100k Greenfield Film Festival Check Highlights UDSD Grant Efforts

[Editor's note: an earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the Greenfield Foundation as the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation. Patch regrets the error.]

In recent years, the has become somewhat of a local Academy Awards for high school students interested in filmmaking. In each of the three years of the festival’s existence, the number of area schools participating--20 in 2011--has grown and given more and more students the chance to create short films over several months, before premiering them at an exciting night at the Keswick Theater.

And thanks to another $100,000 grant from the Greenfield Foundation to the Upper Dublin School District to host the event, the show will go on in 2012. Jill Feldman, an administrator with the foundation, presented a check for the funds to the school board at Monday night’s meeting.

“At a time of budget cuts, when students and teachers of the arts may feel neglected, we want them to know that their work and creativity are appreciated,” Feldman said. “Anyone who has been here knows that the night of the Greenfield Youth Film Festival is a time of pride for not only the students, all of whom are considered winners, but also the parents, teachers and community as a whole."

The presentation of the check was well timed, as Pamela Ryan, director of development for the district and head of the Upper Dublin Education Foundation (UDEF), through which the grant was administered, gave a presentation on the district’s efforts to obtain grants later in the meeting.

"As we look for ways to reduce expenditures, we're also looking at ways to increase alternative revenue streams,” said Ryan, adding that she was entering her fifth year in the position.

Although the foundation was founded over a decade ago, Ryan, a salaried employee of the district, was brought on in 2007 and tasked with leading UDEF as part of her responsibilites. Ryan said she has raised roughly $970,000 in funds since starting: $80,000 in 07-08, $270,000 in 08-09, $225,000 in 09-10, $260,000 in 10-11, and $140,000 so far this year.

Most of that money has come through grants, Ryan said.

“There are one of two processes,” said Ryan. “Either a teacher comes to me and says 'we have a great program and I just need funding to get it under way…’ or I find a great funding source and look for a program that can fit that funding source.”

Besides the film festival, Ryan also named the North Hills After School and Summer Camp program, as well as the Cardinal Opportunities Mentoring Program, as major beneficiaries of funds. Green consulting fees for the new high school, gardening projects, new sound systems, weight room equipment, and other additions were also donated or granted, Ryan said.

Ryan also displayed a breakdown of where the funds came from. Over her tenure, $453,000 came from foundations, $180,000 from county grants, $150,000 from corporations, $126,000 from individuals, and $34,000 from the state, she said.

Finally, Ryan also discussed alternative revenue streams that she believes the district should consider. Besides ongoing campaigns such as brick and bench naming and alumni donations, Ryan pondered how much advertising the district might be comfortable with.

"Partnerships will allow us to build relationships with businesses big and small, and I think that it's important to underscore that I'm trying to come up with packages and options for every type of supporter at every level,” Ryan said. “Maybe it's putting a sign up in the stadium where we get five hundred dollars a year for three years.”

Ryan discussed the possibilities of selling naming rights to the gym and cafeteria, and raised the question of whether more controversial measures, such as corporate advertising on buses or even the school’s hallways, would be beneficial.

"It's something we should think about. It's a discussion I think we should have, although they're definitely a little progressive,” Ryan said. “Are we ready for it? I don't know.”

As a service to readers, Patch has obtained and posted the powerpoint presentation on alternative funding in this article's media section. However, it should be noted that a) the grant page highlights some of the grants received, not all, b) the Foundation page shows some of the fundraising initiatives/events, not all, and c) the second to last slide lists possible ideas the district could pursue, not things currently done. Some may be controversial.