Update from the Development Committee
Wow! What a year 2020 was! As the Development Committee, we want to personally thank you. Last year was a tough one and WGM would not have made it without you. Throughout the last year, members gave generously to support our organization and to help WGM bridge the gap while we adjusted our programming.
In the last fiscal year (ending August 31), your contributions–both in donated goods resold in our shop and in financial gifts–added up to more than $60,000. Since the new year started on September 1, you’ve given more than $49,000 in financial gifts. Along with the $18,000 WGM sold in donated goods this fall, your contributions are helping WGM weather these changes in a way we never would have thought possible. Thank you.
As a whole, the Development Committee is responsible for researching funding opportunities of all kinds. We monitor the grant landscape and private foundation opportunities, support staff in fundraising efforts, and explore other funding sources. For instance, if another committee or group has a project idea, the Development Committee often helps locate funding sources and manage the application for funds.
While you have generously donated, the Development Committee has also been hard at work to find other funding sources to help WGM. In the last fiscal year, we received operating support from the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) and a small project grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) to work with a grant consultant. Through the work of the Finance Committee we received $24,000 as a forgivable PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) Loan. We were also awarded $10,000 for the Arts Learning Grant from MRAC, which will fund a project that has now been moved to FY22.
Since the new fiscal year, our committee has been diligently working on new and emergency grant funding. We have been awarded $15,000 through the MSAB Creative Support grant and $5,000 from the Smith Foundation for education support, in addition to this year’s $34,000 grant from MSAB for operating support. We will seek additional funding opportunities as they become available. A special thank you to our wonderful staff, without whom we would not have achieved such an incredible financial pivot during this pandemic.
Thank you members for continuously supporting our wonderful organization. The Development Committee is humbled by your generosity, and it gives us energy to continue to do our work.
Anna Landes Benz — Development Committee Chair | Nancy Gossell — Committee Member | Katie Oberton — Committee Member and Board Liaison | Celeste Grant — Committee Member and Board Liaison | Karin Knudsen — Operations Manager | Betsy Konop — Education Manager