San Francisco County Municipal Code Ch. 68 Cultural Equity Endowment Fund

Sec. 68.1. Purposes. Sec. 68.2. Principles for Cultural Equity Endowment Fund. Sec. 68.3. Establishment of Cultural Equity Endowment Fund. Sec. 68.4. Cultural Equity Initiatives Program. Sec. 68.5. Commissions to Individual Artists. Sec. 68.6. Project Grants to Small and Mid-Size Organizations. Sec. 68.7. Facilities Fund. Sec. 68.8. Administration of the Fund.

The Cultural Equity Endowment Fund ("Fund") is established to move San Francisco arts funding toward cultural equity. The goal of cultural equity will be achieved when all the people that make up the City have fair access to the information, financial resources and opportunities vital to full cultural expression, and the opportunity to be represented in the development of arts policy and the distribution of arts resources; when all the cultures and subcultures of the City are expressed in thriving, visible arts organizations of all sizes; when new large-budget arts institutions flourish whose programming reflects the experiences of historically underserved communities, such as: African American; Asian American; disabled; Latino; lesbian and gay; Native American; Pacific Islander; and, women. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93)

The Fund is established upon the following principles: (a) It is the City's goal to achieve cultural equity, where every art form, from all segments of the population, has the opportunity to develop to its maximum potential. (b) The Fund programs should be implemented through a public process. (c) A healthy arts environment thrives at all levels. The productive vitality of individual artists, small and mid-size arts organizations, and grassroots cultural groups is as important to the City as the strength of the large-budget arts institutions. (d) The arts play a vital economic role in San Francisco. The Fund is established to assist in keeping all the arts healthy. (e) The Fund is established in the belief that the many cultural traditions which meet in San Francisco can thrive side by side and enrich each other. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93)

There is hereby established a Cultural Equity Endowment Fund. (a) Any unexpended balances remaining in the allocation to the Fund at the close of any fiscal year shall be deemed to be provided for a specific purpose within the meaning of Charter Section 9.113, shall earn interest on these balances, and shall be carried forward and accumulated in the Fund for the purposes set forth in this Chapter 68. (b) Subject to the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Charter, the San Francisco Arts Commission is hereby authorized and directed to expend the monies appropriated to or received by the Fund and to implement and administer the Fund programs. (c) The monies in the Fund shall be expended for the following four programs: (1) Cultural Equity Initiatives Program; (2) The Program for Commissions to Individual Artists; (3) Project Grants to Small and Mid-size Organizations; and (4) The Facilities Fund. (d) The Arts Commission may evaluate and review the demands for and by cultural and artistic programs and the level of resources available for such programs, and may determine the percentage of Fund monies allocated to each of the four programs. The Arts Commission shall not be required to fund all four programs every year if the Arts Commission determines, after review and evaluation, that demand for and by the program does not warrant expenditure. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93; amended by Ord. 163-13, File No. 130538, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013; Ord. 75-14, File No. 140226, App. 5/28/2014, Eff. 6/27/2014)

The Cultural Equity Initiatives Program shall be used to support arts organizations which are deeply rooted in and able to express the experiences of historically underserved communities such as: African American; Asian American; disabled; Latino; lesbian and gay; Native American; Pacific Islander; and, women. Awards may be made for the following types of projects: (1) Creation of new programs;

(2) Expansion of existing programs; (3) Technical assistance to improve an arts organization's management and artistic effectiveness; (4) Training programs; (5) Development of artistic projects; (6) Marketing; (7) Acquisition of equipment necessary for the arts organization's artistic services; and, (8) Cross-cultural collaborations among individual artists or arts organizations. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93)

The Commissions to Individual Artists Program shall provide support to individual artists to stimulate production and dissemination of works of art in all disciplines and all neighborhoods of San Francisco. The majority of Commissions to Individual Artists in any year shall be to artists who are deeply rooted in and able to express the experiences of historically underserved communities such as African American; Asian American; disabled; Latino; lesbian and gay; Native American; Pacific Islander; and, women. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93)

Project Grants shall be awarded to small and mid-size arts organizations to stimulate the production and dissemination of works of art in all disciplines in the City and County of San Francisco. The majority of grants in any program year shall be made to arts organizations fostering artistic expression that is deeply rooted in and reflective of historically underserved communities such as: African American; Asian American; disabled; Latino; lesbian and gay; Native American; Pacific Islander; and, women. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93)

The Facilities Fund Program shall provide grants, loans and technical assistance to tax-exempt organizations for projects which provide appropriate and affordable facilities for artists and arts organizations. The majority of grants or loans in any program year shall be made to arts organizations fostering artistic expression which is deeply rooted in and reflective of historically underserved communities, such as African American; Asian American; disabled; Latino; lesbian and gay; Native American; Pacific Islander, and, women, or tax-exempt organizations which provide live/work units to low- and moderate-income artists. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93)

(a) Arts Commission Administrative Costs. The Arts Commission shall be provided monies necessary to pay for the costs of implementing and administering the Fund. Any unexpended balances remaining in the administrative allocations set forth in this Section 68.8(a) shall be carried forward and accumulated for the purposes recited herein. (b) Authority of the Arts Commission. The Arts Commission is hereby authorized to implement and administer the Fund programs, subject to the budget and fiscal provisions of the Charter. Such implementation and administration may include, but not be limited to, the following actions by the Arts Commission: (1) Adoption of guidelines and regulations for implementation, review and expenditure of the Fund in each of the four programs; (2) Appointment of review panels and establish qualifications for members of the review panels and procedures for the review panel to advise the Arts Commission on such expenditures;

(3) Determination of appropriate levels of funding each year for each of the Fund programs; (4) Establishment of criteria and eligibility standards for applicants of Fund programs; (5) Establishment of criteria for awarding, granting or lending monies from Fund programs; and, (6) Execution of loan agreements, approved as to form by the City Attorney, made pursuant to Facilities Funds awards. The Arts Commission may employ one or more administrators of the Fund as necessary to administer and implement the Fund programs. (c) Appeals Process. The Arts Commission may, at its discretion, establish an appeals process for any decisions regarding allocations of the fund. (d) Annual Review. The Arts Commission may appoint an Advisory Committee to conduct an annual review of implementation of the Fund. (Added by Ord. 354-93, App. 11/12/93; amended by Ord. 163-13, File No. 130538, App. 8/2/2013, Eff. 9/1/2013)