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Home My WebLink About2021-612-E-Arts Commission-Sisters' Voices-Restart the Arts September 2021 v0.1 ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION 2020-21 RESTART THE ARTS GRANT AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this 6th day of October, 2021, by and between Orange County ("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts Commission") and Sisters' Voices ("Grant Recipient"). WHEREAS, the County established the Arts Commission as a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs and projects; and, WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the Restart the Arts Grant Program to provide economic relief to Orange County arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; and, WHEREAS, the Restart the Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with American Rescue Plan Act funds; and, WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the arts and entertainment industry, stopping nearly all direct spending by nonprofit arts organizations and their patrons in our local economy, a loss estimated to be more than $130M; and WHEREAS, the Orange County Arts Commission and Orange County Board of Commissioners wish address both economic and societal chal lenges faced by our community in the wake of the current, prolonged shutdown of the arts industry; and, WHEREAS, the American Rescue Plan Act provides that funds may be used to respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality; and, WHEREAS, the Restart the Arts Grant Program aligns with the funding priorities identified in the American Rescue Plan (ARP), including:  Assist Orange County households by putting our artists back to work. There are approximately 4,000 creative workers in Orange County. This program will support employment of our creative workforce through nonprofit support and expanded programs.  Help our small businesses by restoring arts audiences. Arts patrons spend $36.7M each year in our small businesses when attending arts events, ten DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 September 2021 v0.1 times more than sports patrons. Nonprofit support will restore and increase these audiences.  Help our arts and cultural nonprofit organizations through funding. There are approximately 170 arts and cultural organizations in Orange County whose services range from arts education to art therapy to preservation of cultural landmarks.  Aid impacted industries such as tourism, travel and hospitality. Prior to the pandemic, an estimated 1.9M people attended nonprofit arts events in Orange County annually, with 54% of attendees being non-Orange County residents. Restart the Arts will restore and grow these audiences through the creation of new programs and events; and, WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive the Restart the Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and, WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of the Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to the County. NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows: 1. Approved Grant Project. Grant funds ae provided under this Agreement for Operations and Programmatic Support described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A. 2. Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00 ) have been awarded by the Arts Commission to the Grant Recipient for the approved Project. 3. Contingency. This grant is contingent on American Rescue Plan Act funding to Orange County. Final decisions on funds are subject to rules promulgated by the US Treasury. 4. Responsibilities of the Grant Recipient A. Implementation. These grant funds are to be used by June 30, 2022. Grantees shall be required to submit documentation of expenses in final report. Grantees have to submit documentation of expenses incurred in order to receive funds. If Grantees do not submit proper documentation, they will not be eligible for reimbursement under the Agreement. B. Non–assignment. The grant cannot be assigned or transferred to a different organization without prior written approval of the Arts Commission. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 September 2021 v0.1 C. Records. Grant Recipient must maintain records and other evidence pertaining to costs incurred and revenues acquired during the Project implementation. Grant Recipient shall maintain financial records pertaining to the Project for three (3) years from the date of this Agreement, in case of audit. D. Use of Funds. The grants shall be utilized solely for the purpose described in the attached Exhibit A E. Final Report. Grant Recipient shall submit to the Arts Commission a Final Report the date of which shall be provided by the Arts Commission Director. The Final Report shall be in the format acceptable to the Arts Commission. Failure to submit the Final Report or late submission of the Final Report, for any reason, shall be grounds for denial and/or cancellation of grant funds for the Project and future grant proposals. 5. Responsibilities of the Arts Commission A. Payment. The Arts Commission shall release the grant funds in the amount of $ 2,500.00 to the Grant Recipient. 6. Publicity A. Acknowledgement. Credit must be given to the Orange County Arts Commission in brochures, news releases, programs, and all other printed and online publications. Copies of such printed materials must accompany the evaluation report. Official Orange County Arts Commission logos may be downloaded at www.artsorange.org/grantee-resources and may not be altered in any way. When no printed information is used, verbal credit shall be given. B. The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances open to the public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts Commission website at www.artsorange.org/events . In addition, the Grant Recipient must add a link to www.artsorange.org (Orange County Arts Commission logo preferred) to their main webpage. Logos can be found at https://artsorange.org/ocacgrants/grantee-resources/logo-usage-credit-lines/ 7. Indemnity. The Grant Recipient agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County, the Arts Commission and their officers and employees from any and all claims or actual injury, damage or loss to a person, or real or personal property that results from or is in any way connected to the use of the grant funds. 8. Independent Contractor. The Grant Recipient is an independent contractor and not an employee, agent or other representative of the County and/or the Arts Commission. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to create the relationship of principal and agent, or employer and employee, between Grant Recipient and Arts Commission or Orange County Government. Grant Recipient understands and agrees that they are not authorized to incur any expenses or any liability whatsoever on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission and has no authority, expressed or implied, to DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 September 2021 v0.1 obligate or make representations on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission. In addition, Grant Recipient agrees to maintain their own worker's compensation insurance for themselves and their employees. 9. Termination A. In the event of any of the circumstances set forth below (hereinafter referred to as “default”), the Arts Commission or County may immediately terminate this Agreement: (i) Any fraudulent representation in any verification required to obtain payment under this Agreement or other dishonesty on a material matter relating to the performance of services under this Agreement. (ii) Nonperformance, incomplete service or performance, or failure to satisfactorily comply with any provision of this Agreement, as determined by the County in its sole discretion. (iii) Failure to adhere to the terms of applicable county, state or federal laws, regulations, or stated public policy. B. In the event of default by the Grant Recipient, the Arts Commission has the discretion to elect to terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part and/or require the Grant Recipient to repay the grant funds within seven (7) days from written notice of default or allow the grant recipient the opportunity to cure the default. This clause shall not be interpreted to limit the County’s or the Arts Commission’s remedies in law or in equity. 10. Miscellaneous. A. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the attachments contain the final and entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. All modifications and amendments to this Agreement shall be in writing. This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties, their heirs, successors and assigns. B. Governing Law. Governing Law and Priority: Both parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina and Orange County. Grant Recipient shall at all times remain in compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations including but not limited to all state and federal anti-discrimination laws, policies, rules, and regulations and the Orange County Non-Discrimination Policy and Orange County Living Wage Policy (each policy is incorporated herein by reference and may be viewed at http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/purchasing_division/contracts.php.). Any violation of this requirement is a breach of this Agreement and Arts Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement without further obligation on the part of the Arts Commission. This paragraph is not intended to limit and does not limit the definition of breach to discrimination. By executing DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 September 2021 v0.1 this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.58. By executing this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.81. By executing this Agreement Grant Recipient affirms they are and shall remain in compliance with Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North Carolina General Statutes. In determining the basic services to be provided, should any documents be referenced in or attached to this Agreement, the terms herein shall have priority in any conflict between the terms of referenced documents and the terms of this Agreement. C. Dispute Resolution: Neither party may initiate binding arbitration. Any disputes shall be resolved by nonbinding mediation. If such mediation fails either party may initiate litigation to resolve the dispute. Should either party initiate litigation to settle any dispute involving the terms of this Agreement such litigation shall be initiated in the General Court of Justice of North Carolina seated in Orange County, North Carolina. D. Signatures. This Agreement together with any amendments or modifications may be executed electronically. All electronic signatures affixed hereto evidence the intent of the Parties to comply with Article 11A and Article 40 of North Carolina General Statute Chapter 66. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Orange County and the Grant Recipient have signed this Grant Agreement, effective on the last date this Agreement is signed by both parties as indicated by the dates set forth under signatures below. For and on behalf of the Grant Recipient Leandra Strope, Date For and on behalf of Orange County Government Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager Date DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 10/7/2021 10/12/2021 September 2021 v0.1 ORANGE COUNTY—DEPARTMENT USE ONLY ______________________________________________________________________________ Party/Vendor Name: Sisters' Voices Party/Vendor Contact Person: Leandra Strope Contact Phone: 919-619-3438 Party/Vendor Address: 407 Tinkerbell Road City Chapel Hill State: NC Zip: 27481 Department: County Manager Amount: $2,500.00 Purpose: Restart the Arts Budget Code(s): 49601020-683012-96002 Vendor # 66735 (N/A if new vendor) Vendor is a BOCC consultant? Yes No Contract Type: (Check one) New Renewal Amendment Effective Date Approved by Board Yes No Agenda Date: This agreement is approved as to technical form and content and I as Department Director affirmatively state work on this project has not been initiated prior to exec ution of the agreement: Department Director’s Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________ Agreements for emergency services or repair are not subject to the above affirmation. If services related to this agreement have already begun or been completed please briefly describe the nature of the emergency condition that was addressed: Information Technologies (Applicable only to hardware/software purchases or related services) This agreement has been reviewed and is approved as to information technology content and specifications: Office of the Chief Information Officer___________________________________ Date: ________ Risk Management This agreement is approved for sufficiency of insurance standards, specifications, and requirements: Office of the Risk Management Officer___________________________________ Date: _________ Financial Services This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act: Office of the Chief Financial Officer ____________________________________ Date: _________ Legal Services This agreement is approved as to legal form and sufficiency: Office of the County Attorney __________________________________________Date: ________ Clerk to the Board Received for record retention: All Docusign contracts must be copied to the Clerk upon completion: occlerkdocs@orangecountync.gov The following signature block is for hard copies only and is not required for Docusign cont racts: Office of the Clerk to the Board __________________________________________Date:________ DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 10/7/2021 10/9/2021 10/12/2021 10/12/2021 Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable Name of organization or business Si sters' Voi ces by Kristin Trangsrud in Restart the Arts Grant Application 407 Tinkerbell Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517 United States (919) 619-3438 kristin@sistersvoices.org 08/31/2021 id. 21113389 Original application 08/31/2021 ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS INFORMATION n/a Date organization was formed 09/01/2008 Authorizing Official Leandra Strope Authorizing Official - phone number 9196193438 Authorizing Official - email leandra@sistersv oices.org Grant Manager - name (if different from Authorizing Official) Kristin Trangsrud Grant Manager - phone (if different from Authorizing Official) 9198126120 Grant Manager - email (if different from Authorizing Official) ktrangsrud@yahoo.com Is your organization physically located in Orange County, NC? Yes Organization street or PO Box address 407 Tinkerbell Road DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 Organization City Chapel Hill Organization State NC Organization Zip Code 27481 Organization website http://www.sistersv oices.org Organization Tax ID 273186007 Applicant Race/Ethnicity W hite, not Hispanic Legal Status:501(c)3 or 501(c)6 Nonprofit Organization IRS Determination Letter Sisters_Voices_tax_exempt_letter.pdf Are 25% or more of your annual expenses related to the visual, performing or literary arts? Yes NARRATIVE n/a W hat is the mission of your organization? Through excellent v ocal and choral training, Sisters’ Voices supports the personal growth of each singer. In a moment when faced with an audience of one or many, she will realize within herself the courage, self-compassion, humility, and strength of character to share what is in her mind and heart. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 Provide a brief description of your pre-pandemic core arts-related programming or offerings. Sisters’ Voices ensembles offer a meaningful and connectiv e singing experience. A full-year commitment is requested of all singers because ensembles grow together. Ov er the years, singers progress through our sight-singing curriculum, using John Feierabend’s Conv ersational Solfege as groundwork, and experience ensemble work that is fun and engaging while preparing girls for excellent singing indiv idually and as an ensemble. The age groupings for each ensemble has ev olv ed and currently is as such: SV-One is for kindergarteners and first graders. SV-Two is for second and third graders. SV-Three is for fourth and fifth graders. SV-Four is for sixth through eighth graders. SV-Fiv e will be for ninth through twelfth graders. Sisters’ Voices leadership is working to promote an open, inclusiv e, and accessible program. To this end, we welcome any singer who wishes to join us (we do not hold auditions for the purposes of admission), we offer tuition aid to anyone who needs it, and we activ ely seek to expand our circle of singers and leadership to include v oices we hav e not yet heard. W hile we offer excellent musical teaching and experience for indiv iduals, we also seek to dev elop a strong community and to support indiv iduals in many ways. Our program deliberately builds relationships among the singers, promotes healthy attitudes, encourages cooperation, asks the best work of each singer, fosters support singer-to-singer, and allows many opportunities for self- expression and growth. Singers who hav e been inv olv ed for years tell us that Sisters’ Voices was an important part of their dev elopment of a strong sense of self and confidence in many areas of their liv es. Please explain the impact of your organization on the Orange County community in a typical year. Our choral community is open to school-age girls liv ing in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the surrounding area. Last year, Sisters' Voices One (SV1) ensemble was comprised of 14 girls in 2nd and 3rd grades, SV2 was comprised of 20 girls in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, and SV3 was comprised of 13 girls in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. In 2019-20 there was also a group of 10 girls that met weekly to practice ukulele, learn music theory and other music skills. Typically, SV choruses perform a winter and spring concert, and a spring opera featuring the SV3 ensemble, each with an audience of about 200 community members. In addition to these free public concerts, SV also hosts an annual fundraising ev ent called SingFling to an audience of about 100 indiv iduals. Traditionally in February, SV hosts a choral workshop, Glee W eekend, open to 3rd - 6th grade girls from the broader community. The last Glee W eekend, SV hosted 50 girls who gav e a short performance to about 50 parents. As opportunities arise, SV groups perform at v arious community ev ents such as the Carrboro Music Festiv al, ClydeFest, and Shakori Hills. SV singers hav e also sung the national anthem numerous times for Girls on the Run ev ents and for the Harlem Globetrotters v isit in 2018. Although some of these ev ents take place outside of Orange County, many residents of Orange County attend these ev ents and hear SV perform. In fact, it is through some of these community wide ev ents that girls often learn about and join the chorus. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 Please explain your intended use of a Restart the Arts Grant, if awarded. W e will use the funds for salary support of our Artistic Director. Please explain measures taken by your organization to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It became clear early in the pandemic that singing in groups indoors was especially risky for the spread of COVID, therefore, Sisters’ Voices quickly mov ed to a v irtual format for rehearsals and camps and created v irtual recordings instead of holding performances. This past summer, after consulting with an env ironmental engineer who specializes in aerosols, Leandra held in-person camp and will hold rehearsals for 2021-22 in her home and backyard, where she has control ov er cleanliness, foot traffic, and v entilation. These are the safety protocols that Leandra has set up: – Ventilating rehearsal space well with open windows and central exhaust fan which replaces the air in the space ev ery few minutes. – Filtering indoor air when outdoor v entilation is v ery uncomfortable. – Holding rehearsals and activ ities outdoors when feasible and/or necessary. – Mov ing to Zoom when COVID numbers in the community present unsafe circumstances for gathering. – Distancing (in line with CDC recommendations) when not singing and adding extra space when singing. – Requiring masks of all participants until all participants hav e been v accinated. Howev er, it may be necessary for all to continue masking indoors due to spread of new v ariants. -Reminding singers to stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms. In addition, Leandra has a CO2 monitor that measures CO2 in the space. This doesn’t measure v irus in the air, but it monitors how much the indoor air is affected by the breath of the people in the room. If the CO2 goes too high, the singers can mov e outdoors or Leandra can increase the v entilation in the room. In addition, when the weather does not permit v entilating with fresh air, Leandra has an air purifier with a HEPA filter which circulates the air and filters out particles as small as v iruses. COVID-19 IMPACT DATA This data is for the OCAC's informational purposes only and may or may not be applicable to your organization depending on your structure. Number of Staff Eliminated since March 15, 2020 0 DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 Number of Staff Positions Furloughed/Hours Reduced since March 15, 2020 1PT Number of Public Events Cancelled since March 15, 2020 5 Total Lost Attendance since March 15, 2020 750 Number of Artists paid during calendar year 2019 2 Number of Artists paid during calendar year 2020 2 FINANCIAL INFORMATION n/a 2018-19 (2019) Actual FY Income 47978 2018-19 (2019) Actual FY Expense 40017.79 2019-20 (2020) Actual FY Income 44367.67 2019-20 (2020) Actual FY Expense 50973.72 2020-21 Actual FY Income (Budgeted 2021 Income for those on a calendar fiscal year) 56922.80 2020-21 (2021) Actual FY Expense (Budgeted 2021 Expense for those on a calendar fiscal year) 49765.18 Please upload your current fiscal year Operating Budget Sisters_Voices_2021-2022_Budget.pdf DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584 Upload Year-to-Date Balance Sheet n/a COVID-19 Relief Funding Already Received 11aa23ae-d459-48ec-9fd2-d540c6be4075.xlsx ACKNOW LEDGMENT Please read the following statements below and click to agree to each statement. By submitting this application, I acknowledge I have read and understood the guidelines for the Restart the Arts Grant Program. I make the following representations and acknowledge agreement to the following terms and conditions: I am the duly authorized representativ e of the entity named abov e and can bind the entity to the terms of this Agreement. If funds are prov ided by Restart the Arts, the funds will be used for the purposes set forth abov e. I bear full responsibility for any and all tax consequences of receiv ing grant funds. The representations made by the applicant in this Application are material terms of the Agreement, as is compliance with the Grant Program. The OCAC may cancel this Agreement at any time upon discov ery that any of the information set forth abov e is inaccurate, that these terms hav e been v iolated, or any prov ision of the Grant Program has been v iolated. If funded, the applicant will prov ide documentation as ev idence for future expenses. Documents such as receipts, bill/inv oices, monthly financial statements, and payroll ledgers. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4841FBF3-6B43-4614-B917-CA5F037D3584