About

The primary task of the Benton County Cultural Coalition (BCCC) is to annually distribute funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust.  These monies, based on county population, fund projects according to local community needs. 

The BCCC Board meets in late September to review the upcoming grant cycle.  A grant writing networking event is held in September. Another meeting is held mid-November, to review grant applications and to select projects to be funded.

Coalition board members are also a liaison for at least one grant recipient each year, staying in contact and sharing information between the recipient and the BCCC Board. Each liaison maintains contact from grant approval to final report, ensuring funding guidelines are heeded, and shares information with other BCCC members for use in BCCC publicity, and to encourage attendance at grant-funded events.

Although most communications take place via email, volunteer board members should be prepared to participate in meetings (typically held in the evening, 6-8 times per year, primarily from August through February.) Members may be affiliated with a cultural organization, but cannot represent that organization in discussion or voting. 

The Coalition is comprised of Benton County residents representing both rural and urban interests in art, culture and heritage. BCCC selects new Coalition members as current member terms expire or as vacancies arise. A term on the Board is two years, with the option to re-apply twice.

General skills or interest in the following areas are helpful:

• Board and budget management, project tracking, record-keeping and reporting.
• Local involvement or interest in the art/cultural/heritage community
• Experience in distribution of grant funds.
• Media and communications, including social media platforms
• Networking and leadership.

All members review grant applications and determine final awards.  Members actively recruit new members throughout Benton County, reviewing online member interest forms and voting to accept new members.

Specific positions within the board may include:

Grant Lead

• Tracks the grant applications, and grant award processes through completion.
• Works with Communications team to publicize call for applications and for Board vacancies.
• Works with Secretary to draft grant awards and final decline letters.
• Works with Web team to create online applications and grant summaries. Sets up email contact groups for applicants.
• Tracks incoming signed grant agreements with Treasurer, to facilitate submission of grantee information to Benton County Finance for check disbursement.
• Tracks BCCC email daily/several times per week to field and answer grantee questions; forwards other messages to appropriate BCCC members

Grant File Manager
Formats and saves incoming online Grant Applications and Final Reports as Word documents, distributes these documents to BCCC members via email.

Files one copy of each grant document (OCT grant, Grant Applications and Final Reports) in grant notebook and online in BCCC Dropbox account for each Fiscal year.

Communication Lead 

• Announces grant opportunities via email, press release, and poster/fliers distributed throughout Benton County.
• Provides a summary description of each funded project for BCCC members and press. Promotes end of year giving to the Oregon Cultural Trust (OCT).
• Manages supply and distributes BCCC brochures; re/designs brochures as needed.
• Creates, assembles and takes down annual BCCC display in Footwise community window.

Webmaster
Serves as primary contact with contracted website management company. Manages website maintenance and system of email contacts with interested parties. Enters BCCC members’ email addresses in website to receive incoming on-line forms. Schedules Grant Application form following grant calendar. Monitors website for incoming Grant Applications and Member Interest Forms. Updates website with list of new grant recipients and current BCCC members annually.

Post Box Manager

• Checks PO Box#1504 at Philomath post office frequently and notifies Chair, Treasurer or Grant Committee Lead of incoming mail.
• Specifically checks box on October 31 for Grant Applications.
• Closely monitors the box August-December for Grant Agreements and Final Reports. Arranges payment of annual fee to renew PO Box with Treasurer.

Chair
Provides leadership at BCCC meetings and guides BCCC through:

• Distribution of funds as outlined in the OCT Cultural Participation Agreement and BCCC Cultural Plan.
• Submission of on-line OCT Final Report as set per annual OCT deadline in February.
• Establishes dates of BCCC meetings/Grant Writing Workshop at start of grant cycle; works with BCCC members to set meeting locations, and agendas.
• Completes Oregon Cultural Trust (OCT) Cultural Participation Agreement/Acct Info update in August.
• Upon receipt of OCT contract, meets with Benton County finance officer to sign agreement, securing funds from OCT (late Sept/early October.) Updates and thanks County Commissioners for supporting BCCC.
• Maintains master copy of BCCC position descriptions, policies and procedures, passwords and external contacts.

Secretary

• Prepares and distributes BCCC member contact list, meeting agendas and minutes in consultation with BCCC members.
• Tracks attendance and prepares membership communications.
• Works with Grant Lead to prepare and distribute grant award letters in November.
• Files digital copies of approved minutes and BCCC Board packets into DropBox; maintains and archives paper copies of these documents in accordance with OCT and Benton County policies.

Treasurer

• Creates annual budget in October, including grant award level, with BCCC member approval.
• Provides budget reports with printed copies for review at BCCC meetings
• Manages reimbursements for coalition members
• Works with Benton County Finance:
  • to file annual BCCC budget and reconcile accounting, including carryout
  • to provide Benton County finance officer with list of grant recipients/Tax IDs
  • to manage annual grantee check distribution and any return of unused grant funds  

Executive Committee is comprised of: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Grants, Communications, and Web leads.

Interested in taking part? Please complete the online Volunteer Board Application Form.  Contact us at BentonCoalition@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Funding for the Benton County Cultural Coalition comes from the Oregon Cultural Trust.

In July 2001, the Oregon Cultural Trust was founded by the Oregon legislature in a near unanimous vote on HB2923, authorizing the cultural tax credit, cultural license plate and the ability to transfer state assets to build the cultural trust.

In July 2013, the Oregon legislature renewed the cultural tax credit for six more years, until 2020, the maximum renewal that was allowed, giving the Trust a vote of confidence to continue its good work.

Today, the Cultural Trust is statewide, supporting 41 county cultural and tribal coalitions. These county and tribal coalitions then sub-grant to local art, culture and heritage projects.

The mission of the Oregon Cultural Trust: “To lead Oregon in cultivating, growing and valuing culture as an integral part of communities. We do this by inspiring Oregonians to invest in a permanent fund that provides annual grants to cultural organizations.” Its vision is an Oregon that champions and invests in creative expression and cultural exchange, driving innovation and opportunity for all.

All Oregonians can be a part of this vision by supporting any of 1400 eligible cultural non-profits, matching those gifts with a gift to the Trust, and taking Oregon’s generous and unique state cultural tax credit: up to $500 per individual, $1,000 per household and $2500 per Class C corporation. For a list of the participating cultural non-profits located in Benton County, please visit https://culturaltrust.org/about-us/who-we-are/

Cultural Trust License Plates

Income from sales of the cultural license plate benefits the Oregon Cultural Trust.

The cultural license plate is available at any DMV office or by mail. The Trust receives 100 percent of the $30 surcharge for the plate and revenue from the culture plates averages about $30,000 each month.

The plate, selected in open competition, features a painting by northwest artist Kelly Kievit. The abstract color field was chosen to represent the diversity and vibrancy of Oregon culture.

For more information on the purchase of Cultural Trust license plates, please visit the website of the Oregon DMV.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

CULTURAL PLAN