Sisters Folk Festival builds for the future

Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) received three grant awards recently, all focused on providing second-year funding for a re-alignment and expansion of staff for the organization.

As the organization enters its third decade, it has been working on building the organizational infrastructure needed to pursue its wide range of work and move into the future.

In 2014, SFF hired Ann Richardson as managing director, allowing Brad Tisdel, the former executive director, to assume the role of creative director, and focus his skills and attention on what he does best - managing the growing presence of the Americana Project in the Sisters public schools and booking musicians for SFF events.

Also in 2014 the organization created a new, nearly full-time position for a year-round volunteer coordinator.

Board chair Jack McGowan is thrilled with the support. "With these much-needed and appreciated funding grants, the Sisters Folk Festival organization has taken large steps to solidify its stability and continued service to the community."

SFF received a grant of $12,500 from the Irene Gerlinger Swindells Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) for the second and final year to increase organizational capacity. The grant award continues OCF's mission to improve life in Oregon and promote effective philanthropy. OCF works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create charitable funds to support the community causes they care about.

SFF received a $15,000 grant, which is the final installment of a Meyer Memorial Trust (MMT), grassroots grant totaling $40,000 also in support of the managing director position. MMT is a private foundation that is not connected to Fred Meyer, Inc.

SFF received a $6,337 operating support grant from the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the State of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to supporting the managing director position, the grant will be used to support general operating expenses of the organization, including a portion of the salary for Kerani Mitchell, who was hired as the volunteer coordinator and events manager.

Mitchell also assists Brad Tisdel in the planning and execution of the Americana Project.

SFF's mission is to enrich lives through the arts. To achieve that goal, staffing levels are now appropriate for the tasks at hand and to support the near-term growth of the organization.