SPRINGFIELD AREA ARTS COUNCIL

Enriching the Community Through the Arts

aka SAAC   |   Springfield, IL   |  www.springfieldartsco.org

Mission

THE SPRINGFIELD AREA ARTS COUNCIL PROMOTES THE EXISTENCE AND VISIBILITY OF ALL ART FORMS; PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS; PROMOTES AND UNDERWRITES ARTS IN EDUCATION; SUPPORTS LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL POLICIES WHICH INCREASE PUBLIC APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS; AND ADVOCATES FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS BY ALL CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE MISSION IS TO ENRICH THE COMMUNITY BY PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING ALL ART FORMS AND PROVIDING CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN AND ENJOY THE ARTS.

Notes from the nonprofit

Springfield Area Arts Council Mission: Enriching the community by promoting all art forms and providing creative opportunities to participate in and enjoy the arts Recommitment to Equity In the sweep of pandemic and protest, the Springfield Area Arts Council renews our commitment to encourage, embrace, and celebrate diversity. The Arts Council affirms our pledge not to discriminate in any way by reason of race, color, religion, national origin, income, mental/physical ability, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression and to listen to those who know better than we do where discrimination lingers in our society. The visual, performing, and literary arts in the greater Springfield area should encompass all creative efforts. Therefore, the Arts Council stands ready to ally with those who seek to educate and to find community-led solutions. As the Arts Council nears our 45th anniversary, we will endeavor to help the community imagine, engage, heal, and move forward.

Ruling year info

1976

Executive Director

Sheila Walk

Main address

420 S 6th St

Springfield, IL 62701 USA

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Formerly known as

Springboard

EIN

37-1003507

NTEE code info

Arts Education/Schools (A25)

Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C. (S99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Poetry OutLoud

Poetry Out Loud is a national, annual program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Regional and State competitions, presented in partnership with the Illinois Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, are hosted by the Springfield Area Arts Council.

Population(s) Served
Adolescents

Where we work

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Our programs are open to all, with an emphasis on under-served populations and diverse communities.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Paper surveys,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    Arts in Education typically provides funding to area schools for performing and visual artists. Due to the pandemic, recommendations from teachers were utilized so funding could be used for remote instruction. Uptown Friday Night audience feedback set the criteria for selecting a new venue.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our staff, Our board, Our funders,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    Grantees' final reports prompt amendments to application processes.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,

Financials

SPRINGFIELD AREA ARTS COUNCIL
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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SPRINGFIELD AREA ARTS COUNCIL

Board of directors
as of 11/24/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Adena Rivas

City of Springfield

Term: 2021 - 2022

Lamar Wall

Steve Myers

Nika Champion

Ashley Davis

Anastasia Lindsey

Steve Rambach

Julio Barrenzuela

Roberta Codemo

Donna Jefferson

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/24/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/24/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.