Arts Commission Grants and Funding Committee Meeting – March 27, 2025

The Grants and Funding Committee of the Nashville Arts Commission met on March 27, 2025, at 5:15 PM CT. Present were Commissioners Lefkowitz, Jester, Knight, Wade, and Khalil (quorum achieved). Staff included Cindy Davis, Vivian Fox, Ashley Batchelder, and interim director Sydney. The meeting focused on updates to the FY25 grant cycle, proposed timeline and community engagement for FY26, and policy discussions. No public comments were received, and minutes were deferred to the next meeting.

Discussion Items

FY25 Grants Update

• Ashley Batchelder presented the timeline: On March 3, the commission approved Thrive and Operating award authorizations. Award notices were sent March 6–7 via the Submittable platform, requiring grantees to submit updated budgets reflecting their actual award amounts (e.g., Thrive awards were approximately $18,704.84, not the $20,000 requested). The acceptance deadline was March 20. Results: 75 of 75 Thrive awardees accepted (100%), and 89 of 90 operating awardees accepted (one declined due to an appeal, which will be brought to the full commission).
• Contracts are being routed for signatures. As of March 26, staff had signed about 50 of 164 contracts. Once fully signed, Metro Arts issues invoices, which are paid 30 days after invoice date.
• Sydney provided a breakdown of fiscal agent admin fees: 13 of 31 fiscal agents charged no fee; most others charged under 5% (some flat fees, the largest being $1,000). The largest fiscal agent supported nine awards. Fees are deducted from the grant award.

FY26 Planning and Community Engagement

• Sydney outlined a proposed timeline for FY26, emphasizing the need to begin discussions before FY25 funds are received to avoid delays. A three-week community engagement period is planned for April 2025, including a survey and five listening sessions (general and focused on Thrive or Operating), plus informal director drop-ins. Dates and locations: April 10 at Studio 615 (general), April 15 at Trinity Community Commons (Thrive-focused), April 16 or 17 (operating-focused, pending), and two additional general sessions (one at 100 Taylor, one virtual).
• The proposed approval schedule: Full commission meeting April 30 (with a grants committee meeting one week prior), then a commission meeting May 22 to approve FY26 guidelines, followed by Metro Council approval on June 3 (tentative). Applications would open for four weeks in June, with community panel review in July/August, and awards approved by the commission on August 28. Contracts would go out 2–4 weeks after, with fund disbursements expected in November–December 2025.
• Commissioner Wade raised concerns about concurrent planning for FY27, given the tight timeline and anticipated larger guideline changes. She suggested creating a multi-year planning calendar and a working group. Sydney acknowledged the need and noted that budget season and the director search complicate capacity. Commissioner Knight echoed the need for commissioner orientation and onboarding, suggesting a retreat or learning sessions.
• Sydney shared her positionality: she has worked as a grantee, a fiscal sponsor, and a board member for a micro-organization. She emphasized equity as core to Metro Arts’ mission, citing an MHRC report showing that 10 organizations have received 70% of Metro Arts grants since 1987. She noted that the current 90 grantees represent progress in broadening access.

Policy Discussions and Grantee Feedback

• Sydney summarized one-on-one meetings with grantees (four individual artists, two fiscal sponsors, and others). Common themes: desire for more structure and guidance on fiscal sponsorship, questions about Thrive and Operating funding formulas (budget tiers, percentages, scoring methods), and a request for commissioners to better understand arts organizations’ planning cycles (e.g., season planning, contracting). The committee discussed the possibility of inviting other funders (e.g., a local foundation known for equitable practices) to share lessons, and scheduling a retreat or orientation for commissioners.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes deferred to the next meeting due to a missing item on the printed agenda.
• No votes were taken; all items were for discussion only.
• Next meeting tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 11:00 AM, one week before the full commission meeting on April 30.
• Community engagement events will be announced in early April; staff will send save-the-dates and detailed information.
• Contract processing is ongoing; 50 of 164 contracts signed as of meeting date.
• Appeal from one operating grantee will be considered by the full commission at its next meeting.