SUMMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE ARTREACH TORONTO GRANTING PROGRAM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY JANUARY 20, 2010 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED

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1 SUMMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE ARTREACH TORONTO GRANTING PROGRAM JANUARY 20, 2010 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED

2 This is the summative evaluation of ArtReach Toronto s Granting Program and the Funders Collaborative that created ArtReach Toronto. It is an evaluation of the most important components of ArtReach. The choice has been to write the report in two parts starting with the granting program and refer to the findings as appropriate when they intersect. Part 1 is the Summative Evaluation of the Granting Program. Part 2 is the Summative Evaluation of the Funders Collaborative The report has been a team effort. The Evaluation Sub-Committee has collaborated throughout the pilot project to provide guidance, insight and review. ArtReach grantees, members of the Grant Review Team, members of the Funders Collaborative and the Laidlaw Foundation gave time, data and feedback. Nicole Swerhun also provided valuable input. In particular, Shahina Sayani, ArtReach Toronto program manager worked tirelessly to provide information and analysis. Special thanks must be given to May El-Abdullah, a Grant Review Team member, who prepared the Grantee Vignettes. David J. MacCoy, DMgt Partner First leadership Limited

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE ARTREACH TORONTO FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE & GRANTING PROGRAM 01 PART ONE: 07 THE ARTREACH TORONTO GRANTING PROGRAM 07 I. BACKGROUND: TORONTO LANDSCAPE IN 2004/ II. THE ARTREACH PROJECT DESCRIPTION 10 III. OVERVIEW OF THE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT PROCESS 11 IV. SIX GOALS OF ARTREACH TORONTO 11 V. FINANCIAL INVESTMENT IN THE ARTREACH TORONTO PILOT PROJECT 12 VI. GRANTS OVERVIEW 13 EVALUATION APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY 13 I. KEY EVALUATION QUESTIONS 14 II. PARTICIPATIVE APPROACH 14 DATA GATHERING: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION 14 I. SITE VISITS 15 II. INTERVIEWS 15 III. PROJECT REPORTS 15 IV. DOCUMENT REVIEW 15 V. LITERATURE REVIEW 15 VI. LEARNING CIRCLE EVALUATION MEETING 16 VII. A SURVEY OF 31 LEARNING CIRCLE PARTICIPANTS 16 VIII. REVIEW OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND OUTPUTS OF PROJECTS 17 LIMITATIONS 18 KEY FINDINGS 18 I. GOAL ATTAINMENT 27 II. EFFECTIVENESS 27 III. VALUE OF THE PROJECT 29 IV. LEARNINGS 30 V. TRANSFERABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY 32 CONCLUSIONS 37 ADDITIONAL GRANTEE VIGNETTE PART TWO: 38 THE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE 38 I. BACKGROUND: NEED FOR A FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE 40 II. SUMMARY OF A KEY MEETING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE 46 III. TORONTO ARTREACH ORGANIZATIONAL CHART 47 IV. MEMBERSHIP & MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE ARTREACH TORONTO FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE & GRANTING PROGRAM 49 EVALUATION APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY 49 I. KEY EVALUATION QUESTIONS 50 II. LIMITATIONS OF THIS SUMMATIVE EVALUATION 51 DATA GATHERING: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION 51 I. FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE INTERVIEWS 51 II. ADMINISTRATIVE PARTNER INTERVIEWS 51 III. PROGRAM MANAGER INTERVIEWS 51 IV. GRANT REVIEW TEAM INTERVIEW 51 V. DOCUMENTATION REVIEW 51 VI. LITERATURE REVIEW 51 VII. OBSERVATION 52 KEY FINDINGS 52 I. THE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE SCORECARD 53 II. THE GOVERNANCE ROLE OF THE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE 55 III. THE ADMINISTRATIVE PARTNER ROLE 55 IV. GOAL ATTAINMENT COMMENTARY 57 V. OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT COMMENTARY 61 KEY LESSONS LEARNED 63 CONCLUSIONS 64 APPENDICES (GRANTING PROGRAM) 64 APPENDIX 1: LOGIC MODEL 65 APPENDIX 2: EVALUATION MATRIX 66 APPENDIX 3: PROJECT GRANTS 70 APPENDIX 4: THE VARIETY OF ARTS PROJECTS 72 APPENDIX 5: 13 PRIORITY NEIGHBOURHOODS 74 APPENDIX 6: SUCCESS RATES WITH FUNDERS 75 APPENDIX 7: SURVEY OF LEARNING CIRCLE PARTICIPANTS 78 APPENDIX 8: SITE VISIT APPROACH 79 APPENDIX 9: EXAMPLES OF PROJECT COVER SHEETS (APPROVED PROJECTS) 82 APPENDIX 10: CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS 88 APPENDIX 11: SUMMARY OF THE TORONTO ENTERPRISE FUND (A COLLABORATIVE) 88 APPENDIX 12: SUMMARY OF THE TORONTO SPORTS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (A COLLABORATIVE) 90 APPENDIX 13: EVALUATION DATA MATRIX - FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE SUMMATIVE EVALUATION 91 APPENDIX 14: MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

5 FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE GRANTING PROGRAM OF ARTREACH TORONTO The ArtReach Toronto idea was formed in December 2004 at a regular meeting of the Intergovernmental Roundtable of Arts Funders and Foundations 1 (IRAFF), at which the topic of youth engagement through the arts dominated the discussion. Subsequent meetings between arts funders and the City of Toronto s Community Safety Panel reinforced the need to increase meaningful and relevant arts opportunities for excluded youth in the city. A subcommittee of IRAFF was formed to develop new approaches to funding. A Funders Collaborative 2 and ultimately ArtReach Toronto, was an outgrowth of the IRAFF subcommittee. Other funders from outside the arts sector who are active in youth initiatives, such as the United Way Toronto and the Toronto Community Foundation, were approached by the subcommittee to join the Funders Collaborative. ArtReach Toronto is a three-year pilot funding project sponsored by this Funders Collaborative in the arts and social sectors. It invests in arts initiatives developed by young people, many living in vulnerable communities. ArtReach Toronto provides financial support, mentoring and skill training to emerging young artists, most of whom are between the ages of 16 and 29, who experience exclusion from opportunities on the basis of race, language, newcomer status, disability, gender, sexual orientation and other factors. THE ARTREACH TORONTO GRANTING PROGRAM As a funding program focused mainly on youth-led groups and organizations, ArtReach enables young people and groups to develop their own arts projects in their communities across Toronto. ArtReach Toronto supports emerging as well as popular art forms. The artistic results are presented in regular community festivals, galleries and special events organized in schools and community centres. 1 IRAFF is the forum for Ontario arts funders from all levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal) and foundations. 2 Members of the Collaborative are Canadian Heritage, United Way of Greater Toronto, Laidlaw Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Ministry of Culture, Toronto Community Foundation, City of Toronto Cultural Services, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. Another member of the Collaborative, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, contributed expertise and staff time to support the initiative. ARTREACH TORONTO SUMMATIVE EVALUATION DECEMBER 2009 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED 01

6 ArtReach has had an impact on the landscape of Toronto in several important ways: 3 YOUTH ARTISTS WHO HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS FROM ARTREACH TORONTO HAVE REPORTED AN INCREASE IN ARTISTIC SKILLS, CONFIDENCE IN SEEKING FUNDING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 3 FUNDED YOUTH-LED GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE INCREASED THEIR CAPACITY TO PLAN, MANAGE AND EVALUATE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. 4 FUNDERS HAVE INCREASED THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF YOUTH-LED APPROACHES, THE NEEDS OF EMERGING ARTISTS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND OF EACH OTHER S STRATEGIES AND OPERATING PROCEDURES. 4 ARTREACH TORONTO AND ITS FUNDED PROJECTS WERE ABLE TO REACH HARD TO REACH YOUTH. IN THIS WAY, THE INVESTMENT TRULY CREATED PROGRAMMING FOR EXCLUDED YOUTH, HELPING TO BUILD SKILLS AND LEADERSHIP CAPACITY. SUMMARY OF ARTREACH TORONTO VITAL STATISTICS TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE $1,595,428 GRANTING $1,195,689 (75.0%) ADMINISTRATION OF ARTREACH TORONTO $187,330 (12%) INITIATIVES (CAPACITY BUILDING EVENTS, EVALUATION) $212,409 (13%) 65* REGULAR PROJECTS WERE FUNDED $1,127,689 8 CELEBRATE CANADA GRANTS** GIVEN $51, INTERNSHIP GRANTS WERE MADE $17,000 TOTAL OF 75 PROJECTS $1,195,689 * 44 funded projects of the 65 provide activities and programming in the 13 priority neighbourhoods. ** Audiences at all events were estimated at over 30,000. Celebrate Canada events involved audiences of approximately 20, Celebrate Canada is one of the two components of the Government of Canada s Celebration and Commemoration Program which provides funding to community-based activities celebrating and promoting National Aboriginal Day, Saint-Jean- Baptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day across Canada. The Program provides continuity and consistency across the diverse celebratory and commemorative activities initiated by federal partners and other levels of government every year. All of the events celebrate Canada through exploration and celebration of arts by and for young people from Toronto s diverse communities. These events were offered free to the public and promoted inclusion, harmony, creativity and engagement. They promote and celebrate Canadian diversity and our national heritage (paraphrased from the Celebrate Canada Website). ARTREACH TORONTO SUMMATIVE EVALUATION DECEMBER 2009 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED 02

7 MULTI-YEAR AND SINGLE-YEAR GRANTS 4 MULTI-YEAR GRANTS: 10 (SEVERAL OVERLAP TO 2010) 4 SINGLE YEAR GRANTS: 65 YOUTH-LED FACTOR 4 YOUTH-LED PROJECTS WERE FUNDED AT $1,038,164 (87% OF TOTAL) 4 10 NON-YOUTH-LED PROJECTS WERE FUNDED AT $157,525 (13% OF TOTAL) 4 YOUTH PARTICIPANTS NUMBERED 1, YOUTH IN LEADERSHIP ROLES NUMBER 350 GRANT DISTRIBUTION individual youth-led youth-led youth-led artists groups non charitable 11 funded profits other organizations TYPES OF ART PROJECTS FUNDED MUSIC DANCE VISUAL ARTS THEATRE WRITING & PUBLISHING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTS From the perspective of all key informants from the Funders Collaborative, the ArtReach grantees, youth-led organizations, supporting agencies and the Grant Review Team there is no question that ArtReach Toronto has been a valuable investment of time and money. It has been a low-cost approach to engaging a significant number of emerging youth artists in meaningful creative pursuits. It has been well received and valued by the broader communities that benefited from the festivals, fairs, presentations, school assemblies and other showings of the artistic efforts. As such it has been a sound investment resulting in creative outputs that have benefited youth, their groups and their communities. 1 Many project are still underway and final participation statistics are not available. ARTREACH TORONTO SUMMATIVE EVALUATION DECEMBER 2009 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED 03

8 THE BRIDGING EFFECT OF ARTREACH TORONTO This evaluation found that ArtReach grantees had significant success after the ArtReach experience when applying for grants to arts funders with whom they had no previous relationship. During the three year pilot period, 66% of ArtReach grantees were successful in obtaining grants from arts funders. In this way, ArtReach has been a bridge for many ArtReach graduates. ArtReach Toronto grantees claim that the high engagement process of outreach, network building, mentoring, workshops and the grant experience helped them produce sound proposals enabling them to cross that bridge. THE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE The collaborative approach created an opportunity for arts funders in partnership with social change organizations to be innovative in meeting the needs of excluded youth by working together to reduce barriers to accessing funds. In this case, ArtReach Toronto was designed primarily to benefit emerging youth artists in Toronto, but secondarily the partner funding agencies. ArtReach Toronto and the Funders Collaborative experience was seen by the participating funders as an opportunity to learn from each other, share risks, and contribute to a larger pool of funds that ultimately has the potential to have a greater, positive impact. They also intended to use the learning from this experience to influence policy in their own organizations and more broadly influence a shift in thinking about youth involvement in decision making. The Funders Collaborative is a legal partnership among the organizations governed by a Memorandum of Understanding 1 (MOU). Significant amounts of money were provided by the ten partners 2 and clear understandings about intention, scope and accountability were required between contributors and the administrative partner. The partners described the move to create a Funders Collaborative as a venture into relatively unknown territory. In Toronto, it was recognized that a new mechanism would be needed in large part because no one organization had the capacity to work alone to quickly and effectively develop an approach to youth engagement through the arts. This was not just an arts undertaking. From the perspective of many partners, it included youth engagement and learning, community development, and social service elements. From the outset, the partners recognized that it was a source of strength to have at the table the expertise to support both the artistic and social goals of the collaboration. 1 The Memorandum of Understanding is in Appendix The Ontario Ministry of Culture contributed funds but did not sign the Memorandum of Understanding and did not participate on the Executive Committee. The JW McConnell Family foundation contributed funds for evaluation and dissemination but did not become part of the Funders Collaborative. ARTREACH TORONTO SUMMATIVE EVALUATION DECEMBER 2009 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED 04

9 The goals and objectives for the Funders Collaborative established at the inception are: GOALS 1. INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO PARTICIPATE IN ARTS PROGRAMS. 2. STRENGTHENING CAPACITY OF YOUNG ARTISTS, YOUTH-LED ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS TO DELIVER ARTS-BASED YOUTH PROGRAMMING. 3. ENCOURAGING FUNDERS TO BETTER RECOGNIZE, RESPOND TO, AND REDUCE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING FUNDS FACED BY YOUTH AND YOUTH-LED AGENCIES. OBJECTIVES 1. TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, SHARE RISK, AND CONTRIBUTE TO A LARGER POOL OF FUNDS THAT ULTIMATELY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IN THE CITY. 2. TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE NEW STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES THAT LEAD TO A NEW WAY OF FUNDING AND WORKING WITH YOUTH. 3. TO INFLUENCE THEIR OWN ORGANIZATION TO ADOPT NEW STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT FOSTER MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT OF YOUTH AND INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY BY YOUTH AND YOUTH-LED ORGANIZATIONS. 4. TO PLAY A ROLE IN A GREATER SHIFT IN SOCIETY IN WHICH YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION MAKING IS VALUED. 5. TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN PROMOTING A CULTURE OF CHANGE AMONG ARTS, PHILANTHROPIC AND YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT FUNDERS TO ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES TO WORKING WITH YOUTH AND YOUTH-LED ORGANIZATIONS. Partnerships are accepted as a way of life in view of the complexities of the social, economic, and environmental realities of the 21st century. No one organization can do it all. Partners may have different goals, orientations and value systems, but still see a particular issue as benefiting from a mixture of approaches. Based on the findings from interviews and the other sources of data used in this evaluation as well as the findings of the ArtReach Toronto Granting Program evaluation, the Funders Collaborative has demonstrated an ability to plan and implement a dynamic and supportive arts funding program with a youth-led focus. Goals and objectives established at the outset have been attained to a high degree. ArtReach Toronto, the main activity of the Funders Collaborative engaged a large number of excluded youth, many from underserviced areas of the city, in ARTREACH TORONTO SUMMATIVE EVALUATION DECEMBER 2009 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED 05

10 meaningful arts and learning experiences. Selecting and mentoring a young program manager from the youth-led organization sector proved to be major strength. Using a funder-partner with deep experience in youth engagement and the arts as administrative partner gave all partners confidence that administration of the project would be sound. To this end, it must be noted that the administrative partner s role requires a significant amount of their staff time and expertise to ensure effective administration of grants, accountability and management of risk. Toward the end of the third year of the pilot period, collaborative members decided to extend ArtReach for an additional two years. At the time of writing, a Transition Planning Sub-Committee is studying options for the continuation of ArtReach Toronto beyond ARTREACH TORONTO SUMMATIVE EVALUATION DECEMBER 2009 FIRST LEADERSHIP LIMITED 06

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