So, Where Does That Leave Us?

...so, we're talkin' $5,750. Yikes!!  It would take us years to come up with that, yet alone in time for next year's annual festival. BUT, how fabulous if we could get some help to pursue our educational goals of putting on a public festival, provide public outreach presentations, and have enough printed materials to promote our activities to people who may not know about us or our mission.

When is the deadline for the grant? The Virginia Commission for the Arts, General Operating Support grant deadline for this year was March 2, 2015 -- and that was for activities extending from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. So, it will be perhaps March before we can apply for next year. One coveat though is the website says "Organizations approved for funding will receive no more than 10% of their previous year's cash income."  That could bite us because our income last year was only a little more than $3,000. Ten percent of that is $300...far less than what we'd need to rent the fairgrounds again. Bummer.

While waiting to apply, it best to keep looking for other funding opportunities, right?  Right! It's got to be in the mix somewhere -- we're doing good work, and the money exists!

It's only money, not a needle in a haystack!

The Paperwork, #3 on the List of Operating Costs

Paperwork is boring, tedious, but necessary. It involves educational handouts, mailing supplies, letterhead/envelops/labels, promotional postcards and rack cards, posters, banners and bumper stickers....and, and, and. From what we have noticed, groups that have a varied and distinguishing  printed presence that matches their online image appear to do better promotion overall. Is that because they appear organized? Consistent?

I do not think it's necessarily expensive looking printing is as valuable as the consistency of a public face. When the public can recognize the group, visually, an connection is established. Call it Buyer's Decision Process or recognition factor, whatever, it is important to make an impression so the audience remembers the message, you know?  I think this also extends to chapter aprons or caps with chapter logotype to wear when at a function or presenting to a group.

What would be the printing, copying, promotional pieces be? Fortunately, one of the members' husband is a hobby letterpress printer, so some of the printing comes free. However, the paper and ink need to be purchased. Some things like banners and aprons just need to be purchased.

Printing:
     letterhead - $20
     envelops - $40
     note cards/thank you notes/box of 500 each - $200    
Ink and mineral Spirits: $75
Officer business cards/postcards/rack cards/8 1/2" x 11" posters
     (case of gloss card stock) - $175
Chapter banners: six 2.5' x 6' vertical banners $280
Chapter banner stands: 6 at $45 each -  $270
Chapter venue apparel (1 dozen VLGS denim aprons): $48
Chapter venue apparel (1 dozen VLGS denim aprons
     monogrammed): $100

Total: $698 rounded up to $700

#2 Need - Educational Presentations

This kit is provided by one of the charter members at her own expense and
is not ready set up for teaching a group of people.

Many of our public outreach events involve demonstrating and giving out printed information about gourds, gourd growing, and gourd crafting. On more than one occasion we have had to choose between a couple requests. Usually we select a school request for a presentation over a gardening club or other public appearance because we cannot be in two or three places at once. This especially happens in late spring and in the fall - two times when the general population is interested in planting gourds or crafting gourds. However, what if we could attend to more than one or two requests at a time?  Especially when the requests are in two or three areas that are at a distance from each other. We can train the volunteers, but we could use several 'kits' ready for them to check out with chapter-approved materials, equipment, and handouts. Right now we use what charter members have, and operate these presentation functions with their generosity.


Our #2 need for the grant is 3 carriers of supplies for a chapter-sponsored presentations - one each for 3 locations at once. Each one would have regularly used equipment for demonstration, informational handouts, gourds to work with, and folding display boards.  Specific breakdown would be as such:

36" Rubbermaid commercial/industrial tool box: 3 x $77 =  $231
Black and Decker drill w/set of bits: 3 x $30 = $90
Set of hole cutter bits: 3 x $9 = $27
Dremel MiniMite drill w/set of bits: 3 x $25 = $75
Black and Decker jigsaw: 3 x $32 = $96
Dremel MiniCraft jigsaw: 3 x $35 = $105
Misc. tools - metal scrubbies, screwdrivers, coping saw blades, locking wrench, wire cutting pliers, needle nose pliers, Xacto knife/blades: 3 x $50 = $150
2-canister respirator: 3 x $28 = $84
Procedure masks w/earloops; pkg of 50: 3 x $8.50 = $25.50
Nitrile Exam Gloves: box of 100 pairs - 3 x $9 = $27
Sandblaster sandpaper - Assortment, value pack: 6 x $6 = $36
Sandblaster sanding sponges/pkg of 3 - 6 x $6.50 =  $39
3M TEKK Protection Splash goggles - 12 x $5 = $60

_______________________

Total  = $1,045.5 (rounded up) $1,050

Broken down, that's $350 per kit.  For that, we would be able to conduct 3 presentations on the same weekend, in 3 far-flung areas of the state.  As stated earlier, in spring and especially in the fall, that would be a terrific opportunity to educate many groups: school classes, gardening groups, festival attendees.  We could do the State Fair, AND the Frontier Museum, AND the Galax Heritage days at the same time!! It would allow us more opportunity to make use of volunteer services throughout the week when some work day jobs and others are free to present at various places.

The Big Three - #1 Festival Venue

The aspects of the grant for operational costs:

1) The first order of business is the venue expenses for hosting our annual festival. We have been putting on our festival for 14 years with the help of kind benefactors and volunteers. Volunteers will always be a driving force of the chapter events, but the bigger we get, the more educational information we want to present, the more expense will be involved with locations and services. This year we made a quantum leap from our previous generous venue benefactor to a fairgrounds in a different county. Very big, very exciting...more expensive, but worthwhile in terms of crowds. Last year we had 246 visitors to our event, but this year we counted 1,563 -- that is the number we could actually click on the clicker as volunteers were taking care of questions at the welcome table! This represents a 535% increase over the previous year!! Clearly the move was great in terms of exposure and getting our educational message to the public. We need some help with further expansion in this venue for next year's 3-day festival:

Building rentals for
     Ruritan bldg/auction + Vendors = (3 x $350) = $1.050
     Vendors (3 x $200) = $600
     Instructors/Classes (3 x $175) = $525
     Gourdpatch and Artisans (3 x $125) = $375
Bathroom cleaning/Maintenance for 3 days = $750
Parking and directional banners, 12 @$15 = $180
Event banners for 4 highway banners, 4'x12'@$120 = $480
3 month 2"x 3" ad, 4-c, Observer $284
Clarke County Fair program ad - $80


Total = $3, 804 rounded up to allow for misc. increases $4,000

Two of the buildings.

We Got a Plan

OK, we got a plan. Narrowing down our needs, and getting past our biggest activity of the year, helped to make clear what we need: help financing the operating expenses to hold the annual show, fund the printed material to promote th annual show, and do educational school visits for youth enrichment and hands-on experience.

...and **Kaching!**  There's a grant seems to fit our needs!  "Applicants for General Operating Support are required to present at least three different programs or services for the public in Virginia each year."  We have 3 needs: 
$ for the physical needs of putting on an annual show - venue rental; 
$ for the educational equipment to visit schools to education students about gourd art;
$ for mailing, printing stationary, posters, postcards, rack cards to promote the annual show
               

YeeHa!  We're dancing for the possibilities!