cash award of $10,000. Burlington City Arts Foundation administers this prize created through the generosity of private donors.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The BCAF aims to support the goals of BCA, the municipal agency. One goal of the municipal agency as the cultural planner for the City is to preserve affordable space for arts use and to build new audience by diversifying participation in all areas of programming and governance. In the next three years, the BCA Foundation aspires to own and develop space to house the programs of Burlington City Arts and meet community arts needs now in a financially sustainable model as well as preserve art space for the future. This will require analysis of the most effective relationship between the BCA and BCAF and assessment of resources needed within the BCAF.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Burlington City Arts Foundation is currently focused and fundraising to support the annual operations budget and strategic goals of Burlington City Arts, and securing further affordable space for arts and cultural purposes. The BCAF is increasing capacity through board development and governance, engaging with fundraising and development consultants, and improving administrative functions.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The BCA Foundation has a committed Board of Directors that includes both institutional history, a cross-section of expertise in non-profit/business management, legal, real-estate development, and other mission related activities. The organization periodically reviews and updates policies to ensure it is well positioned to advance its strategic goals. Additionally, the BCA Foundation works closely with the Board of Advisors of Burlington City Arts to ensure priorities are aligned.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Burlington City Arts Foundation (BCAF) was created in 1998 to support the fundraising efforts of Burlington City Arts, a municipal agency (BCA) when it entered its first capital campaign to renovate the historic Ethan Allen Firehouse into a 5 floor arts center. Since the completion of the arts center in 2004 (BCA Center), the BCAF has continued to fundraise through donations and grants to support the operations of BCA and other special projects that help achieve the mission, including acting as a fiscal sponsor for artists and organizations without 501 c 3 statuses. With the recent move of BCA studios from Memorial Auditorium to 405 Pine Street, the BCAF has again served to support the capital campaign for the fit up 405 Pine in partnership with the City of Burlington. In December of 2019, the BCAF purchased 405 Pine Street. A master tenant rents half of the building, with the City of Burlington renting the BCA program half of the building. Long term plans include a $7million capital campaign for creative, Net Zero beacon for Pine Street, connecting the arts with sustainability as part of the Burlington 2030 District.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Burlington City Arts Foundation, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 08/02/2021
Doug Griswold
No Affiliation
Term: 2020 - 2023
Sandy Berbeco
Artist
Billi Gosh
National Museum for Women in the Arts
Michael Metz
Generator
Barbara Perry
No Affiliation
William G. Post
Retired, Gravel and Shea, Attorneys at Law
Doreen Kraft
Executive Director, Burlington City Arts
Fran Stoddard
No Affiliation
Doug Griswold
No Affiliation
Jeffry Glassberg
Real Estate consultant
Mitzi Blake
Data Innovations
Janet Murnane
Attorney
Tom Torti
Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce
Grace Ciffo
Real Estate Development
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data