MCA
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
2233 University Ave. W. #355
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-251-0868 fax 651-917-3561
staff at mncitizensforthearts.org
www.mncitizensforthearts.org
Arts Action Center

February 29, 2008

1. Nonprofit Property and Sales Tax Issues Emerging

2. Internship Openings at MCA and ‘Vote Yes Minnesota’ Campaign

3. Volunteer for the Amendment Campaign

4. Join List of Endorsing Organizations

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1. Nonprofit Property and Sales Tax Issues Emerging

-Property Tax Issue Update
In December, we notified you of a Minnesota Supreme Court decision in Under the Rainbow Child Care Center, Inc. v. County of Goodhue that we believe narrows the definition used to determine property tax exemptions for nonprofit organizations.

Since December, MCA has been working in coalition with lead organization Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and may other partners, including nonprofit leaders, attorneys, county assessors, the Department of Revenue, and legislators from all parts of the state to find a remedy. We are happy to report that there is broad support for preserving property tax exemptions for charitable organizations.

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, led by Marcia Avner, and partners have been working closely with the Department of Revenue, which administers property and other taxes, to establish language that can be clearly implemented by the Department. In our meetings, we were able to establish a common goal: to neither narrow nor expand the standards used to determine property tax exemption. Through our discussions, we have concluded that what will serve nonprofit organizations best is a long-term solution that will effectively address the ambiguity that has existed in Minnesota law on standards for the property tax exemption of “purely public charities.”

The Department of Revenue has agreed to work with us to establish a moratorium to protect nonprofits’ existing property tax exemptions until new laws are in place and to establish clear guidelines for how new applications for property tax will be evaluated in the interim. This is good news for Minnesota’s nonprofits. This will provide needed clarity and predictability for nonprofit organizations as they make plans and budgets for the future. Moratorium language is being drafted and will be posted at www.mncn.org as soon as it is available.

Meanwhile, MCA will continue to work with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and our nonprofit and legal allies to educate decision-makers on the realities of nonprofit finances, to advocate for the needs of nonprofit organizations, and to work with the Department of Revenue to draft a bill to introduce in the 2009 legislative session.

For more information on this issue, visit www.mncn.org.

-New Sales Tax Issue?
In the past few weeks, two arts organizations have notified MCA that that Minnesota Department of Revenue is raising questions about and changing their treatment of sales tax exemptions for the nonprofit, causing a new, unexpected and very expensive (and seemingly nonsensical) sales tax expense for each organization. The changes are being made under the definition of “fundraising days.” If this has occured with any nonprofit arts organization you are working with, please contact Sheila at staff at mncitizensforthearts.org.

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2. Internship Openings at MCA and ‘Vote Yes Minnesota’ Campaign

Yes, there are Intern Openings at MCA! Pass this notice along to anyone you think might be interested:

1. POSITION: CAMPAIGN INTERNS WITH ‘VOTE YES MINNESOTA’ CAMPAIGN
On November 4, Minnesotans will have a chance to invest in a better life for future generations by voting for a proposed state constitutional amendment to fund Minnesota’s water quality, wildlife, the arts , cultural heritage, and natural areas. Vote Yes Minnesota is a ballot campaign comprised of citizens and organizations working together statewide to ensure passage of the amendment.
DUTIES: We seek capable individuals to assist with a variety of tasks, including:
• Engaging in direct voter contact through tabling, literature distribution, visibility events, and other activities as assigned by Campaign field staff
• Responding to public inquiries regarding the campaign and proposed constitutional amendment
• Assisting with logistics for campaign field events
• Serving as support staff for campaign staff
• Miscellaneous research projects, as assigned
• Office administration (including, but not limited to answering phones, data entry, filing, and greeting visitors)
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Interest in politics, field organizing, communications, and/or fundraising
• Solid interpersonal skills; experience responding to members of the public a plus
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Ability to work in teams and thrive in a fast pace, dynamic atmosphere
• Supportive of the campaign’s mission to pass the statewide amendment to protect water quality, wildlife, the arts, cultural heritage, and natural areas. Experience and/or a particular interest in one of these areas is a plus.
BENEFITS:
• Experience with a major, statewide political campaign
• Professional networking opportunities
• Exposure to a variety of campaign functions. Specific areas of interest (ie communications, fundraising, etc.) will be accommodated to the extent feasible
• Academic credit, whenever possible
FOR THE CAMPAIGN INTERNSHIP: Send resume and cover letter to: Laura Nevitt, Field Director, Vote Yes Minnesota Campaign, 2334 University Ave W, Suite 150, Saint Paul, MN 55114, lnevitt@heritage08.org

2. POSITION: INTERNSHIP OPENING AT MINNESOTA CITIZENS FOR THE ARTS
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA), a nationally renowned arts advocacy organization that lobbies for state arts funding, seeks an intern to begin as soon as possible The position is part-time and flexible (approximately 20 hours per week), and pays a small hourly stipend. MCA represents the arts community of Minnesota at the state legislature and lobbies for state funding of the arts, as well as other issues of concern to the non-profit arts community. MCA also does advocacy for the National Endowment for the Arts. To lobby effectively, MCA organizes grassroots advocacy around the state and keeps constituents educated and informed about the political process and the current state of arts funding throughout the year.

Interns will have exposure to and opportunities to interact with some of the movers and shakers in the arts community, as well as a working knowledge of the legislative process, arts funding structures in Minnesota and the basic functions of running a nonprofit. Perks include free tickets to performances and many opportunities to advance in the arts and/or political community.

Duties and projects included in the internship:
- Work with staff on current projects including grassroots organizing, candidate meetings, voter education, board meeting preparation, filing and data entry, and coordination with the Vote Yes Minnesota campaign.
- Interns may also have the opportunity to identify and take on projects of interest that relate to arts advocacy.

A qualified applicant would possess the following skills:
-Understanding of the political process. Past political experience preferred.
-Interest in working with the arts community.
-Good communication skills, especially speaking with people on the phone.
-A self-starting, positive, self-motivated personality and a sense of humor.
-Good organizational skills and the ability to perform many tasks simultaneously.
-Computer literacy; preferably experience with Macintosh, Microsoft Word & Excel and database systems.
-Independent and creative work habits.

FOR THE MCA INTERNSHIP: Please mail or email resume and cover letter by March 10, 2008 to: Mark Albers, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, 2233 University Avenue West, Suite 355, St. Paul, MN 55114, staff at mncitizensforthearts.org

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3. Volunteer for the Amendment Campaign

The campaign to pass the amendment will be launched very soon and you can be a part of it! There will be many volunteer opportunities as we organize on a statewide basis to spread the word about how important it is that Minnesota vote “yes.” We urge you to sign up with the Vote Yes Minnesota campaign at: Minnesota2008@gmail.com.

Also, the campaign has an office which you can contact at: Vote Yes Minnesota, 2334 University Ave. #150, St. Paul, MN 55114, 651-644-2088.

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4. List of Endorsing Organizations Continues to Grow

Our list of endorsing organizations continues to grow! We delivered the list below to legislators and since then have gotten many more endorsements for the amendment. Is your arts organization is signed up on the list of arts, conservation & civic organizations that support the amendment? It’s not too late - be a part of it all.

Create a Legacy
VOTE YES!
Protect our Lakes, Land, and Way of Life

Supporters of the
THE GREAT OUTDOORS AND HERITAGE AMENDMENT

1000 Friends of Minnesota, Alliance for Sustainability, American Association of Woodturners, American Choral Directors of Minnesota, American Composers Forum, Arrowhead Alliance of Artists with Disabilities (AAAWD), Arrowhead Chorale, Duluth, Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Duluth, Art Educators of Minnesota, Arts Education Consortium of Minnesota, Art of the Lakes, Battle Lake, Artist Relief Fund, Duluth, ArtReach Alliance, Arts & Culture Partnership of Saint Paul, Arts Center of St. Peter, Artspace Projects, Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis, Audubon Minnesota, Austin (Red Cedar) Chapter Izaak Walton League, Belwin, Bloomington Chorale, Blue Earth Town and Country Players, Blue Earth Valley Concert Association, Bluff Country Studio Art Tour, Bush Lake (Minneapolis area) Chapter Izaak Walton League, Cannon River Watershed Partnership, Caponi Art Park and Learning Center, Carpenter Saint Croix Valley Nature Center, Center for Energy and Environment, Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT), Central Minnesota Arts Board, Children’s Theatre Company, Childrens Book Illustrators Guild of Minnesota, City of Rochester Music Department/Riverside Concerts, Clean up the River Environment (CURE), Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota, CLIMB Theatre, Coalition for a Clean Minnesota River, Colder by the Lake Comedy Theatre, Duluth, Conservation Fund, Conservation Minnesota, Cornucopia Art Center, Cross Community Players, Curtain Call Theatre, Depot Studios, Isle, Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Duluth Audubon Society, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. East Central Regional Arts Council, Mora, East Metro Women’s Council, White Bear Lake, Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota (EJAM), Embodied Arts, Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE), Evansville Art Center, Evansville Arts Coalition, Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Fergus Falls A Center for the Arts, Fine Arts Committee of Ivan Sand Community School, Five Wings Arts Council, Staples, FM Visual Artists (Fargo-Moorhead), Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota, Fresh Energy, Friends of Minnesota Valley, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Friends of the Mississippi River, Friends of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, FUEGO Flamenco, Great Outdoors Minnesota, Gunflint Trail Historical Society, Guthrie Theater, Harbor Friends, Harmony Arts Board, Hauser Dance, Hendricks Norwegian Heritage Committee, Heron Lake Watershed Restoration Association, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Historic Holmes Theatre, Detroit Lakes, Historic Mounds Theatre, St. Paul, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Institute for Local Self - Reliance, Izaak Walton League of America – Midwest Office, Izaak Walton League of America – Minnesota Division, James Sewell Ballet, JazzMN Big Band, Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers, Pipestone, Lake Agassiz Arts Council, Lake Region Arts Council, Fergus Falls, Land Stewardship Project, League of Women Voters - Minnesota, Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis, Lower Phalen Creek Project, Lowry Lab Theater, Lyric Arts Company of Anoka, MacPhail Center for Music, Mankato Area Environmentalists, Mankato Symphony Orchestra, Mask & Rose Women’s Theater Collective, Bemidji, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Milan Village Arts School, Milkweed Editions, Minhua Chorus, Roseville, Minneapolis Arts Commission, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, Minnehaha (Minneapolis) Chapter Izaak Walton League, Minnesota Art Therapy Association, Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Minnesota Campaign for Conservation, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Conservation Federation, Minnesota Environamental Partnership, Minnesota Film Arts, Minnesota Food Association, Minnesota Historical Association, Minnesota Land Trust, Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Orchestral Association, Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, Minnesota Project, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association, Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter, Minnesota Sages Dance Awards, Minnesota Sinfonia, Minnesota Theatre Company, Minnesota Waters, Minnesota Youth Symphonies, Music in the Park Series, National Environmental Trust, Minnesota, New London Chapter Izaak Walton League, New Prague Arts Council, No Refunds Theatre Company, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Northern Light Opera Company, Northern Prairie Performing Arts, Northwest Minnesota Arts Council, Warren, Oratorio Society of Minnesota, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council, Pequot Lakes CAPP Committee, Pipestone Performing Arts Center, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, Mankato, Prairie Woods Chapter Izaak Walton League, Rain Taxi, Inc., Red Eye Collaboration, Reif Arts Council, Renewing the Countryside, Saint Paul Audubon Society, Save Lake Superior Association, Seafarer Press, St. Paul, Skewed Visions, Southeast Minnesota Regional Arts Council, Rochester, Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, Southeastern Minnesotans for Environmental Protection, Southern Theater, St. Cloud Municipal Band, St. Paul City Council, Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins, Starting Gate Productions, St. Paul, SteppingStone Theatre, Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota, Taproot, Inc./Education Through the Arts, The Burning House Group Theatre Company, The Edge Center for the Arts, Bigfork, The Edge of the Wilderness Community Center (EWCC), The Historic Mounds Theatre, The Minnesota Environmental Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, The Rose Ensemble, The Soap Factory, The Southern Theater, The Trust for Public Land, The Workhaus Playwrights Collective, Theater Space Project, Three Rivers Arts Council, Three Rivers Park District, Transit for Livable Communities, Trout Unlimited - Minnesota State Council, Twin Cities Musicians Union, Twin Rivers Center for the Arts, Mankato, Valley Chamber Chorale, Stillwater, Visual Artists Focus Group, Voyagers National Park Association, VSA arts of Minnesota, W.J. McCabe (Duluth) Izaak Walton League, Walker Art Center, Walter Breckenridge (Brooklyn Park Chapter) Izaak, Walton League, Wes Libby (Grand Rapids Chapter) Izaak Walton League, White Bear Center for the Arts, Wicked Sister Dance Theater, Wil Dilg (Winona) Chapter Izaak Walton League, Wildwood Artist Series, Will Steger Foundation, Windustry, Wishes for the Sky, Women in the Wilderness, Women’s Environmental Institute, Writers Rising Up To Defend Place, Natural Habitat, Wetlands, Eden Prairie, Young Dance

List Current as of 12/29/08

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Event Reminders from MCA:

National Arts Advocacy Day
March 31-April 1, 2008
Washington, D.C.
More information here: www.artsusa.org/events/2008/aad/default.asp

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• Take Action: www.mncitizensforthearts.org at our frequently updated, one-stop site for: information about Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and how you can get involved, an Action Center called the Arts Action Center where you can write a letter to your legislator, or even find out who your legislators are, facts about the arts in Minnesota, the latest on legislative and congressional action on arts issues and more!

Things You Need To Know: MCA values your privacy, and will not sell or distribute your personal information to anyone. MCA is a nonpartisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail staff at mncitizensforthearts.org. State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm.

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