Creatives, the Greenhouse is for you, too
We recently sat down with Sean Kennedy, manager of the St. Pete Greenhouse, a partnership between the City and the Chamber that provides business services to entrepreneurs and established business-people alike in one-off or full course interactions. When I finished my questions, I asked Kennedy, “What do you wish I would have asked?” His response? “Who is the Greenhouse for?”
Answer: “Anyone considering starting a business, social enterprise or nonprofit; and anyone in need of help with their existing business’s growth or acceleration.”
“Anyone” includes artists. Through a partnership with the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, The Greenhouse present arts business sessions for profit and non-profit creative businesses. Despite their reportedly heavy contribution to the St. Petersburg economy (Direct and related spending by attendees to arts and cultural events totaled $140.8 million in Pinellas County. Non-profit arts and cultural organizations themselves spent $100.2 million in Pinellas County during 2015. See SPG Insight Board Member Paul Carder’s article here.), the arts are an often over-looked sector of the business community. Through this partnership, the Greenhouse is widening its net and broadening the City and Chamber’s scope of “business” fields.
According to John Collins, executive director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, “The arts are a critical component of a thriving city, contributing to our quality of life, attracting business, tourists and residents, driving business and creating jobs. The return on investment in the arts is measurable. The return on arts education, public art and civic pride is incalculable. The arts shine here.”
The focus for this specific class is on those who apply for funds for arts and cultural organizations, and those who want to learn how to get jobs in that field. The session will be especially helpful to organizations applying for City Arts Grants. Individual artists awards will be in another upcoming session.
The upcoming 90 minute session is on Thursday, March 15 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at The Greenhouse, 440 2nd Ave N. Coffee and networking begins prior to the session at 8:30 am.
Focus objectives:
- How to Research grant opportunities
- Interpreting fit and writing
- Targeted grant proposals
- How to approach funders
- Writing goals, objectives, outcomes and a program narrative
- Planning program evaluations for outcome narratives
- Writing letter of Inquiry, proposal and applications
