Request For Proposal: Grant Writing Consultant for
The Gloversville Theatre Corporation (The Glove Theatre)
James Hannahs, President of the Board of Directors
theglovetheatre@gmail.com
The Gloversville Theatre Corporation (The Glove Theatre)
PO Box 566, Gloversville, NY 12078
518-752-4611
Submission deadline: January 8, 2024
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:
The Gloversville Theatre Corporation (The Glove Theatre or The Glove) is a 501(c)3 non-profit located founded in 1995 and organized to acquire, repair, renovate, and reactivate the historic Glove Theatre.
The Glove was built in 1914 as a vaudeville house. Acquired by J. Meyer and Louis Schine in 1920, The Glove served as the flagship location and headquarters for the nationwide Schine Theatre Circuit. The theatre hosted a variety of live performances, first-run movies, and community events. As the centerpiece of Gloversville’s downtown, The Glove was a symbol of entertainment, prosperity, and nostalgia for community members. Like many urban theaters in the region, The Glove faced neglect during the Urban Renewal movement in the 60s, and 70s, and was ultimately abandoned and shuttered in 1971.
After sitting vacant for nearly 25 years, The Glove faced imminent demolition. The ceiling had partially collapsed, and a 3-foot standing pool covered the floor and seating area. In 1995, a group of concerned community members formed The Gloversville Theatre Corporation to save the theater from demolition and return it to its former glory. Their efforts shored up the building and fostered community investment to bring The Glove back as a community gathering place.
The theater continues to operate as a performing arts venue. The board of directors manages the organization’s operations and long-term planning goals. In 2022, the organization hired a General Manager to manage day-to-day operations, enhance consistent ongoing operations, and focus on attainment of long-term objectives. In 2023, The Glove hired a Facilities Manager to assist the GM in daily operations. In 2023, The Glove hosted 47 productions, logged 3,156 volunteer hours, and welcomed over 5,600 guests to our historic theater and to downtown Gloversville – bringing life to downtown Gloversville.
In 2022 and 2023, The Glove received two large capital improvement grants. The Glove was awarded $1.993 million as part of New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and $2 million through a Restore New York grant. Together, these grants will be used for capital improvements to modernize the facility, maximize the guest experience, make the make the balcony accessible and compliant, and enhance The Glove’s space for performers and guests.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Glove is accepting proposals from qualified Grant Writing Consultants (GWC) to assist in seeking potential operating and program funding sources. The Glove has prioritized the following types of grant funding: staff payroll, general operations, educational and other programming, and audience development.
Within a three-month engagement, the Grant Writing Consultant (GWC) will:
Create/recommend a grant roadmap
Develop a process overview: responsibilities of consultant / staff / selected members of the Board (the Board) with respect to grant submissions
Establish a high-level roadmap and timeframe for relevant grant applications (e.g., name of grant, timing for submission and awarding of grant, potential size range of the award, degree of fit for The Glove, etc.)
Using industry knowledge of funding sources targeted to arts/cultural institutions, performing arts venues, historic buildings, and/or revitalization efforts, research and identify potential funding opportunities that align with The Glove’s funding needs and mission – particularly those that would assist The Glove in funding:
Glove Theatre staff salaries
Operations and maintenance of The Glove’s 109-year-old theater building
Theatre programming – including but not limited to: education, theatrical, music, comedy, new works/new artists, film, and audience development
Present grant recommendations to selected members of the Board (the Board) for selection and approval to proceed to application
To maximize The Glove’s potential to obtain funding support within the timeframe of the GWC’s engagement and within The Glove’s limited budget, the GWC will work with the Board to pursue two tracks for grant submission completion:
Track 1: For a sub-set of grant applications identified by the GWC/the Board, the GWC will facilitate preparation of full grant submission portfolios/applications. It is envisioned that grant submissions in this track are more complex and the GWC’s technical expertise will provide a greater likelihood for attainment of funding
Track 2: For additional grants identified by the GWC/the Board, the GWC will provide portfolio and application guidance. The Glove GM and the Board will prepare and submit grant applications. It is envisioned these submissions will be less complex and that, with limited assistance from the GWC, the Glove’s internal team will be able to prepare successful grant submissions
Assist with the creation of key, recurring grant narratives and material packages for submission for recurring/rolling grants. The GWC will suggest approaches to enhance The Glove’s narrative on not-for-profit rating sites and corporate-giving portals (e.g., Guidestar, Charity Navigator, Benevity, CyberGrants, etc.) to raise our profile and create additional opportunities for individual and corporate giving opportunities
PROPOSED SCHEDULE:
December 20, 2023: RFP Released
January 8, 2024: Proposals due by end of day
January 22, 2024: GWC selected (assuming viability of candidates) with immediate start thereafter
PROJECT FEE AND TIMING:
The Glove’s budget for this initial effort is a maximum of $6,000. Proposals will indicate how the respondent will structure their work with The Glove to deliver the requested scope of services within The Glove’s budgetary constraints. We envision this initial effort will span three months from initiation to completion. Candidates will provide their billing rates and terms within their RFP response.
At the end of this engagement, there is the potential the GWC may be retained for additional services beyond the initial engagement.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:
Each applicant must submit as part of their proposal an outline of their proposed process. Proposals shall be relevant, concise, and include samples of previous relevant work.
RFP responses should be emailed in PDF format to theglovetheatre@gmail.com or delivered to The Glove on a USB flash drive.
Each submission should address The Glove’s requested scope of services. The submission should include:
Cover Letter
RFP Response—Proposed Approach to Scope of Services
Statement of Qualifications/Resume
References
QUESTIONS:
Any questions on this Request For Proposal (RFP) can be directed to James Hannahs, President of the Board of Directors, at 518-752-4611 or theglovetheatre@gmail.com.