Audience Development Grants

Placer County arts organizations gathered for an Audience Development workshop conducted by Louise Stevens of Arts Market, Inc.  The workshop, sponsored by the Placer Community Foundation, was driven by a local demographic analysis citing a 27.7% growth in population by 2017, the majority of which are projected to be new, younger families choosing to move to Placer County for a better quality of life.  With the arts as a proven contributor to quality of life, arts organizations are faced with the challenge of making these new people aware of the programs they offer, with limited marketing budgets.

In 2010 Placer Community Foundation will make grants to support audience development strategies for nonprofit arts organizations residing along the western slope of Placer County. It is anticipated that such efforts will help increase public involvement in local arts, while working to ensure the long-term sustainability of arts organizations themselves.

Eligibility

Audience development projects must take place in Placer County and primarily serve Placer County residents

• Applicants should represent a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit with offices located along the western slope of Placer County (i.e., from Dutch Flat to Roseville)
• Grant funding will contribute to arts-related activities in Placer County

Restrictions

• Audience development grants cannot be used for projects currently funded or eligible for funding by any other Placer Community Foundation grants or funding opportunities
• More than one project associated with the same arts organization may apply in the same year, although justification may be necessary

Successful proposals will include some or all of the following:

• Discussion on how the applicant's mission and goals address audience development
• Applicant sets measurable audience development and marketing goals and desired outcomes
• Applicant can cite various benchmarks of accomplishment that will be evident at the end of this year and next year, to increase audiences
• Applicant can demonstrate an audience development committee or team is in place for addressing marketing implementation
• Ability to demonstrate applicant is working to build every audience in Placer County, through links in their program books, references to what other groups are doing on their web sites, etc.
• Ability to identify specific strategies applicant is using to retain new audiences
• Applicant can demonstrate artistic merit
• Applicant can show potential to benefit the community or constituency served
• Applicant can advance an aspect of the visual or performing arts
• Applicant can prove managerial and fiscal ability to carry out the project
  

Application Process

To ensure that the proposal meets with the objectives of this grant program, all eligible nonprofit arts organizations are asked to contact the Placer Community Foundation directly before submitting an application form.

Are you passionate about a vibrant arts sector in Placer County? Find out how you can support Audience Development in the arts or Placer Endowment for the Arts.

Lasting value