The most important component to a capital-campaign grant proposal is the plan both for how you will raise the necessary funds and how you will use new equipment or facilities. Following is a sample plan:

The CMC's goal for growth, improvement, and acquisition of a venue was a perfect match with the request by the Walter Street Business District and other community agencies to explore and ultimately acquire the Walter Theatre properties. The capital campaign allows the acquisition and equipping of the Theatre, relocation of current staff who were dispersed in rented facilities, improvements and sorely needed updates to GRTV and GRRadio broadcast equipment, and high-tech network and broadcast connections between the two sites.

The Theatre acquisition formed Phase I of the capital campaign. In Phase II, CMC seeks to “electrify” the Educational Center and Theatre to allow for remote broadcast of television and radio, install a media-making environment, and equip the Theatre with cameras and a control room. The Theatre will continue to be used for film, live performances, video, lectures, fundraisers, and other community-use purposes, and performances can be broadcast in numerous ways.

CMC also plans to install a “hot studio” in a storefront in the Educational Center. It plans to link to the new city wireless-Internet canopy to allow local residents and Theatre users Internet connectivity for asset mapping, community communication and development, job-search assistance, economic development, distance learning, and creative-arts applications.

CMC has developed a drop-in computer center for local residents, based on an expressed need from neighbors. The Center houses desk-top computers and CMC's twenty-station mobile computer lab that is part of I-VAN. In the Educational Center, students can stop in after school and casually explore computer uses such as media production, educational games, research, and homework applications. I-VAN staff operate the drop-in center and the I-VAN Club for neighborhood youth who use digital-editing equipment to create video projects about curriculum subjects and neighborhood people, events, and businesses.

GRTV has expanded its equipment lending, training, and post-production services at the Theatre.

The Great River Institute for Democracy (GRID) has held a series of educational films on topics including sustainable agriculture, water rights, democracy, and human rights, and hosted numerous community gatherings to discuss hunger, immigration, race relations, and other current-issue topics.

A large monitor in the window will promote coming attractions to the Theatre and feature the work of students in the I-VAN Club for passersby.

Also included as a part of CMC's two-percent for art is the Memorial Garden and Walkway, an artistic expression using bells as a theme based on an oftentold story illustrating appropriate use of technology and asking people what they need.

Once the Theatre and Educational Center are fully equipped and operational, CMC plans capital-campaign Phase III to include improvements and sorely needed updates to GRTV, LiveWire24, and GRRadio broadcast equip-ment, including digital conversion and digital network and broadcast connections between the CMC's Bridge and Walter Street locations.

Phase IV of the campaign includes construction of a two-truck garage and a maintenance endowment to be held at Great River Community Foundation.

The phases are prioritized by organizational and community need. As individuals and foundations have donated, CMC has completed portions of the project in accordance with donor wishes.