SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre's executive director warns her organization could slip back into a deficit if the city doesn't reinstate $15,000 it cut from its core funding in November.

Marie Coderre, executive and artistic director of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC), asks city council on Monday to reverse a $15,000 cut to the centre's core funding, which has been $80,000 for the last five years. - Randi Beers/NNSL photo Core funding recipients 2014-2015 Yellowknife Guild of Arts and Crafts - $5,000 - no change Northwords NWT - $3,500 - no change St. John's Ambulance - $9,000 - no change NWT SPCA - $10,000 - no change SnowKing Festival - $10,000 - reinstated Yellowknife Golf Club - $10,000 - no change Special Olympics NWT - $4,000 - decreased by $400 Ecology North - $15,000 - decreased by $5,000 Yellowknife Senior's Society - $55,000 - no change Yellowknife Gymnastics Club - $20,000 - no change Yellowknife Ski Club - $20,000 - no change Yellowknife Playgroup Association - $5,000 - no change Food Rescue - $10,000 - increased by $3,000 Northern Arts and Cultural Society - $65,000 - decreased by $15,000 Yellowknife Association of Community Living - $11,000 - no change NWT Disabilities Council - $27,000 - no change Yellowknife Marine Rescue Society - $4,500 - no change Foster Family Coalition of the NWT - $5,000 - no change Aurora Fiddler's Society - $5,000 - no change Canadian Championship Dog Derby Association - $12,500 - no change Folk on the Rocks - $13,600 - increased by $3,600

From the speaker's podium in council chambers Monday, Marie Coderre described for city council how she's been able to pull the organization out of a two-year deficit into a surplus, but higher ticket sales, more community engagement and necessary theatre renovations keep the budget tight.

In fact, she said, she may have to cut programs in order to keep adequate staff levels this year if the city's funding isn't fully reinstated.

"Martin (Emslander, technical director of NACC), should have somebody working with him," she said.

"He is passionate, he donates his time, but there are not two of him … we have to refuse community groups (who want to rent the theatre) because he needs a day off."

Coderre added she's hired extra staff for the box office because ticket sales have gone up by $27,000 over the previous year.

"That means our phone rings more," she said.

NACC has received $80,000 annually from the city's grant committee since 2009, the largest chunk of the committee's $320,100 core funding pot.

The organization will still receive the largest portion – $65,000 – but it also took the biggest hit. Two other organizations also saw their funding reduced next year, with Ecology North losing $5,000, leaving it with $15,000 this year and Special Olympics NWT's grant was reduced by $400 to $4,000.

Two organizations will receive a bump in funding. Food Rescue saw a jump to $10,000 from $7,000 and Folk on the Rocks will receive $13,600 this year after receiving $10,000 in 2014.

The SnowKing Festival has been reinstated to the core funding list as well. It last received $10,000 from the grant committee in 2010 and will receive $10,000 this year.

Coun. Bob Brooks took keen interest in Coderre's request, especially her assertion that NACC's annual budget does not reflect the amount of money staff donates every year to keep the theatre running.

"You said yourself there are a bunch of hours you put in as volunteers that are not paid and you would consider to be in-kind (services)," he said to Coderre.

"If somebody's salary was $80,000 but put in (almost 40 extra hours per week), then you should have said you received $70,000 in-kind. This is how much money it takes to do this. Somebody gave you that time for free." Coun. Adrian Bell agreed, adding he understands reporting in-kind services to funding agencies might not be allowed.

"Any agency relies on full-time workers, but if full-time workers are putting in hours and not getting paid it should be reflected," he said.

He asked Coderre to calculate the number of hours staff volunteered over the past year in the coming weeks for council.

Coun. Rebecca Alty, chair of the grant review committee, offered an explanation of the committee's decision-making process to close the discussion.

"As a committee we understand it's a difficult situation," she said, explaining the panel used a new template this year to award grants based on need and community impact.

"Everybody would love to be at NACC's funding level – historically it's received 20 per cent of the grant pot.

"But looking at policy, I don't think we've been awarding funding based on policy, more based on past funding amounts instead of need or community impact."

"Food First Foundation received $10,000 but if NACC received $80,000 – I don't think we can justify the difference – can we say NACC provides the community with eight times more services than (Food First Foundation)?"

NACC receives approximately 35 per cent of its $1.2 million dollar operating budget from public funding and attempts to come up with the remainder through annual private fundraising, a ratio Coderre says making planning her budget difficult and complex. She added even this ratio changes year to year.

Council will discuss options for re-evaluating NACC's funding within the next few weeks.

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