2018 and the first Capital Campaign Meeting occurred in December of 2018. However just because the
Capital Campaign Committee was formed does not mean solicitations started. Once the recruitment
period occurred, an onboarding and educational process ensued. A lot of the volunteers acknowledge that
this was their first capital campaign and an education effort transpired during the better part of the winter
of 2019, into early spring. Ironically, as the Capital Campaign Committee was being formed, the design
process was just starting to get underway in January of 2019. The two efforts need to go hand and hand
because you cannot realistically solicit donations until a concrete design is achieved. Being the very high
profile public nature of this project, a robust committee process and public engagement piece occurred on
the design, which meant that designs were not recommended by the Performing Arts Center Steering
Committee until June/July of 2019 or approved by the Board of Aldermen Infrastructure Committee until
August of 2019.
Conversely, the fundraising effort did not begin in earnest until the end of the summer in 2019. However,
the Capital Campaign Committee did not sit idle during spring/summer of 2019; there were a lot of “soft
meetings” taking place to develop leads.
Additionally, during the preparation and organizational phase in spring of 2019 there was an agreement
reached with City Arts Nashua to be the fiscal agent as a precursor to the 501c3 entity (that was formed in
the summer of 2019).
It was during the spring of 2019 that an application for CDFA tax credits occurred. I’m pleased to state
the application was successful and the project was awarded tax credits in the summer of 2019, which was
a great way to jumpstart the fundraising.
Fundraising efforts did not start in earnest until the end of summer/early fall of 2019.
In conclusion, the two year timeframe verbiage was included in the original resolution as an amendment
the night of the vote to do what it’s doing now — to be a distraction and cause angst amongst those who
are working so hard to bring this project to fruition. It was added by the project opponents as a way to
disrupt momentum and was done with no thought or consideration. It was never the intention when the
fundraising timeline was originally discussed during the feasibility study for it to be memorialized. It was
originally discussed as a plan or a guidepost and we should all recognize that some of the best laid plans
need to change and evolve. If the committee wasn’t working and gaining momentum, I could understand
a concern being raised, but this couldn’t be the furthest from the reality of the situation. The Capital
Campaign Committee is working tirelessly and they are appealing for more time.
Recommendation
Approve the R-18-001 to allow for more time for the project fundraising to occur.
