ARTS
Despite the bad economic times of the past 12 months, just one fewer area arts organization will be receiving Tier II funding in fiscal year 2009 from the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.
Remaining in Tier II can make a big difference financially, because eligible groups qualify for significantly more support from the seven-county agency, which is supported by a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax.
In 2009, the 26 organizations in the category, including the Colorado Ballet, Denver Film Society and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, are set to receive 21 percent of the projected $37.3 million that the SCFD will distribute.
To quality, groups had to have annual budgets of $1 million to $1.38 million, depending on when they first entered Tier II. The one group missing from the 2009 list is the Boulder Philharmonic, which is in the process of downsizing.
Peg Long, SCFD executive director, said she was not surprised that the list stayed virtually unchanged from 2008. To help organizations during this difficult financial time, the agency relaxed certain financial requirements for Tier II eligibility.
“Our goal has been to maintain stability across the SCFD,” Long said.
— Kyle MacMillan
