CONNECTICUT COMMISSION ON CULTURE & TOURISM
ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF PEER ADVISOR NETWORK PROGRAM

Partnership with Five Local Arts Agencies Broadens Program’s Reach

Regional Program Offices Established in
Fairfield, Hartford, Torrington, Guilford and Willimantic  

The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT) recently announced the expansion of its Peer Advisor Network (PAN) program, a flexible, short-term consulting service designed to match nonprofit arts and cultural groups with peer advisors. CCT will partner with five local arts agencies throughout the state to help promote, administer and broaden the reach of the program’s services.  The five local arts agencies serving as regional PAN offices are: the Fairfield Arts Council in Fairfield, Greater Hartford Arts Council in Hartford, Northwest Connecticut Arts Council in Torrington, Shoreline Arts Alliance in Guilford and the Windham Arts Collaborative in Willimantic.

Peer advisors are seasoned Connecticut professionals selected and trained by CCT to provide consultation to organizations with a variety of issues and needs, such as developing board and staff, strategic planning, fundraising, managing finances, leadership transitions, facilities planning, starting a nonprofit and community cultural development. The expanded PAN program now benefits from a statewide roster of 30 peer advisors that includes executive directors, marketing and development experts, business consultants, educators and artists.
 
More than 15 organizations have already benefited from working with a peer advisor under the PAN program, including the Anglican Singers, artists-in-residence at St. James Episcopal Church in New London. They consulted a peer advisor in August 2006 to deal with a loss of volunteer leadership and the need to plan for paid staffing. The peer advisor helped the organization prepare and conduct their first-ever planning retreat. The Anglican Singers successfully completed an inaugural plan and budget and have since hired their first paid director.
 
Through the Peer Advisor Network, cultural organizations can receive from a half-day (4 hours) to two days (16 hours) of direct consulting services. The Commission subsidizes two thirds of the advisor fee.
 
Interested organizations must submit an application to one of the five PAN regional offices. There are no application deadlines; applications are reviewed year-round. Regional PAN offices, with support from the Commission, review requests and are responsible for assigning appropriate peer advisors. Application guidelines and forms are available through any of the five regional offices or on the Commission’s Web site at www.cultureandtourism.org
 
 Peer Advisory Network Flier
 Guidelines
 Organization Assesment