Save Philadelphia Arts and Culture Funding

A MESSAGE FROM GERMAINE INGRAM,
LEEWAY BOARD MEMBER

The public health, economic, and social shockwaves caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are excruciating in Philadelphia, as elsewhere across the state, country, and the globe.  Due to new budgetary realities precipitated by the virus, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund is proposed to lose all city funding in 2021 and 2022.  This is a shocking prospect for our arts and culture community.   
 
It might be hard to recall the time before PCF existed, before 1991, when funding to most City arts organizations was allocated at the individual, unfettered discretion of each City Council member, and when there was no inclusive or transparent process for providing governmental support to the vast number of arts organizations that served Philadelphia communities.  Thanks to PCF, that situation has changed dramatically, not only in the amount of municipal funding available to arts and culture non-profits, but also in the fairness and inclusiveness with which those funds are administered. 

"The loss of PCF funding for two years will certainly have a grievous impact on the sustainability of many arts organizations and will profoundly hurt the overall arts and culture landscape. "

I am proud to be a former PCF board member and grant panelist, one of many people over the past 30 years who have contributed to making PCF increasingly responsive to Philadelphia’s evermore diverse and vibrant arts and culture ecology.  PCF has been a pioneer in providing general operating funding and multi-year commitments; it ensures community-based arts programming for Philadelphia’s youth; it prioritizes smaller arts organizations that are the cultural lifeblood of Philly neighborhoods.  The loss of PCF funding for two years will certainly have a grievous impact on the sustainability of many arts organizations and will profoundly hurt the overall arts and culture landscape.   

In times such as this, every sector must be prepared to experience contraction and pain.  But when the hard decisions are made about where the ax falls, we need to be sure that the critical importance of arts and culture non-profits for Philadelphia’s aesthetic, cultural, social and financial well-being is duly recognized, and that the critical infrastructure of our arts and culture ecology is preserved.  Please show your support for PCF and its key role in lifting up Philadelphia’s arts and culture community.  

- Germaine Ingram, May 8, 2020

SIGN THE CHANGE.ORG PETITION BEOFRE THE MAY 21st COUNCIL MEETING

CLICK HERE IF YOU ARE ON A DESKTOP TO SEND A LETTER TO YOUR DISTRICTS' COUNCIL PERSON IN PROTEST OF THE CUT TO THE PHILADELPHIA CULTURAL FUND AND PHILLY ARTS AND CULTURE BUDGET.

IF YOU ARE ON A MOBILE DEVICE COPY THE TEXT BELOW AND SEND VIA YOUR E-MAIL APP.

Sample E-mail from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance 

Dear [Council Member],

As your constituent, I am writing to advocate for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund in the FY2021 budget. The Mayor’s revised budget called for the elimination of funding for both the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. I know that the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented financial challenges for us all, including city government, and we have all needed to make sacrifices during these challenging times. However, eliminating all funding for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund is a sacrifice our city cannot afford.
 
While the Philadelphia Cultural Fund is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nearly 100% of its funding comes from the City of Philadelphia to support the general operating expenses for more than 340 nonprofit organizations in neighborhoods across the city. Eliminating funding will eliminate the Cultural Fund itself, devastating organizations that rely on this critical support to serve audiences and create equity and access to the arts.
 
The cultural sector is vital to the fabric of our city. Arts organizations provide critical educational resources for our children, enhance our neighborhoods, create a sense of community, and significantly contribute to our economy. Annually, the sector drives $3.4 billion in economic impact for the city. It also supports 37,590 full-time equivalent jobs, which generate $930 million in household income and $157 million in tax revenue. 
 
In a time when so many of our organizations have had to close, almost eliminating the ability to earn revenue, this general operating support is crucial to survival. Without it, the city risks losing hundreds of arts organizations – as well as the jobs and tax revenue that stem from this work. More importantly, audiences stand to lose the access and diversity of arts available to them at a time when creating shared experiences in new ways will be more important than ever.

The city needs the arts and the arts need the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. I hope that you will reinstate the necessary funding for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund in FY2021.
 
Thank you.

Our friends at Vox Populi made a quick Council Member list!

City Council Contact Info: phlcouncil.com/council-members
District 1: Mark Squilla
mark.squilla@phila.gov
(215) 686-3458, (215) 686-3459

District 2: Kenyatta Johnson
kenyatta.johnson@phila.gov
(215) 686-3412, (215) 686-3413

District 3: Jamie Gauthier
jamie.gauthier@phila.gov
(215) 686-0459, 215-686-0460

District 4: Curtis Jones, Jr.
curtis.jones@phila.gov
(215) 686-3416, (215) 686-3417

District 5: Darrell Clarke (Council President)
darrell.clarke@phila.gov
(215) 686-3412, (215) 686-3443

District 6: Bobby Henon
bobby@bobbyhenon.com
(215) 686-3444, (215) 686-3445

District 7: Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez
maria.q.sanchez@phila.gov
(215) 686-3448, (215) 686-3449

District 8: Cindy Bass
cindy.bass@phila.gov
(215) 686-3424, (215) 686-3425

District 9: Cherelle Parker
cherelle.parker@phila.gov
(215) 686-3454, (215) 686-3455

District 10: Brian O’Neill
brian.o’neill@phila.gov
(215) 686-3422, (215) 686-3423

COUNCIL AT LARGE
Kendra Brooks
kendra.brooks@phila.gov
(215) 686-0461 (215) 686-0462

Allan Domb
E-mail: allan.domb@phila.gov
(215) 686-3414, (215) 686-3415

Derek S. Green
derek.green@phila.gov
(215) 686-3450, (215) 686-3451

Katherine Gilmore Richardson
katherine.gilmore.richardson@phila.gov
(215) 686-0454, (215) 686-0455

Helen Gym
helen.gym@phila.gov
(215) 686-3420, (215) 686-3421

David Oh
david.oh@phila.gov
(215) 686-3452 (215) 686-3453

Isaiah Thomas
isaiah.thomas@phila.gov
(215) 686-3446, (215) 686-3447