SLT Receives DAF Grant

Slidell Little Theatre is pleased to announce it has received a $5,250 grant from the Louisiana Decentralized Arts Fund (DAF) for fiscal year 2013-2014. The taxpayer-funded grant is utilized by the nonprofit community theatre to help defray expenses for utilities.

Administered locally by the St. Tammany Parish Commission on Cultural Affairs, DAF grants are awarded through a competitive application and review process. Not all grant requests were funded and no grant received full funding. Thanks to the efforts of SLT’s Grants and Fundraising Director Teresa Augustine; SLT received 14% of the grant money available.

"I cannot take all the credit for obtaining this award as it was a collaborative effort of all my fellow board members and SLT volunteers," said Teresa. “We appreciate every grant dollar we receive to help us keep the home lights burning on our various productions, programs and activities.”

The Louisiana DAF program provides state tax dollars in the form of grants to artists, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and local government agencies in every parish. In recent years the pool of available money has shrunken dramatically. Just three years ago (FY 2010-2011) SLT received an $11,000 DAF grant to cover utility costs. Since that year, local arts organizations have seen the available grant dollars slashed by nearly 42 percent. The total DAF budget that year for St. Tammany Parish was $86,323, compared to today’s budget of $35,963.

Electrical bills at the community theatre can average as much as $1700 per month. Currently SLT is self-contained with its own water and sewer system, but if the proposal to tie into Slidell municipal utilities is approved later this year, the organization will face additional utility expenses for water and sewerage services.

While the grant is certainly appreciated and will enable the continued efforts of SLT to reach all ages of the Slidell community and beyond, the 48 percent cut in financial aid will mean that SLT must make up for the lost revenues in other areas.

One important way you can help is to become a member of Slidell Little Theatre, if you are not one already. Memberships are the financial lifeline of SLT. It is through this support that the Theatre can fulfill its mission to “engage, educate, and involve members of the community in high quality theatrical productions.”

If you are not already a member, we invite you to support the Performing Arts by investing in Northshore’s premier community theatre and becoming a valued patron of the Slidell Little Theatre.

Sign up today at membership@slidellittletheatre.org.

The Northshore’s premier community theatre since 1963, Slidell Little Theatre is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and involving members of the community in high quality theatrical productions. SLT is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs.