2021report.cacgrants.orgCuyahoga Arts & Culture

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Welcome Stories Impact Financials Grant Recipients Menu Welcome Stories Impact Financials Grant Recipients 2021 was... challenging healing hopeful inspiring intense a little bit brighter 2021 Report to the Community Student Artwork: Art House, Inc. CAC-funded 15 years Time and again, we hear that funding from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture is a difference maker for nonprofit organizations in Cuyahoga County. In 2021, the impact of the taxpayer dollars we collect and distribute had an even more profound effect on arts and culture organizations of all shapes and sizes during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations funded by CAC reported more than $171 million in lost revenues from March 2020 through December 2021, impacting the employment of more than 5,000 people . CAC’s funding helps to sustain the county’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations. That’s why, despite CAC’s predicted declining revenue, we kept our promise to the community and maintained steady funding levels for our grant programs for the past three years. Like many organizations, we are doing more with less, yet our support for local arts and culture organizations remains steadfast. We believe that one of the best things we can do for the creative sector is to be consistent in our funding for as long as possible. In 2020, we worked with the nonprofit Assembly for the Arts to secure $3 million in CARES Act relief from the county for arts nonprofits. I n 2022, Cuyahoga County committed to providing $1.65 million in funding made possible by the American Rescue Plan for the arts nonprofits we fund. We are grateful to our local government partners for recognizing the importance of the creative sector as a vital part of our local economy. And, we are grateful to the nearly 300 nonprofit organizations CAC funds across Cuyahoga County for their unwavering commitment to the community. As needs changed, the arts responded. Last year, CAC-funded organizations reinvented their programming, experimented with new ways to reach audiences and worked tirelessly in service of the community. We are honored to support these organizations that offered hope and healing when we needed it the most. As we reflect on the highs and lows of the last year , we renew our commitment to making tomorrow brighter by investing in arts and culture. And we say thank you to Cuyahoga County residents for their support of CAC . Jill M. Paulsen Executive Director Nancy Mendez President, Board of Trustees In 2021 CAC granted $12,033,641 to 295 organizations Total granted since 2007 $ 0 Total number of grants since 2007 0 Total organizations funded since 2007 0 Photo: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Eduardo Olmeda, CAC-funded 15 years 2021 Audited Financials CAC’s annual budgeting accounts for the predicted decline in revenues based on fewer cigarette sales , the source of our revenue. F o r 15 straight years , Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) has received a clean audit report from the Ohio Auditor of State . Enter your title Enter your description $ 11,984,600 Revenues Enter your title Enter your description $ 13,038,556 Expenses Enter your title Enter your description $ 17,605,124 Net Position Change in Net Position ($1,053,956) Net Position Start of 2021 $18,659,080 Resilience During COVID-19 Since March 2020 through December 2021, 65 nonprofit organizations in CAC’s General Operating Support grant program reported: total people laid off, furloughed, or hours reduced 0 in lost compensation for creative workers $ 0 million total revenue lost $ 0 million Yet, CAC’s grant recipients were resilient. 20,000 programs shifted to online or with COVID-19 precautions. CAC has kept grant program funding steady despite declining revenues and secured relief funding for county arts nonprofits with Assembly for the Arts . Photo: India Festival USA, CAC-funded 4 years CAC-supported events In 2021, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture helped bring art and culture to residents in thousands of locations – in theaters museums outdoor spaces neighborhood blocks and so many more Find a CAC-supported event near you. ClevelandArtsEvents.com Photo: Valley Art Center, CAC-funded 15 years Each dot represents the location of a CAC-funded program or event in 2021. The Children’s Museum of Cleveland Maria Campanelli, Executive Director Read More CAC support gives us capacity to grow and better serve our community.” Photo: The Children’s Museum of Cleveland – Hattie Kotz, CAC-funded 15 years Photo: Hospice of Western Reserve, CAC-funded 12 years Healing through Art Hospice of the Western Reserve and Art Therapy Studio Read More People who lost loved ones during COVID had an inability to process grief. Creating art is a healing process in itself.” Read More Art as therapy is not a new concept, but it has gained momentum as Cuyahoga County residents sought ways to process their emotions during COVID. H ospice of the Western Reserve and Art Therapy Studio responded by making their art therapy programs more accessible. Hospice of the Western Reserve moved its in-person bereavement workshops to a virtual format, sending supplies to participants’ homes and breaking up the session into two parts, which allowed more time for people to share their feelings and discuss their grief, said Mollie Borgione, a board certified art therapist with Hospice of the Western Reserve. The change was so well received the organization will continue to offer a virtual option for workshops. We focus on how to get through your grief and what you can do to help yourself,” she said. Friends and family may not get it, but when you’re with people who know what you’re going through, it’s easier to share and process your feelings.” Art Therapy Studio increased its outreach in the community in 2021 to help young students develop social and emotional skills when school was virtual. Working with residents of Lakeview Terrace at the homework center at Malachi Center in Ohio City and with after-school programs at five libraries in the Cuyahoga County Public Library system, therapists fostered skills, such as sharing and communication, or helped kids work through the stress of the pandemic, said Michelle Epps, Art Therapy Studio’s Executive Director. On the surface, the activities seem just like fun, but there’s purpose behind them. Making slime is a sensory experience and promotes self-soothing. A group art activity that purposely lacks enough scissors and glue sticks encourages collaboration and sharing. Making beaded bracelets with power words, such as love” or courage,” helps to build self-esteem. Sometimes kids just need a safe space to do art. Other times, kids need help for intense behavioral issues,” Epps said. We have 11 therapists in the community, and most are always working on site with a community partner. In the last few years, there has been an increased recognition of the effectiveness of art therapy interventions.” Photo: Community Cup Classic Foundation, CAC-funded 2 years Stepping Up to the Plate for Health Equity Community Cup Classic Foundation Read More It’s not always about baseball. We’re meeting residents where they are to improve health equity in urban neighborhoods.” Read More The Community Cup Classic Foundation hosts a monthly series of multi-generational programs showcasing the legacy of baseball’s Negro Leagues and the African American experience in baseball. It also brings n ecessary health screenings to neighborhoods. Its programs highlight how the Negro League’s players’ experiences reflect American society and culture and provide inspiration and encouragement to those facing similar challenges today. But, Community Cup Classic Foundation’s reach goes beyond baseball history. At in-person events, the organization works with local health partners to offer screenings, vaccines and education that address Social Determinants of Health, such as lead, high blood pressure and cancers. Our Community Cup experiences overlap so many things. It’s not...