The Foundational Philosophy of Engagement

At Friends of Dane Arts (FoDA), we fundamentally believe that the strength of the arts in Dane County is directly proportional to the quality of our relationships. Therefore, we view every interaction, every phone call, and every digital message not merely as an administrative task to be processed, but as a valued opportunity to strengthen our collective commitment to the cultural vibrancy and enduring excellence of this community. This perspective is central to how our staff operates, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that defines our mission and, ultimately, our success. When you reach out to FoDA, you are connecting with a team dedicated to fostering an environment where art, culture, and creativity can thrive across all corners of Dane County. We are here to listen, to inform, and to facilitate the vital connections that keep our artistic landscape dynamic and inclusive. Our goal is to make communication seamless, thoughtful, and results-oriented, ensuring that the time you invest in contacting us yields a substantive and meaningful response.

We extend a sincere and open invitation to all members of our community—including seasoned artists, emerging creators, dedicated patrons who provide essential support, curious residents exploring the local scene, and prospective organizational partners looking to collaborate on major projects—to reach out to the FoDA team. We strive to offer communication methods that are most convenient and appropriate for your specific needs, knowing that we are deeply committed to providing a thoughtful, timely, and substantive response, regardless of the channel you choose.

1. The Primary Channel: Email Correspondence via info@frsda.site

Email serves as the core, recommended, and most efficient primary contact route for the vast majority of community inquiries. Utilizing our central inbox ensures maximum efficiency and accountability, providing you with the quickest path to a detailed answer.

Why Email is Our Recommended First Step

Sending an email to info@frsda.site ensures your message is immediately logged into our centralized communication system, accurately prioritized, and seamlessly directed to the appropriate staff specialist. This structured approach is critical for our small but highly effective team, guaranteeing that your message doesn’t get lost or delayed. Furthermore, the electronic record allows us to track common questions, improve our resource documentation, and ensure consistency in our replies.

Categories Best Suited for Email

The info@frsda.site inbox is managed by our intake team and triaged throughout the business day. This is the optimal channel for:

• General Organizational Inquiries: Questions about FoDA’s history, mission, or governance structure.
• Advocacy and Policy Efforts: Requests for information on our current legislative advocacy efforts or position statements on cultural policy affecting Dane County.
• Event Timeline and Logistics: Specific questions regarding the dates, times, venues, or access requirements for our upcoming cultural events, workshops, or exhibitions.
• Sharing Artistic Triumphs: We absolutely encourage sharing a recent success story, achievement, or major milestone from a local Dane County creative or organization. These stories fuel our mission and often become content for our social media channels.
• Resource and Documentation Requests: Asking for copies of application guidelines, annual reports, or public-facing documentation.

The Two-Business-Day Response Commitment

We are committed to providing a detailed and knowledgeable reply within two business days. This commitment reflects the structured efficiency of our process. Your email will be routed to the relevant expert—whether it be our Program Director for grant-related clarifications, the Community Outreach Coordinator for partnership ideas, or the Executive Director for high-level strategy and governance questions—thereby guaranteeing that the response you receive is informed, actionable, and comprehensive. If the inquiry is complex and requires input from multiple team members, we will send an initial acknowledgement within the two-day window and provide an estimated timeline for the full response.

2. Navigating Time-Sensitive and Complex Matters: Phone and Direct Consultation

While email is excellent for detailed exchanges and documentation, we understand that certain topics require a more direct, human connection and the immediacy of a conversation. Our phone lines and consultation schedule are reserved for these urgent or complex administrative topics.

Specific Use Cases for Phone Contact

Please utilize our phone system or request a meeting for:

• Urgent Administrative Matters: Issues that require immediate staff attention or verbal confirmation, such as last-minute changes to application details or critical scheduling conflicts.
• Grant Application Follow-Up: Specific, technical, or time-sensitive follow-up questions directly related to a pending grant application deadline, especially concerning budget specifics or compliance requirements that are difficult to convey solely through text.
• Scheduling Consultations: Arranging a brief, introductory phone consultation with a member of our leadership team to discuss a significant potential partnership, a major gift opportunity, or a high-impact collaborative program.

Standard Business Hours and Accessibility

Our phone lines are staffed and available during our standard business hours, which are typically Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. This timeframe is carefully selected to allow us to manage our focused work time, ensuring we can dedicate uninterrupted attention to programmatic development and resource allocation, while remaining fully accessible to those with time-sensitive concerns. Voicemails left outside of these hours are transcribed and logged, and will be returned promptly on the next business day, usually prioritized by urgency. When leaving a message, please clearly state your full name, organization (if applicable), phone number, and a brief summary of your need to help us prepare the best response.

3. The Tangible Link: Physical Mail and Administrative Visits

Though much of our work is digital, the physical office serves a critical function for formal documentation and necessary in-person engagements.

Receiving Physical Correspondence and Materials

We welcome physical correspondence, which is essential for certain types of submissions and contributions, to our administrative address: 6006 Hempstead Rd, Madison, WI 53711. Please use this address exclusively for:

• Formal Grant Support Materials: Hard copies of letters of support, official contracts, or supplementary documents that require a physical signature or seal.
• Financial Contributions: Mailing checks for donations, sponsorships, or major gifts. These are logged securely upon receipt and handled with the utmost confidentiality by our financial team.
• Archival Documents: Submission of historical or archival materials relevant to Dane County’s cultural history, which require careful physical handling.

The Appointment-Only Policy for Visits

While we absolutely love meeting the vibrant members of our community, all visits to our office must be scheduled in advance via appointment. This policy is in place for several crucial reasons:

1. Ensuring Availability: FoDA staff are frequently off-site attending community events, conducting site visits, or meeting with stakeholders. Scheduling ensures the correct person is present and prepared for your visit.
2. Dedicated Focus: By scheduling a meeting, we guarantee that we can dedicate uninterrupted, focused time to your needs, whether it’s a detailed discussion about a grant or a private conversation about a major gift. Walk-in visitors may find that the appropriate specialist is unavailable or deeply engaged in critical, time-sensitive work.
3. Security and Privacy: The appointment system helps us maintain a secure and focused administrative environment for handling sensitive data and private donor information.

Please initiate an appointment request via email to info@frsda.site or through a scheduled phone consultation.

4. The Cultural Pulse: Engaging on Social Media

Connecting with Friends of Dane Arts online through our social media channels is the fastest and most dynamic way to stay current with our organizational activities and the real-time cultural heartbeat of the community we serve.

Staying Connected in the Digital Space

FoDA maintains an active, engaging presence on all major social media platforms. Our channels are designed for instant updates, public celebration, and broad community awareness.

• Daily Updates and Announcements: We share news about FoDA initiatives, cultural policy changes, and important sector updates.
• Celebrating Funded Artists: Our platforms are a dedicated space where we spotlight and celebrate the achievements, exhibitions, and performances of our funded artists and partner organizations.
• Critical Deadline Reminders: We consistently post reminders for grant applications, submission windows, and key event registration cutoffs, ensuring you never miss a critical opportunity.
• Two-Way Engagement: Social media is an excellent space for general interaction, quick feedback, and informal community commentary.

While social media is perfect for immediate connection, please note that it is not the appropriate channel for formal administrative inquiries, grant application questions, or confidential matters. For these topics, please revert to the structured email or phone/consultation channels outlined above to ensure your query is properly documented and handled securely.

5. Our Commitment to Accessible and Consistent Communication

FoDA recognizes that effective communication requires more than just listing contact methods; it requires a culture of responsiveness and accessibility. We commit to the following principles:

• Inclusivity: We strive to communicate in a clear, accessible manner, avoiding unnecessary jargon and ensuring our digital and physical communication materials meet accessibility standards. We are happy to accommodate reasonable requests for alternative communication formats.
• Consistency: Every communication, regardless of who on the FoDA team handles it, adheres to our organizational standard of professionalism, accuracy, and detail.
• Feedback Loop: We view every interaction as an opportunity to improve. If you have feedback on your experience communicating with FoDA, please direct it to the Executive Director (via email to the primary inbox, marked as “Communication Feedback”) so we can continually refine our processes to better serve Dane County.

By utilizing these defined channels, you help the Friends of Dane Arts team operate with maximum efficiency, allowing us to dedicate more resources and time to our core mission of supporting the arts across Dane County. We look forward to hearing from you and continuing to build a strong, collaborative, and culturally rich future together.