Private donors direct $200,000 to Polk arts groups hit by DeSantis' veto of state grants

Arts and cultural organizations in Florida are still reeling from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto last month of all funding for grants in the state budget.

In response, local philanthropists have emerged to donate a combined $200,000 to seven organizations in Polk County. The anonymous donors directed the money through the GiveWell Community Foundation, said Daryl Ward, executive director of the Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance.

Ward said that the philanthropists contacted him after seeing news reports of DeSantis’ veto. The governor slashed the entire allocation of $32 million for arts and cultural grants included in this year’s $116.5 billion budget. Advocates said it was the first time that a Florida governor had deleted funding for the entire program.

For decades, Florida’s Department of State has administered grants programs to nonprofits. The organizations submit applications that are reviewed by expert committees, yielding a ranking of groups deemed most deserving of grant money.

For the fiscal year that began July 1, 14 Polk nonprofits or artists had been approved to receive grants totaling more than $1.2 million, Ward said. The authorized grants ranged from $25,000 for Platform Art to $240,000 for Bok Tower Gardens.

The Legislature, though, had already reduced the funding to 47% of the state agency’s recommendations, even before DeSantis vetoed the entire grant program.

The local donors carefully examined the Polk County groups and directed specified amounts to seven of them, Ward said. He did not disclose individual recipients or amounts. The Polk Arts and Culture Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization that coordinates with local entities.

The donations do not match the full amount that local organizations would have received, if not for DeSantis’ veto.

Ward said that he notified leaders of the groups receiving the money and that checks are now on their way.

“As you can imagine, they were very shocked and humbled, because they really were trying to figure out how to do without the money at this point,” Ward said.

Who got the donations?

Since the veto, news reports have suggested that some small organizations might be forced to discontinue owing to the loss of expected grants. Florida Dance Theatre, a decades-old troupe based in Winter Haven, is one of the local organizations in fragile financial condition, based on tax filings to the IRS.

Executive Director Jermaine Thornton described the loss of an expected grant last month as “very devastating and very disappointing.” The leader of another organization told The Ledger that Florida Dance Theatre did not receive any of the private donations. Thornton could not be reached Tuesday.

Ward said that he has not heard of any organizations in Polk County in danger of folding because of the vetoed grants.

Jack Harrell Jr. Prolific Lakeland businessman and philanthropist dies at 68

Theatre Winter Haven is one of the seven recipients, Producing Director Dan Chesnicka confirmed. Chesnicka said he was told the nonprofit will receive $35,000.

“It's humbling and encouraging that there are members of our community who step up where government falls down,” Chesnicka said in a text message. “It makes serving Polk County that much sweeter."

A committee had approved Theatre Winter Haven to receive a state grant of $145,000. Chesnicka said last month that the money would have gone toward such programs as the Penguin Project, a theater program for children with physical or developmental disabilities, and summer camp scholarships for at-risk kids.

The Lake Wales History Museum is also an apparent recipient of a private contribution.

“This donation gives us the motivation to continue with our mission of preserving and promoting the heritage of Lake Wales and Polk County as a whole,” Angela Rosado, the museum director for the Lake Wales History Museum, said in a news release from the Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance. “We are so grateful as any amount of funding has a huge impact on our future programs, events and exhibits.”

'Fringe festivals' were the reason for veto

During a news conference last month in Auburndale, DeSantis said that he vetoed the arts funding because he objected to taxpayer money going to fringe festivals, events he labeled “sexual.” Those live theatrical gatherings generally include a wide range of fare, including some R-rated material.

Only a few of the approved grants would have gone to fringe festivals, according to news reports. The bulk of the grants would have supported such entities as children’s theaters and museums, community theaters, museums, operas and performing arts venues.

FFA Leadership Training Facility FFA Foundation puts its rural Polk, lakeside retreat on the market

Asked if any other philanthropists might help replace the grant shortfall, Ward said that he had not heard from any further potential donors.

Polk County benefits from a level of financial support for arts and culture that does not exist in all counties, Ward said. He cited the city of Winter Haven’s recent decision to buy the historic Ritz Theatre, a long-neglected performance venue, and the announcement that Nicholas Barnett and Ashley Gibson Barnett had established a “transformational” endowment for the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, now renamed the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College.

Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: After DeSantis veto, donors direct funds to seven Polk arts groups