My Ottawa Includes Culture Campaign Accounting

[artlist at artengine.ca]

Thank you all for contributing to the success of the "Our Ottawa Includes
Culture" campaign.  As you will no doubt have heard, almost all cuts to
the arts proposed in the 2004 City Of Ottawa Draft Budget were not
ratified.
 
This email provides an accounting of the money raised during the campaign
and how it was used.  It does not account for the thousands of hours in
volunteer time that our community put towards the effort.

Monetary Donations: 
Monies donated throughout the campaign: $4764.89
Monies raised at the Art Attack fundraiser: $4717.90
Total donations: $9482.79
Expenditures and reimbursements:
Signs: 3200 signs printed (400 French; 2800 English) $4025.00
Stickers: 6500 stickers printed (2000 French; 4500 English) $701.50
Reimbursements for expenses incurred during sign distribution: $331.11
Cost incurred in preparation for the Art Attack event: $452.49 
Reimbursement of start-up funding: Artengine $500.00
Letter and Press Kit initiative: (postage, stationary and photocopying) $1569.35

Remaining Funds:
There is $1903.34 remaining after the campaign.  It was thought prudent by
the committee to retain these monies in the event that the arts are again
threatened in the 2005 City of Ottawa Budget.  The monies will be
deposited in a bank account for the remainder of the year.  If the funds
are not required to fight another campaign, then the "Our Culture Includes
Ottawa Committee" will consider putting the money towards the betterment
of the Ottawa arts community. The exact application of the funds will be
determined at a later date. 
 
Businesses Who Donated Materials or Services:
Bright Brush Studios donated two large banners for the rally at City Hall
Mercury Lounge donated the use of their space for the Art Attack Event 
ArtZone Fine Art Services delivered signs
 
The Course of the "Our Ottawa Includes Culture" Campaign
Within a few days of the release of the 2004 City of Ottawa Draft Budget a
few artists and art professionals met and decided that an election-style
sign campaign should be launched.  Donations for the campaign were
accepted through Gallery 101 and a fundraising/publicity event was
planned.  The Art Attack event not only raised funds to continue the
campaign, it created a forum through which signs were distributed,
volunteers were recruited, and politicians and artists could speak to the
importance of the arts. The event garnered local, provincial and national
media coverage and signaled to City Council that we were a force to be
reckoned with. 
 
A larger committee was then formed to oversee the use of the funds and to
plan the next steps in the campaign.  At this time it seemed that a
growing number of councillors were leaning towards a small tax increase
and the protection of arts funding. 

With funds at the ready more signs were printed and stickers and banners
were prepared for the rally at City Hall. The "March Forth on March
Fourth" event, organized by CUPE, was another show of force and
resolve, but momentum had to be maintained.  With the publishing of an
article in the Globe and Mail, in which the Mayor expressed his views, it
became apparent that the campaign needed to be directed squarely at
individual council members.  A letter campaign designed to deluge the
councillors was then undertaken and each councillor was sent a press kit
including copies of all of the coverage the cause had attracted.  Further,
a letter, organized by the Ottawa Art Gallery and signed by the heads of
Ottawa's corporate elite in support of the arts, was sent to council and
is said to have had a great impact.

All of these efforts helped prepare the ground for the vote.  Together
with lobbying by other individuals and groups and a forceful statement in
support of the arts by the mayor, arts and culture funding was maintained.
 
It should be noted that the "City Council decision to approve $719,000 in
funding to art, heritage, and festivals is one-time" and we may well have
to fight the fight again this fall.

On behalf of the "My Ottawa Includes Culture Committee",
Adrian Göllner
 
email: adrian at adriangollner.ca