Nashville Community Darkroom Inc.

Transcription

1 Nashville Community Darkroom Inc. General Information Contact Information Nonprofit Nashville Community Darkroom Inc. Address P.O. Box Nashville, TN Phone (615) Web Site Web Site Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter At A Glance Year of Incorporation

2 Mission & Impact Statements Mission Nashville Community Darkroom is a nonprofit community arts center providing education and opportunities in film photography and traditional processes to students and community members as a means of self-expression, educational development, and community engagement. Background The Nashville Community Darkroom began in 2012 as a group of fine artists, former journalists, photography enthusiasts, and educators who wanted a chance to explore film photography as an artistic medium in a collaborative setting. While many of our founding members had home darkrooms, we were interested in getting out of our "solitary confinement" to create a vibrant community of artists who could share experiences and resources while practicing our art together. After a few start-up meetings at a local coffee shop, we quickly realized that we all shared a common goal of teaching and sharing our love of photography with others, especially young people. After looking at the few community darkroom facilities that were operating across the country at the time, we realized that we wanted to create something that was more than just a membership workspace open to a select few fine artists. We formed the concept of Nashville Community Darkroom with a central theme of creating a center for learning through photography for people of all ages and skill levels. We then began the work of creating a physical space in which to teach and practice. In 2013 we launched a Kickstarter project to raise the capital to create our facility, raising approximately $13,000 to fund a renovation of a defunct check cashing store in East Nashville and the first 6 months of operational expenses. We sourced and solicited donations of photography and darkroom equipment from the many darkroom facilities across the state that have closed over the past 10 years. We created the gallery, classroom, and darkroom space almost entirely with volunteer power and donated equipment, and opened our doors to our first members in the spring of Over the past several years, film photography has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts among photography hobbyists and professionals alike. Just last year Ilford, a leading supplier of analog film photography products, reported that nearly 30% of film users are under age 35 a signal that the market is not just a function of passing nostalgia; much of the market growth is occurring among those who are discovering film for the first time in their lives. We have enjoyed tremendous growth in interest in our introductory classes over the past year, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue introducing the Nashville community to the slow and steady processes of handmade traditional photographic art. 2

3 Impact Over the past year, Nashville Community Darkroom (NCD) has focused on our organization's core mission through several key accomplishments: MEMBERSHIP GROWTH As an organization, NCD has enjoyed significant growth among our artist memberships over the past year. Our working members comprise a diverse group of artists, ranging from working professional photographers, to recent college grads discovering film photography for the first time, to retired individuals enjoying a new artistic outlet. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Deadline Today, our newest community arts program, is a monthly photography scramble that is free and open to the public. The program runs in conjunction with East Nashville's monthly Eastside Art Stumble on the second Saturday of each month. Photographers meet in the morning for the announcement of a surprise theme. They then have the day to shoot, process, and print their final images in our darkroom facility - all in time to have work on the wall by 6pm for a gallery opening. Visitors to the gallery during the Eastside Art Stumble get to talk to artists about their work and vote on their favorite images, with the winner taking home a prize. We have enjoyed engaging with the community for this fun artistic program, and we look forward to expanding it over the coming year. We also hope to partner with a corporate event sponsor, allowing us expand our outreach and offer the opportunity to more artists. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT This year NCD established a new Resident Artist program, designed to provide emerging photographers with an opportunity to further develop their creative vision, expand social networks, and increase community visibility. Resident Artists serve a 6 month residency at NCD, during which they enjoy free membership to our darkroom facility, access to donated supplies and equipment, and time to experience the daily operations of running an arts organization. Residents end their term with a solo show in the Nashville Community Darkroom Gallery. Our first Resident completed her term at the end of January 2017 and we are in the process of selecting our second Resident Artist for the year. In the coming year, we hope to reach the following goals to help us reach greater sustainability: FACILITY CHANGE We are currently searching for a new physical location that will allow us to share costs and resources with another arts organization. DIVERSIFIED FUNDING SOURCES NCD currently funds nearly all costs through member dues, class fees, and individual donations. Over the coming year we hope to diversify our funding sources to include corporate donors or partnerships and grant funding. STAFFING This year we hope to increase our revenue in order to incorporate a part time paid staff person to manage facility operations and fundraising. If revenues do not increase, we will continue to operate as we currently do with an all-volunteer staff. Needs BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS NCD is in search of qualified and dedicated volunteers to serve on our Board of Directors. We seek individuals with a passion for supporting the arts and arts education in Nashville. Board members serve as the public face of our organization, representing NCD at our community programs and events. Board members from communities that are currently underserved by Nashville's visual arts community and those with a background in financial management are particularly encouraged to apply. FACILITY SPACE NCD is in search of a new facility space for our darkroom and gallery that will allow us to have a stable and permanent home in our community. We seek a space that will provide both stability and affordability. We are particularly interested in working with other arts organizations to create a cooperative creative complex. We anticipate a financial need of approximately $ to finance a move, build out needed space, and cover rental and utility deposits. 3

4 Other ways to donate, support, or volunteer Donations made by check may be mailed to Nashville Community Darkroom (PO Box 6087, Nashville, TN 37206) Become a sustaining member for $10/month and receive discounts on classes and workshops, community events, and more. (nashvillecommunitydarkroom.org/sustaining-membership) In-kind donations of cleaning supplies, art supplies, cameras, film and photographic supplies are always welcome and appreciated! Volunteer at community events or with our school programs Service Categories Primary Organization Category Arts,Culture & Humanities / Arts Education Secondary Organization Category Arts,Culture & Humanities / Visual Arts Tertiary Organization Category Education / Education N.E.C. Areas of Service Areas Served TN - Davidson Nashville Community Darkroom is located in the East Nashville neighborhood in Metro Nashville, Davidson County. While our physical location is in the zip code, our organization serves artists from across Middle Tennessee and has worked with schools and community groups throughout Metro Nashville. CEO Statement As Nashville's only darkroom open to the public, NCD is uniquely positioned in our city to provide photographic arts education to a wide and diverse population. Over the past 10 years area high schools, colleges, and even university visual art departments have closed or downsized their wet darkroom facilities, opting to focus on digital arts and cut costs in the face of ever decreasing funding for arts education. Our darkroom facility provides a home for equipment that would otherwise be headed to a landfill and our artists are grateful to have a space to continue their creative practices and learning. Though working in a darkroom is frequently a solitary practice, our communal approach to art making encourages artists to engage actively with their community. Our public programming gives members an avenue with which they can share their work and knowledge, making Nashville a more vibrant and creative city. Because photographs don't frequently command high prices in galleries, photography is a medium that is often underrepresented in the art world. NCD provides an opportunity for emerging photographers to gain better visibility for their work. Our gallery has hosted shows from photographers across the country, ranging from maticulously composed large format Polaroids, to images made by kids in our workshops, to documentary street photography of recent protests in Nashville and Washington, D.C. We are proud that we can offer Nashville the opportunity to experience this work, which would otherwise not be exhibited. 4

5 Programs Programs Community and School Photography Programs Description NCD partners with community groups and schools to offer hands-on learning through photography. In our all-digital world, we expect instant gratification in our visual lives. Film Photography requires students to slow down and think before they shoot. Budget 1200 Film Photography can help students learn beyond its obvious fine art applications. Photography students learn about physical science as they study light sensitive materials, the physics of light, chemical reactions, and mechanical operations of the camera. Photography is an excellent tool for visual literacy development, helping students learn how to better interpret the images that surround them in their daily lives and to better use imagery to express ideas of their own. NCD has partnered with schools and community groups including Lockeland Design Center, Nashville School of the Arts, Stratford High School, Nashville State Community College, and Girl Scouts. Our programs have served more than 100 children in Metro Nashville schools. Category Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Population Served,, Darkroom Facility Description NCD offers Nashville's only community darkroom facility. The space offers a fully equipped traditional darkroom with 9 work stations, photo processing sink, drying racks, photo finishing supplies, and lighted workspace. The facility also provides a lending library of photography books and rental cameras and studio equipment. Budget Population Served,, While our facility serves approximately 40 working artists who enjoy open 24-hour access to the workspace, we also welcome guests from local photography clubs, community groups, and schools for tours and darkroom demonstrations. 5

6 Photography Gallery Description The NCD facility includes a store front gallery that hosts fine art photography created on film and/or printed using traditional or alternative photographic processes. The gallery features community art shows as well as solo shows from artists across the state. We also make the space available for use by filmmakers, song writers, and others in need of an artistic space in which they can create. In addition to our gallery shows, we have hosted several music videos, how-to videos, songwriter showcases and a student film about a darkroom. Budget 4800 Population Served,, Deadline Today Description Deadline Today is a day long photo scramble presented by the Nashville Community Darkroom that occurs on a monthly basis. Participating photographers (capped at 8) meet at 9am the morning of the program and the theme for the day is revealed. Shooting B&W film and utilizing the NCD facilities photographers have until 6pm that same day to shoot, process, print and hang their images in the NCD gallery all based on that days theme. The gallery opens to the public that evening and the viewing public is encouraged to vote on the print the think best embodies the theme. Deadline Today is free to participate and open to NCD members and the general public. This program has engaged roughly 40 photographers and brought over 500 members of the community into our gallery during its first year. Budget 1200 Population Served,, 6

7 Educational Programs Description NCD is uniquely positioned as one of the few member based community darkrooms in the country. Focusing specifically on the processing and printing of B&W photographic film we find interest from two groups of people: those who are revisiting an old hobby or passion and those who only know digital photography. NCD offers three different classes aimed to either introduce those new to film the requisite processes or serve as a refresher for those who might be out of practice. Classes are listed below and are open to both members and the general public: -Intro to B&W film developing (twice monthly) -Intro to B&W printing (twice monthly) -Advanced printing techniques (monthly) Volunteer Instructors at NCD have taught more than 200 students in our regular monthly classes so far. Additionally, NCD has partnered with other Nashville area organizations to offer photography classes and workshops, including The Frist Center for Visual Arts, Nashville State Community College, and The Skillery. Budget 1200 Population Served,, CEO Comments As one of few fully operational community darkroom facilities in the country, NCD has yet to reach its potential impact point on community involvement and educational programing. With continual decrease in state and federal arts education funding in many secondary and even postsecondary schools, NCD has the opportunity to offer an educational playground for those interested in stretching their creative muscles. Our organization is committed to increasing the number and frequency of programs open to the public, but we have reached a point at which the time commitment required to schedule, manage, and organize our programing is stretching the limits of our volunteers. This is compounded in light of the fact that our our board's valuable volunteer hours are often spent on facility maintenance and other daily operational and maintenance tasks. As our organization grows, we are broadening our development strategy to diversify our income sources and increase fundraising efforts. Additional revenue will allow for a paid part time staff person to address facility and organizational needs, allowing volunteers to spend their time where they truly want to be - out in the community working on school programs and community outreach. 7

8 Governance Board Chair Board Chair John Haubenreich Term Jan 2013 to Jan Board Members Name Affiliation Status Mr. Howard Buckwold Community Volunteer Voting Mr. John Haubenreich Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP Voting Ms. Erin A Kice Kice Creative Voting Ms. Elizabeth Lord Community Volunteer Voting Mrs. Elizabeth H Lose Community Volunteer Voting Ms. Rebecca M Mello Community Volunteer Voting Mr. Jonathan Rodgers Silver Print Photo Voting Mr. Chris Sharp Community Volunteer Voting Ms. Michelle Wise Tennessee State University Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 0 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 8 Hispanic/Latino 1 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male 4 Female 5 Unspecified 0 Governance Board Term Lengths 2 Board Term Limits 2 Board Meeting Attendance % 70% Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? No Yes 8

9 Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 100% Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions 100% Constituency Includes Client Representation Yes Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 11 CEO Comments The beautiful thing about photography is its ability to communicate and be accessible to everyone. With the advent of digital photography, the ease of entry into this art form is fantastically low. This growth has seen photography as a craft break down societal and monetary barriers that existed as close as ten years ago. We are seeing a much more diverse pool of children and adults with the desire to expand their craft and hone their process through film photography. As it currently stands our governance is lacking in the diversity we see in those who are now photographers. Not only are we lacking in the demographic make up of our board of directors but also in the professional expertise and experience represented. We are currently well represented by photographers and artists whose dedication and passion are a strong component of our success. However, it is easy to get caught operating with tunnel vision especially when a majority of the governing body focuses their efforts on the day to day maintenance of the organization. And what we are seeing is people no longer need to consider themselves artists to find interest and value in the NCD. So, with this in mind, our focus over the coming years is to ease the day to day obligations of our board to allow them to begin looking at the NCD from a twelfth-floor view and find our broader place not only in the Nashville community but the art world as a whole. As well we need to diversify our board to include more members outside the art community and inside minority communities; a position on the board is much more attractive, and sustainable, to a music industry professional when the duties do not include mixing developer and hanging art in the gallery. It is my hope that through is wider arm of inclusion and board diversity we can begin to identify opportunities possibilities that currently lie outside our field of view and I hope to make strong strides towards this goal before my term expires. 9

10 Management Staff Full Time Staff 0 Part Time Staff 0 Volunteers 10 Contractors 0 Retention Rate 0% Plans & Policies Does the organization have a documented Fundraising Plan? Under Development Does the organization have an approved Strategic Plan? Under Development Number of years Strategic Plan Considers N/A In case of a change in leadership, is a Management Succession plan in place? Under Development Does the organization have a Policies and Procedures Plan? Under Development Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? Under Development Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? No Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? No CEO Comments NCD is entirely staffed and managed by our volunteer Board of Directors. While we are very proud of the dedication that our Board and community volunteers have shown over the past 3 years, this can present a significant challenge when volunteers have commitments to work and family that take them away from the organization. This year, NCD will focus our energy on increasing revenue and enhancing sustainability so that we can make paid staff a possibility for our organization in the future. As our fledgling organization has developed, we have begun to organize ourselves to better reflect a fully developed organization. We are taking steps to develop the necessary policies and procedures that our organization should have in place in the interest of full transparency and accountability. In the coming year we plan to utilize the resources available through the Center for Nonprofit Management to develop a strategic plan and development plan, and to officially adopt specific nondiscrimination, sexual harassment, and risk management policies. 10

11 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start Apr Fiscal Year End Mar Projected Revenue $21, Projected Expenses $28, Endowment Value $0.00 Endowment Spending Percentage (if selected) 0% Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Total Revenue $0 $0 $0 Total Expenses $0 $0 $0 Revenue Sources Foundation and Corporation $0 $0 $0 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal $0 $0 $0 State $0 $0 $0 Local $0 $0 $0 Unspecified $0 $0 $0 Individual Contributions $0 $0 $0 Indirect Public Support $0 $0 $0 Earned Revenue $0 $0 $0 Investment Income, Net of Losses $0 $0 $0 Membership Dues $0 $0 $0 Special Events $0 $0 $0 Revenue In-Kind $0 $0 $0 Other $0 $0 $0 11

12 Expense Allocation Program Expense $0 $0 $0 Administration Expense $0 $0 $0 Fundraising Expense $0 $0 $0 Payments to Affiliates $0 $0 $0 Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue Assets and Liabilities Total Assets $0 $0 $0 Current Assets $0 $0 $0 Long-Term Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Current Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Total Net Assets $0 $0 $0 Short Term Solvency Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets Top Funding Sources Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Capital Campaign Is the organization currently conducting a Capital Campaign for an endowment or the purchase of a major asset? No Capital Campaign Goal $0.00 State Charitable Solicitations Permit TN Charitable Solicitations Registration Exempt - Expires 0 Organization Comments Nashville Community Darkroom is a fledgling nonprofit organization established by a group of volunteers in As such, we have experienced financial challenges typical of many startups. We have worked hard to grow over the past three years, focusing primarily on increasing our roster of working members and sustaining members (recurring monthly donors). Because we want to keep our facility affordable to any artist, we have kept our monthly dues for members low. These membership dues are the primary support for our facility costs; as the number of members paying dues has increased, so has our financial stability. We are approaching a level of membership that will fully provide operational support for the physical needs of our facility, but we still have work to do. 12

13 Our organization is currently staffed and run entirely by volunteers. Our board members and other volunteers provide facility management, teach classes and workshops, implement and run community programs, answer the phone and , empty the garbage cans, run the darkroom, and sweep the floors. We run NCD as a labor of love, because we love offering photo opportunities to the public and providing a community space in which artists work together, collaborate, and grow. As our organization has grown, so have our needs. Over the coming year we will begin to increase revenue through corporate sponsorship, grant funding, and increased income from classes. Our work will make it possible to pay our teachers for their valuable work, and to eventually hire a part-time staff person to assist with facility operations and fundraising. Facility costs are an ongoing challenge for a workspace like NCD. The East Nashville community that we call home has experienced drastic increases in rental rates for retail space. Our current facility is going to be demolished to make way for new development later in 2017, and we are currently searching for an affordable shared space with another arts organization. We hope that by sharing facility costs we will be able to lower our operating expenses and make it possible to put more funding into staffing and expanding our community programming. For our current fiscal year, we have budgeted increased expenses of nearly 8,400 dollars. This additional expense is for the addition of a part time paid staff person, darkroom supplies, and pay for our class instructors. These needs are currently filled by volunteers and in-kind donations. If we are not able to increase our income to cover the difference we plan to continue filling our staffing needs with volunteers for another year, or until we are able to locate a new facility with lower overhead costs. GivingMatters.com Financial Comments This organization filed a 990-N form with the IRS, which does not provide specific financial information. Most small tax-exempt organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less ($25,000 for tax years ending after December 31, 2007 and before December 31, 2010) are required to electronically submit Form 990-N, also known as the e-postcard, unless they choose to file a complete Form 990 or Form 990-EZ instead. Kathryn Bennett 2/28/17. Created Copyright 2018 The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 13