Holyoke Local Cultural Council Meeting June 5, 2023

Holyoke Local Cultural Council Meeting      June 5, 2023

In attendance: Koco, Anne, Tim, Chris, Gabriela, Navae, Gloria, Mark (remote), Nadia (remote)

Agenda

Grantee communications

Treasurer’s report

Community surveys

Review of HLCC-sponsored events

General announcements

Other business

Grantee communications

• No updates
• Some reimbursements coming in

Treasurer’s report

• Gabriela inquired about providing access to the treasurer’s report with view only access to other HLCC members
  • Officers only folder for treasurer’s report because of identifying information, Anne advised not providing full access to drive. Could put spreadsheet on separate tracking drive and provide access to non-officers
• For 2022
  • Approved grant amount = $59,145 
  • Amount reimbursed = $39,508.72
  • Amount encumbered = $19,636.28
• For 2023 
  • Approved grant amount = $87,578
  • Amount reimbursed = $17,658.59 
  • Amount encumbered =$69,919.41

Community surveys

• Anne provided physical copies of annual surveys to group in person, official copy provided by MCC including their Spanish translation
• Chris asked if it looks the same year to year – Anne confirmed 
• Promotion of survey – ask folks verbally, table at events, online with city website & Facebook
• Question of whether or not HLCC could table at Pride – may be possible, just need someone who will actually sit at the table. (Nadia reminded that no table or tent is provided). Gabriela volunteered. Nadia will follow up with HLCC after consulting with Pride committee
• Gabriela – question of whether or not the form can be adapted for more of a conversation to get more information and actually survey the community. Offered to do PR cultural translation. Concerned that if we ask the questions as they are, some community members won’t understand and/or respond 
• Navae – the survey is a template. HLCC used to do community meetings that allowed for more conversations and clarifying points. This was included in the community survey results given to MCC. The most important end product is the feedback. Still have to have some standard way to give feedback to MCC
• Gabriela inquired about responses from prior community surveys 
• Chris – question about how we are getting the surveys out and wanting to focus on the different avenues as there are a variety of options
• Gabriela – willing to table and/or do outreach for an hour at different locations but would like support. Chris offered to help
• Locations for tabling/talking to people:
  • Stop & Shop
  • New restaurant 
  • Outside of bodegas
  • Fiesta Cafe
  • Brennan’s Pub
  • Armour Yard
• Create QR code that will link to the survey – share far and wide, city website, Holyoke Media, etc. Gloria will reach out to Holyoke Media about using QR code in promotion. Koco will create QR code.
• Fold into 150th activities
• Nadia & Navae will input the paper copies into google forms but requested only 100 copies be handed out.
• Gabriela talked about the possibility of making the paper copy a mini survey, cutting down from 6 questions to 3
• Navae – most important question is #4 which asks about most important priorities with HLCC funding, includes a variety of options
• Deadline for responses: August 16th 
  • Nadia and Navae will have until August 23rd to input paper copies online
• Chris will reach out to Iohann at Holyoke Media about creating slide or doing marketing through that means. Potential for doing interview at Holyoke Media

• • Fiesta de Patronales
    • Important opportunity for getting surveys completed
    • $400 to table, four-day commitment 
    • Koco – thinks it doesn’t make sense to spend that much money when we could have organizers share the survey or someone with an existing table. Make sure the QR code is visible. She will talk to some of the organizers to see how they can support advertising the survey

• For next month’s agenda – check in about status of having survey shared at festival and communications with organizers

Review of HLCC-sponsored events

• Genuine Culture – Ramsey Louis Tribute, Chris heard it went well
• Performance Project did show at United Congregational Church – Tim said it was great, pretty good attendance
• Got good feedback from Flywheel Zinefest

General announcements

• Holyoke Pride – June 17th. Nadia requested assistance with getting volunteers. Gabriela requested link to website – Nadia will share website with minutes

Other business

• • Need to get another banner – will put on July agenda
  • Gloria spoke about son’s grant application not getting feedback. Anne noted that he may not have hit the submit button at the end. Should get automated notice if it was received. Talked about how we advise applicants to make a word document separate from the form. Most common problem reported is that the grant applications didn’t go through
    • Anne brought up doing grants writing workshops. When HLCC first did it, it was well attended, but over the years attendance declined
    • Grants open around Sept 1st and close October 15th
    • Discussion of different translations available for grants application – information to share in grants writing workshop

• For August agenda – revisit development of grants writing workshop to be held sometime in September

• • Reminder for council members to complete ethics training

• Gabriela – asked to add to July agenda bylaws discussion

• Zoom account – issues with getting wifi at city hall.
  • Could purchase with HLCC admin funds that we can use. Typically use it for grants reception, for printing grants applications. If these funds are not used, they are rolled back into grants for next year
  • Koco is going to look into zoom account for cultural council through city
• When it comes time to send grant acceptance and denial letters, we will give them to Navae who will handle postage (city covers cost)
• T-shirts or buttons for doing community outreach for survey completion
• Question about our logo – previously tried to explore making one but it got dropped due to other priorities. Navae – not a well designed logo for practical use. Could potentially edit it on Canva. Koco is going to work on the logo
  • https://massculturalcouncil.org/about/contracts/credit-logos/

Tim moved to adjourn, Anne seconded. Unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 8pm.