Operating Support

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$51,555
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
SteppingStone Theater Company AKA SteppingStone Theatre
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2018
End Date
June 2019
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Anoka
Carver
Chisago
Dakota
Goodhue
Hennepin
Ramsey
Scott
Anoka
Carver
Chisago
Dakota
Goodhue
Hennepin
Ramsey
Scott
Project Overview

Operating Support

Project Details

SteppingStone Theatre's mission is to develop the whole child by using educational theater programs and fully staged productions to build self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of community, while celebrating diversity in a supportive, noncompetitive atmosphere.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Secretary/Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse: Mayor of Red Wing, elected 2016. Former executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Philip McKenzie, Oboe and English horn player; adjunct oboe faculty, NDSU; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen: Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts; coordinator, First Stage Gallery; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund.; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Crystal Brinkman: Executive director, Kulture Klub Collaborative; Brenda Brousseau: Visual artist, app developer and software company owner; Michael Cook: Treasurer, Twin Cities Jazz Festival; retired banker; Sindiswa Georgiades: Project management and fund development professional; Betsy Husting: Retired fundraising consultant to nonprofit and arts organizations; Sonja Jacobsen: Retired office manager, Jacobsen Metal Fabrication; vocal and instrumental music teacher; board member, Mankato Symphony; Cheryl Kessler: Founder and principal evaluator, Blue Scarf Consulting, LLC; Philip McKenzie: Oboe and English horn player; adjunct oboe faculty, NDSU; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen: Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2017 Regular Session, chapter 91, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$51,555
Other Funds Leveraged
$1,157,789
Direct expenses
$1,157,789
Administration costs
$51,555
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

Support the artistic, educational, and social development of a diverse population of youth through thoughtful, artistically rigorous arts experiences. Pre and post program surveys; age appropriate reflection using model created by Boston Youth Arts Evaluation Project; staff, teacher, and participant qualitative response (video/written); sales data. 2: Improve sustainability of SST through robust, comprehensive business systems and procedures in support of mission-driven arts programming for youth. 65% earned income ratio; reduced staff time managing routine tasks; increase in audience and donor participation; unified CRM and e-commerce operations; fiscal health including depreciation funding.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Steppingstone Theatre delivered arts programming that encouraged positive youth and adolescent development and produced culturally relevant content. Through surveys and age appropriate self-assessments, SST demonstrated increased artistic quality and greater cultural diversity, youth reported increased confidence as art-makers, and overall sales hit records in two of three program areas. 2: SST completed two transition phases to a more robust CRM platform, increased earned income, all while sustaining support for students with financial n. SST achieved 60% earned income, developed a new individual giving program reversing declines in individual giving. Better data management led to record sales, while sustaining an open access policy for families and schools with financial need.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
achieved most of the proposed outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Mike S Erlandson, Theresa Gravelle Foss, Leah Harvey, Rhonda Feist, Tamra Davis Cownie, Maggie Dayton, Kathy Engesser, Gia Lyons, Seema Nambudiripad, Jennifer Prock, Anna Tobin, Jared Kemper
Project Manager
First Name
Ernest
Last Name
Briggs
Organization Name
SteppingStone Theater Company AKA SteppingStone Theatre
Street Address
55 Victoria St N
City
St Paul
State
MN
Zip Code
55104
Phone
(651) 225-9265
Email
ernest@steppingstonetheatre.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

Griggs Midway Building, Suite 304,
540 Fairview Avenue North,
St. Paul, MN 55104

Phone
(651) 539-2650 or toll-free (800) 866-2787
Email the Agency