State-Local Partner Mentorship

Purpose

The State-Local Partner Mentorship (SLP-M) program is intended to support the establishment of a county-designated local arts agency in each of the three counties in which no such agency has currently been identified (Glenn, Kings, San Joaquin).

Description

Grant funds will go to four existing State-Local Partners (SLP) to foster the development of new SLPs in these counties. A local arts agency is defined as the official county-designated organization that supports arts and cultural activity in service to individuals and communities throughout an entire county. Local arts agencies provide financial support, services, and/or other programming to a variety of arts organizations, individual artists, and the community as a whole. A local arts agency can be an agency of local government, a nonprofit organization, or a hybrid of the two. The CAC’s Strategic Framework, adopted in 2019, indicates aspirational areas that will be directly addressed by this grant program: State-Local Partner Capacity Building Increase technical assistance and training to SLPs that meets the unique needs of each organization, as identified by research and evaluation. Ensure that SLP contracts are written to require adherence to key CAC policies and expectations, clearly outlining the role of the state-county partnership. Develop strategies to align SLP priorities with the priorities of the CAC, while allowing for flexibility and self-determination. Support the development and implementation of local plans that result in consistent quality and equity of services across counties. Geographic Equity Explore how to best address grantmaking equity for the disparate regions of the state. Utilize data analysis to assess present-day regional disparities among CAC grantees. Seek guidance from existing funding models that address how to identify and give preference to disadvantaged communities. The CAC expects that an active SLP will be established in the identified county within 2-3 years, either as a unit of County government or an independent 501(c)(3), and that the SLP-M will mentor them through their first two years of arts programming and services, after which the mentee organization could qualify for an SLP grant independently. SLP-M grantees may reapply for 2nd and 3rd year funding through this program in order to fully implement this work.