... and the bear

Get Creative with Social Media

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:40:00 -0500

Check out this article for some fun new apps that will help streamline your social marketing!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222837

Free Day Alert!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:00:05 -0500

Monday February 20th (Presidents Day) is a free day at the Denver Botanic Gardens!

If your organization would like a fun new way to show your SCFD...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:41:00 -0500

If your organization would like a fun new way to show your SCFD support you can download the SCFD Specialty Bears here, but don’t forget to read our logo policy first http://scfd.org/downloads/logos/FINALLogoUsePolicyAdoptedbyRes08-10.pdf

Top 12 Things Happening in Denver for 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:21:49 -0500

Top 12 Things Happening in Denver for 2012:

Wow it is going to be a big year, and there is a little something for everyone. We do live in a truly great city!

Final Grant Reports are due in 8 Days!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:05 -0500

Yes it is that time, already! Final Grant Report are due February 15, 2012 and then SCFD grant deadlines are right around the corner beginning in March. As of this morning 73 organizations have completed their Final Grant Report, out of 270 that are due by the 15th.

So what do we do with these Final Grant Reports (FGR)?

FGR’s hit my desk first, I am responsible for giving them an initial review and then categorizing them by county. I am also responsible for contacting organizations if any questions or concerns arise from the FGR. FGR’s then make their way through our office, and into the hands of the County Cultural Council Members.

73 down… only 197 to go! I think its going to be a busy month!

Check out this Article about Public Engaged in the Denver Post!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:20:42 -0500

Check out this Article about Public Engaged in the Denver Post!:

Remember those Tier III Stakeholders Meetings we had in December and January? Well the meetings were facilitated by Public Engage, who just so happens to be working with Governor Hickenlooper on a statewide civic engagement effort. How cool is that! Public Engaged will also be facilitating a Tier II Stakeholders Meeting on March 13.

Mayor unveils economic plan designed to make Denver a "world-class city"

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:26:11 -0500

Mayor unveils economic plan designed to make Denver a "world-class city"

"DID YOU KNOW? $1.64 billion: the total amount of cultural economic activity generated by SCFD..."

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:53:16 -0500

“DID YOU KNOW?
$1.64 billion: the total amount of cultural economic activity generated by SCFD recipients in the Denver metro area in 2009. Economic activity included the direct operating and capital expenditures of nonprofit cultural organizations and their audiences, as well as the indirect economic activity stimulated in our local economy by cultural spending.”

- SCFD 2010 Annual Report

"DID YOU KNOW? 8,718: the number of people employed by SCFD organizations in the Denver metro area in..."

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:03:05 -0500

“DID YOU KNOW?
8,718: the number of people employed by SCFD organizations in the Denver metro area in 2009. Compare this to the number of people in Denver employed in the health and personal care industry: 6,649.”

- SCFD 2010 Annual Report

DID YOU KNOW? In 2009 over 42,000 people volunteered nearly 2 million hours of their time to SCFD...

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:31:06 -0500

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2009 over 42,000 people volunteered nearly 2 million hours of their time to SCFD organizations in the metro Denver area.

-CBCA 2010 Economic Activity Study

"9: the number of contacts with arts and cultural events per student in the metro Denver area, a 20%..."

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:31:06 -0500

“9: the number of contacts with arts and cultural events per student in the metro Denver area, a 20% increase from 2007.”

- SCFD 2010 Annual Audit

"DID YOU KNOW? 7.1 million: the number of free or reduced rate visits to arts and cultural activities..."

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:04:38 -0500

“DID YOU KNOW?
7.1 million: the number of free or reduced rate visits to arts and cultural activities in 2009. Compare this to the number of paid visits: 4 million.”

- SCFD Annual Report

What is Creative Placemaking?

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:31:06 -0500

What is Creative Placemaking?:

To be honest I didn’t know what it was until today either. Check out this very informative article, from the National Endowment for the Arts website, that discusses the values arts/culture creates for the economy. Funny thing is creative placemaking has been happening here in the metro area for a long time, we just didn’t know what to call it!

Less than one week left to see Zoo Lights! I went last Friday,...

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:15:23 -0500

Less than one week left to see Zoo Lights! I went last Friday, right after the snow, and it was so wonderful. This is really a must see around the holidays, its so festive and truly one of the best ways you can enjoy the zoo. Grab a hot chocolate and get cozy with the animals!

Creating High-Impact Nonprofits

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:00:06 -0500

Creating High-Impact Nonprofits:

Today I dug up this article by Heather McLeod Grant and Leslie R. Crutchfield and it is a definite must read. Refreshing new thoughts and ideas (back by research or course) about what makes a successful nonprofit. So put on your creative thinking cap and give it a read!

~Erica

It’s time to get into the holiday spirit and there is so...

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:50:50 -0500

It’s time to get into the holiday spirit and there is so much excellent cultural events happening around town. Check out these two websites to see what’s going on!

Visit Denver http://www.denver.org/what-to-do

Scen3 http://www.thescen3.org/

Pssst… SCFD’s Facebook page is also a great place to learn about cultural events in the metro area! https://www.facebook.com/ScientificandCulturalFacilityDistrict

Happy Holidays,
Erica

Colorado Nonprofit Associations Principles and Practices

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:23:00 -0500

Fuelled by last weeks Stakeholders meeting at the Denver Botanic Gardens I have decided to add an educational component to this blog. Think of it as your new nonprofit resource, you can expect to see many links to different organizations, and documents to help make your nonprofit the best it can be!

So, for today we’ll keep it really simple. Here is a link to the Colorado Nonprofit Associations Principles and Practices Manuel. This is a great resource for the basics of operating a non profit. Even if you are farmilar with Principles and Practices, its good to keep in a convenient spot for referencing, or maybe its time for a refresher!

Stakeholder's meeting #1 was a success!

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:09:05 -0500

The Stakeholders meeting this morning at the Denver Botanical Gardens, facilitated by Engaged Public was a really excellent forum. We had good turn out from many tier III organizations, county cultural council members, and county liaisons.

So what is a stakeholder meeting anyway? Here is a little history on how the meeting came to be:

At the 2011 board planning session it was concluded that the SCFD needed to gather input from all Tier’s to being the initial steps for reauthorization. Executive Director, Peg Long, committed to the board that she would find a way to gather all the Tier III’s in a forum that provided for dialog and input. She happened to attend another event facilitated by Engaged Public and was very impressed by the session and thought it could be the answer to engage Tier III.

Why Engaged Public? Well because they offer a forum that provides both clicker polling and table discussions. In addition, items from the discussion can be generated into questions and the process really creates an open dialog, but also keeps a conversation with 100+ people, well… engaged. 95% of the people who attended this morning said that they felt their voice was heard, yay success! Also I think this was very beneficial for staff as well, we all came back to the office energized with new ideas on what we can do better, thanks for the feedback Tier III.

Don’t worry, if your a Tier III organization, a county cultural council member, or a county liaison and you were not able to attend today’s session another Stakeholders Meeting will be offered on January 21 from 9am- 12pm at the Butterfly Pavilion. Please come and represent the voice for your organization and/or your county!

*for polling purposes only one person from each SCFD organization can participate in the meeting, but others are more than welcome to attend as an observer.

See you there!

Erica

Go Inside the Museum of Outdoor Arts

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:42:00 -0500

I took a little detour on my way to the Douglas County Cultural Council Meeting on Tuesday and stopped by the Museum of Outdoor Arts and I must say I was truly blown away by their current show Light Supply. I knew MOA has many outdoor piece, but I was didn’t realize the extent and quality of their indoor exhibit. It is a real diamond in the rough. The museum is located within the Englewood Civic Center at Hampden and Santa Fe, and the best part is admission is free! Yup you heard right. Light Supply is a very modern exhibition that delights nearly all your senses, from the sound room to the interactive Virginia Folkesta sculpture. What I really found interesting is that the show has something to offer for all ages, this is really a museum where you can take the whole family. Children can really engage with some of the interactive sculptures while adults can take in the soothing music in the sound room. P.S. ask Jessica for a personal tour and learn fun little tidbits about the artists and how the museum curated the show… if she’s not too busy of course.

Keep up the great work MOA, can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Colorado Gives Day raises $12 million, up 43% from 2010... wahoo!

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:13:06 -0500

Colorado Gives Day raises $12 million, up 43% from 2010... wahoo!:

Check out this great article from the Denver Business Journal about the success of Colorado Gives Day 2011. Truly amazing results, great to see such community involvement!