Arts commission presses for formal fundraising plan, explores vendor-fee model

The Gilroy Arts & Culture Commission spent the largest portion of its meeting debating how to raise sustainable money for events and outreach. Commissioners said the city’s existing art funds are intermittent, and that a formal fundraising plan is needed before the commission accepts vendor fees or other donations.

"If we can have that fundraising plan, that would give us the opportunity to know if some of the ideas that we have are gonna work," Secretary Kylie said, urging the commission to align any plan with city policy. Commissioners discussed vendor fees collected by third‑party organizers, individual donations, art or merchandise sales and vendor‑fee splits as possible revenue streams. Several members said vendor fees collected by farmers‑market organizers could simplify logistics but still pose city accounting questions.

Commissioners asked staff to identify a template or example fundraising proposal and to clarify the city’s preferred process for receiving money so vendor fees or donations are properly receipted and coded. "One of the ways we wanna fundraise is through vendor fees," Chair Via said, adding that the city must determine whether there is a digital point‑of‑sale and how funds would be accounted for.

Next steps: commissioners agreed to draft a fundraising plan in the coming weeks and to circulate it to staff for review so the proposal can be advanced to the city for approval before the commission solicits significant funds.