More than two dozen Denver cultural organizations — spanning fine arts, theater, music, dance, literature and film — will share in $43 million in grants from New York-based Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charitable foundation .
The 35 Denver groups, mostly small- and mid-sized nonprofits whose annual budgets are well under $5 million, were invited this summer to apply for Bloomberg’s two-year Arts Innovation and Management program (AIM), which offers money for programming and operations, as well as training for fundraising, marketing, planning and board development.
The Denver winners named this week range from well-known organizations that receive funding from the seven-county metro area’s Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, such as Opera Colorado and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, to upstarts like Friends of Levitt Pavilion.
“We view this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and plan to take the fullest advantage of it,” said Andrew Rodgers, executive director of the . “It’s also a tool we can use in talking to donors to stimulate new contributions above what (Bloomberg) is giving us.”
The money varies by organization, but roughly comes out to 10 percent of each company’s annual operating budget. In the case of the Denver Film Society, for example, that would amount to more than $300,000 — or about one-tenth of its $3.9 million budget.
“We are grateful for the partnership of Bloomberg Philanthropies to celebrate, support and grow arts and culture that define the character of our city,” said Mayor Michael B. Hancock in a press statement. “We have heard clearly from Denver’s people that they want more culturally diverse programs in our neighborhoods. The support of 35 of Denver’s small and mid-sized culturals will help us continue our pursuit of ensuring arts and culture are at the heart of this great city.”
The money is also meant to support the overall cultural and economic health of the city, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies. The arts in metro Denver generated $1.8 billion in economic activity last year and have a direct economic impact of $512.8 million, , which also tracked the creation of 10,731 jobs through the cultural industry.
“This grant and the support provided byBloombergPhilanthropies’AIM program will help us continue and expand the work Opera Colorado is doing — including in developing new audiences for our art form, making opera accessible to the greater Denver area and presenting new works that resonate within our communities,”said Greg Carpenter, artistic director of Opera Colorado, in a press statement.
Pilots of the AIM program in New York City and elsewhere found 76 percent of participants secured larger contributions from donors, 64 percent saw an increase in total earned income, and 70 percent were able to increase board donations.
In all, 232 organizations from seven cities will share in this $43 million round, including,,,, and. Last year, Bloomberg Philanthropies to arts, education, environmental, government and public health entities in nearly 500 cities and 120 countries.
Choosing Denver for the 2018 expansion, announced in May, made geographic sense in terms of Bloomberg’s nationwide goals, according to the foundation. It also gives the foundation a cultural foothold in the city.
In fact, the first training session of the new round will take place in Denver next week. Half of the money will be immediately available to area organizations, while another 35 percent will arrive in September 2019, and the rest in September 2020. In successive years, Bloomberg requires a matching fundraising campaign from each grantee to raise 10 percent of its total grant money.
However, the money will be unrestricted — meaning each organization can use it however they see fit, and not simply put it toward a specific, agreed-upon project or goal.
“They’re also convening the cohorts of all the other organizations benefiting from this so we can sit down together, talk and find ways we can support one another and work together,” Rodgers said.
Regardless of their size, all organizations are no doubt looking to boost their capacity — the buzz-phrase in the cultural nonprofit world that addresses their ability to serve bigger and more diverse audiences.
“We’re a lean, nonprofit organization and break even at best, and there are years when even that’s a challenge,” Rodgers said. “A grant like this allows us to step out of the day-to-day moment and think bigger.”
The full list of Denver’s AIM recipients:
Access Gallery
Augustana Arts
Baroque Chamber Orchestra Of Colorado
Buntport Theater Company
Centro Cultural Mexicano
Cherry Creek Theatre Company
Chicano Humanities And Arts Council
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
CMDance
Colorado Conservatory For The Jazz Arts
Curious Theatre Company
Denver Brass
Denver Children’s Choir
Denver Film Society
Denver Firefighters Museum
Denver Municipal Band
Denver Young Artists Orchestra
Downtown Aurora Visual Arts
Friends Of Levitt Pavilion Denver
Inside the Orchestra
Kim Robards Dance
Kirkland Museum Of Fine & Decorative Art
Lighthouse Writers Workshop
Museo De Las Americas
Open Media Foundation
Opera Colorado
Phamaly Theatre Company
Platteforum
RedLine
Rocky Mountain Arts Association
Stories on Stage
Su Teatro
Think 360 Arts For Learning
Wonderbound
Youth On Record
