Operating Support

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$38,304
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
SteppingStone Theater Company AKA SteppingStone Theatre
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2011
End Date
June 2012
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Anoka
Beltrami
Blue Earth
Carver
Chisago
Clay
Cook
Crow Wing
Dakota
Dodge
Freeborn
Goodhue
Hennepin
Isanti
Itasca
Kanabec
Le Sueur
McLeod
Meeker
Mille Lacs
Olmsted
Pine
Ramsey
Redwood
Rice
Scott
Sherburne
Sibley
St. Louis
Stearns
Steele
Waseca
Washington
Wilkin
Wright
Anoka
Beltrami
Blue Earth
Carver
Chisago
Clay
Cook
Crow Wing
Dakota
Dodge
Freeborn
Goodhue
Hennepin
Isanti
Itasca
Kanabec
Le Sueur
McLeod
Meeker
Mille Lacs
Olmsted
Pine
Ramsey
Redwood
Rice
Scott
Sherburne
Sibley
St. Louis
Stearns
Steele
Waseca
Washington
Wilkin
Wright
Project Overview
Operating Support
Project Details
General operating support
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Judson Bemis Jr., Actor, arts administrator, founder and principal of Clere Consulting. Secretary, Minnesota State Arts Board., Ardell Brede, Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002., 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., Michael Charron, Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board., Sean Dowse, Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies., John Gunyou, City manager, Minnetonka., Ellen McInnis, Director of Twin Cities government relations, Wells Fargo. Member of Bottineau Boulevard Partnership. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board., Pamela Perri, Executive vice president, Builders Association of Minnesota., Margaret Rapp, Former educator, Saint Paul Academy and Summit School. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board., Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe, Bemidji State University.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Joshua Aerie: Conductor, artistic director, and instructor of various music organizations. Board member, Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and Sacred Heart Music Center.; Bari Amadio: Executive director, Rochester Arts Council. Board member, Perpich Center for Arts Education.; Gwendolyn Freed: Vice president for marketing and communication, Gustavus Adolphus College.; Antony Goddard: Executive director, Paramount Arts Resource Trust, and St Cloud Opportunities.; Andrea Jenkins: Senior policy aide, Minneapolis City Councilmember Glidden. Co-curator, S.A.S.E., Carol Connolly GLBT Reading Series at Intermedia Arts.; Jeff Langaard: Finance consultant; Howard Oransky: Director of continuing studies, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Co-founder, Form + Content Gallery.; William Venne: UofStThomas:Journ&PubRel(85)andCertNonProfMng(91); CURR_ChiefDevOfficer,UofMCollegeofVetMed(09); PAST_DevDir:UofMGraduateSch(07-09);HennepinTheatreTrust(05-06);OrdwayCtr(03-05);MNOpera(96-03);IllusionTheater(89-96)
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2011, First Special Session, chapter 6, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2012 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$38,304
Other Funds Leveraged
$1,096,696
Direct expenses
$1,135,000
Administration costs
$3,500
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

1. Deepen relationships with underserved communities to increase access to our mainstage performances and grow overall attendance by 20%. 2. Design and implement new Minnesota state standards-aligned artist residency models. 3. Enhance organizational sustainability by creating a facilities reserve fund undertaking critical capital maintenance projects and budgeted surplus to address depreciation expenses associated with our new building. Written and oral audience surveys, pre- and post-activity assessment tools, teacher and participant surveys, student journaling and discussion, growth in overall attendance, growth in the number of school and community partnerships each year, demographic distribution of participants, and market research.

Measurable Outcome(s)

1. In FY 2012 SteppingStone Theatre increased class/camp attendance by 11% (including a 15% increase in the summer session alone) and increased filled capacity for general public mainstage performances by 10%. We increased access to programs through a larger scholarship fund, fully or partially subsidizing about 15% of mainstage tickets and 15% of class registrations. SteppingStone also increased access through new Pay What You Can Day performances. 2. SteppingStone Theatre continued to revise its residency models to align with state standards and also created new curriculum. We implemented twenty-one residencies. 3. SteppingStone Theatre began a small reserves fund with reserves and investment policies approved by the board. SteppingStone Theatre also completed a major capital improvement project, raising over $185,000 for the renovation of the front staircase. We measured outcomes by tracking overall attendance, different types of attendance, and the number of school partnerships.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Jeffrey Burt, Laura Krenz, Paul Schatz, Jane Zilch, Bridgid Dowdal, Rick Frommeyer, David Graham, Andrea Nordaune, Brandon Paris, Lisa Benjamin Phillips, Summer Scharringhausen, Kenneth Scott, Paril Scott, Susan Schuster, Christopher Stall, Lori Swanson, Kay Willshire, Tom Dzik
Project Manager
First Name
Ross
Last Name
Willits
Organization Name
SteppingStone Theater Company AKA SteppingStone Theatre
Street Address
55 Victoria St N
City
St Paul
State
MN
Zip Code
55104-7196
Phone
(651) 225-9265x 202
Email
ross@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