Urban Views Weekly September 30, 2015

Sept. 30, 2015

It’s Fall Festival Time in the RVA

World Bikers Bid Farewell - 2015 UCI Richmond

2 Urban Views Weekly | September 30, 2015 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

Interview with Lisa Hoffman, Fundraising Guru

Part one of a three-part series

If you are lucky, you are fortunate to know people who are “the real deal.” That is Lisa Hoffman. She is an experienced and talented fundraiser and coach. A woman who is both gentle and firm in her guidance, her goal is to help you reach your fundraising goals.

We recently reached out to Lisa and asked her to share some of what she has learned during her 30 years in fundraising. We began by asking about what exactly leads to fundraising success.

“Board leadership really is essential,” Hoffman began. “The Board Chair needs to give generously and raise money, as well as understand their role in modeling, guiding and supporting the rest of the board to do

the same. The Board Chair has tremendous influence on creating a culture of philanthropy, generosity and giving. And if there are issues with board members, it is usually the chair who needs to step up and address them.

And, the executive director or CEO needs to be one of the organization’s lead fundraisers and partner with the Board Chair on keeping fund development high on the board’s agenda and radar. Another critical part of the executive’s role is to create a culture of generosity and appreciation of the individuals and groups that support the

organization. Every staff member can be a leader in raising money, recruiting volunteers and garnering in-kind contributions. The executive sets the tone and process for this kind of engagement.

Passion is critical to

Letter ToThe Editor

continues on page 5

If you would like to respond to Viewpoints, your submission should contain your name, a full valid address and a daytime phone number. We cannot acknowledge submitted letters. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity, legality and taste. E-mail (without attachments) to [email protected]. Mail letters to Editor Urban Views Weekly.

VOL. 8, ISSUE 39

Urban Views Weekly, LLC6802 Paragon Place, Suite 410Richmond, VA 23230Office: (804) 441-6255Fax: (888) 439-2534

Ervin B. Clarke, [email protected]

Flora C. Clarke, Administrative [email protected]

Shelia O. Spurlock-Shaw, [email protected]

Nickkol Lewis, Art DirectorVisual Appeal, LLC | visualappealstudio.com

FUNdraising Good Times

How to fundraise without a powerful board

Civic Beat

Cover photos: Ervin Clarke

3 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com Urban Views Weekly | September 30, 2015

STAGE SCHEDULE 2015(Subject to change)

Jackson Street

1st S

treet

3rd S

treet

1st S

treet

3rd S

treet

Leigh Street

Clay Street

Marshall Street

Broad Street

Maggie Walker House

Nina’s BistroStage

Joe Kennedy, Jr.Jazz Stage

AR

TIS

T R

OW

COMMUNITY ROW

Richmond MetropolitanAntique Car Club of VA

KIDZ ZONE

WaverlyR. Crawley

MAIN STAGE

EgglestonHotel

COMMUNITYSTAGE

MARKETPLACE

FREE ADMISSION

Saturday, October 3

WAVERLY R CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE(2nd & Marshall Street) 11:30am – 12:15pm Stan Scott Trio 12:30pm – 12:45pm VA Repertory Theatre presentation – Desiree Roots 1:10pm – 1:40pm Grace & Company Fashion Show 2:00pm – 2:20pm Radio One - Richmond 3:00pm – 4:15pm J Baxter & the Sauce Band 5:30pm – 7:00pm Con Funk Shun

JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE (3rd & Clay Street) 12:00pm – 12:50pm Butterbean Jazz Quartet 1:10pm – 2:00pm Curv Appeal 2:20pm – 3:10pm Victor Haskin’s Skein 3:30pm – 4:30pm Carlton Blount Trio 4:50pm – 6:00pm James “Saxsmo” Gates Quartet

NINA’S BISTRO STAGE (1st & Clay Street) 11:30am – 12:45pm Evolution Band 1:15pm – 1:45pm Astounding Divas/Youth Creative Dance Academy 2:15pm – 3:30pm United States Army TRADOC Brass Band 4:00pm – 5:30pm Visions

EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE (2nd & Leigh Street) 12:00pm – 1:00pm DJ Kibby 1:30pm – 2:00pm Ezibu Muntu African Dancers 2:30pm – 3:00pm Carlos “The Line Dance Prince” 3:30pm – 4:00pm City Dance Theatre 4:30pm – 5:15pm Sisterly Grace Dance & Modeling

Sunday, October 4

WAVERLY R CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE (2nd & Marshall Street) 1:00pm – 1:30pm J- Unity 2:00pm – 3:00pm Tribute with Desiree Roots 3:30pm – 4:30pm Future Prospect 5:00pm – 6:00pm James “Saxsmo” Gates

JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE (3rd & Clay Street) 1:00pm – 1:50pm Quintessential Jazz 2:10pm – 3:10pm Jazz in the Spirit Ensemble 3:30pm – 4:30pm Cloud 9 5:00pm – 6:00pm Debo Dabney & The Happy Band

NINA’S BISTRO STAGE (1st & Clay Street) 1:30pm – 2:00pm Evangelist Cheryl Beaver & the Family of Praise 2:20pm – 3:15pm Butcher Brown 3:45pm – 4:45pm DJ Tree 5:00pm – 6:00pm Grace & Company Fashion Show

EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE (2nd & Leigh Street) 1:30pm – 2:00pm Cora Harvey Armstrong & Family 2:30pm – 3:00pm Sixth Mt. Zion Baptist Church Music & Movement Ministries 3:30pm – 3:50pm VSU Alumni Theatre Ensemble presents “For Colored Girls” 4:15pm – 5:00 pm D & G Line Dancing

For more info, visit

venturerichmond.comor call 804.788.6466

PRODUCED BY: PRESENTED BY:

Throughout The Festival

FEATURED ARTISTSFestival Poster designed by David Marion, Liberated Flow; Kelvin Henderson, Fruits of the Spirit; Abdul Badi, Art of Abdul-Badi; Greg Paige, Paige Portraits

KIDZ ZONE PRODUCED By Children’s Museum Of RichmondMeet and Greets with Seymour the Dinosaur from CMOR; Parrots of Paradise; CMOR Signature paper bags hats and decorations; games including, hula hooping, bowling, bean bag toss, and special football activities with Richmond Raiders; face painting and sidewalk chalk; magicians; performances by Virginia Repertory Theater; special giveaways and activities with PBS.

NO PETS PLEASE


What would it take to re-imagine a world where our children and young people were not locked up? We live in a country where our criminal justice system is broken. The United States of America is less than 5 percent of the world’s population and, yet, we have almost 25 percent of the world’s total incarcerated population. The numbers of men, women and children who are locked up today are much higher than they were 30 or 40 years ago, despite the fact that crime has been steadily decreasing.

Rather than taking on the responsibility of teaching, mentoring and raising our young people with community concern and recognition of the future our children represent, we abdicate that role to the criminal system because we live in a society that normalizes incarceration and detention. Our response to challenging situations, lack of discipline, “acting out”, or inappropriate behavior from our children and youth is to use the same crime and punishment model that we exact upon adult populations. How can it work for the children when it doesn’t work for the adults? Children as young as 8 years old are being held in youth detention centers in Virginia and 5 year olds are being expelled from kindergarten classrooms. It is unbelievable. We have long abandoned the “It takes a village to raise a child” credo so many like to proclaim. It seems there is a battle for the lives of our children that we are refusing to fight. What is increasingly obvious is the many more prisons being built than schools, and that crime and punishment is a multibillion-dollar business model that makes the School to Prison Pipeline REAL.

ART 180 is a Richmond arts organization that has been engaged in an arts and activism project with incarcerated youth from the Richmond area for the past 6-9 months. The project is called Performing Statistics and rather than, merely, gathering the hard statistical facts about the increasing rates of incarceration and detention for our young people, they engaged the young people themselves over a 3-month period this past summer. The program allowed these youth to be released for a large segment of the day and gather together with teaching artists to engage in difficult dialogues, creative art projects, audio visual recordings, drawings, poetry and storytelling using their own voices. It was a transformative and empowering process that gave the young people voice and an outlet for their angst, sorrow and revelation. Together with the teaching artists, they even created a training manual

with suggestions and strategies to assist law enforcement in ways to be most effective when they engage with youth inside the community and beyond.

Here is a quote from one of the young men.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Prison put our lives on hold. I care about my education and helping my family shine—I have the talent to do anything that anyone else can do. I’m scared of losing my life over a crime.”

On October 2nd, a group of artists, activists, students, and concerned citizens will participate in a JUSTICE PARADE. Together, as a community, they want to re-imagine the juvenile justice system. They will join with the brave incarcerated young people who participated in the summer project and use the parade to celebrate those courageous voices!

Currently, there are over ten thousand youth locked up each year in VA. As tax paying citizens, we spend over $130,000 to incarcerate one teen for one year, while spending only $11,000 to educate them. Over 40% of youth locked up are between 8 and 14 YEARS OLD, and 70% of incarcerated youth are re-arrested after 3 years...PRISONS DON’T WORK! Our young people are the future of our world and we need to stop supporting punitive outdated systems and begin to re-imagine other ways to restore and rebuild our youth without locking them up. Go to www.art180.org for more details. Change through ART.

Up Next Week: The Queen of Soul & The Pope

ViewPoints By Dr. T

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D.Founder and Artistic DirectorThe Conciliation Project andAssociate ProfessorVirginia Commonwealth UniversityDrT@Margins2theCenter.comwww.theconciliationproject.org

A Parade for Justice

TanyaFree.com/Urban Views Weekly PollWe have all heard the phrase “they all look alike to me”; a phrase often referring to African Americans. Did this happen to former tennis professional James Blake when an NYPD officer mistook him for another black man suspected of credit card fraud? Scientists believe the phrase “they all look alike to me” may have merit. Decades of research revealed that the “other-race effect” is a cognitive phenomenon that makes it harder for people of one race to readily recognize or identify individuals of another race. It is not bias or bigotry, the researchers say, that makes it difficult for people to distinguish between people of another race.

What’s your take? Is this a product of our perceptual experience, bias or bigotry? Do people of other races all look alike to you? Check out the story and respond to this week’s poll at TanyaFree.com and the Urban Views Weekly FACEBOOK Page. Listen to the Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show Wednesdays @ 2 p.m. on WCLM1450AM streaming LIVE @ TanyaFree.com and BlackTalkRadioNetwork.com.


From Fundraising page 2 successful fund development. Most people don’t like fundraising,

and passion for their organization’s mission is the best motivator I know of to provide the drive and fearlessness needed to raise game-changing amounts of money over the long haul.

A Plan. Our colleague Jude Kaye says that, ‘A vision without a plan is hallucination.’ I agree with her perspective – fund development, without a plan that includes mission, vision, goals and a roadmap for success, flounders.”

Related to leadership, we asked Hoffman to share what she has identified as the qualities to look for in a board chair.

“Clarity about the chair role and what leadership means: to support and drive the board in stewarding the organization’s mission and vision. That means making sure every board member understands and fulfills their role in ensuring that every aspect of the organization – how people are treated, strategic direction, finances, fundraising – reflect sound values and respect the time and resources given to the organization,” she shared.

Hoffman added, “[and] Courage to deal with issues that typically range from financial challenges to founder executive director succession to troublesome board members with integrity and skill.”

Finally, “A good sense of humor – which I think is self-explanatory!”

You can reach Lisa at www.lisahoffman.net

Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your fundraising, visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

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Now that the Richmond 2015 UCI World Road Championships have come and gone, Richmonders can focus on typical fall activities such as raking leaves and Friday night football, right?

Hardly.

October is so crammed with all-star musical and theater performances, along with annual festivals and street celebrations, that some may wonder whether Richmonders ever sleep or work.

Certainly, it takes tons of work and sleepless nights to assemble the hit list of upcoming performances scheduled throughout the city for next month and into next year. The Modlin Center for the Arts ushers in Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald on Oct. 1 at the Carpenter Theatre. Rhythm & Blues megastars Gladys Knight and The O’Jays appear Oct. 10 at the Altria Theater, and the beloved 2nd Street Festival in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood serves up Con Funk Shun and James “Saxmo” Gates on Oct. 3-4. Also, Richmond’s Folk Festival will introduce tap dancer Leonardo Sandoval and The Republic of Georgia’s medieval musical group, Zedashe, Oct. 9-11. At Richmond CenterStage’s Carpenter Centre, the Jimmy Dean Music Festival features The Oakridge Boys on Oct. 4, and three famous brothers known as The Jacksons will evoke sweet memories Oct. 6.

Urban Views Weekly (UVW) interviewed three women who routinely monitor Richmond’s cultural, entertainment and musical pulse, working hard to ensure that it doesn’t miss a beat. Sharon Bassard is events and booking manager for Venture Richmond, which sponsors the 2nd Street Festival and the Richmond Folk Festival. Cindy Creasy is the media relations representative for SMG Richmond, a venue marketing, management and development company that works with Richmond CenterStage, the nonprofit that oversees The

Carpenter Centre and Altria Theater at Monroe Park. Deborah S. Sommers is executive director of the Modlin Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Richmond, steering numerous public and community programs that include dance, musical and theater performances.

Interview with Sharon Bassard, Events and Booking Manager, Venture Richmond

UVW: Jackson Ward, where the 2nd Street Festival takes place, has drastically changed over the years with new housing, residents, restaurants and businesses. How has the 2nd Street Festival adapted to and evolved during such change?

Bassard: Venture Richmond is constantly aware of the changes within the Jackson Ward community; we change different aspects of the festival site to respect and showcase the residences and businesses. We will not put a vendor in front of someone’s home nor will we place a food vendor in front of a restaurant.

UVW: What do you attribute to the 2nd Street Festival’s longevity?

Bassard: This event is like a family reunion, high school reunion, neighborhood reunion. People come back year after year to see old friends and meet new friends.

UVW: This year’s Folk Festival lineup looks great. I’m excited about Zedashe and Leonardo Sandoval (such unique artistry)! Who among you finds such performers and how do you gauge whether they will engage Richmonders?

Bassard: The National Council of Traditional Arts, along with local programming committee does a great job each year.

UVW: Over the past few years, it seems that such activities and events have tripled in RVA, and that corporate partners/sponsors are “all in” as supporters. Do you agree? And if so, why is this affirmation from our civic and business community important?

Bassard: It’s a real endorsement of the power of free cultural festivals to bring our community together.

UVW: What is your advice for Richmonders who plan to attend this year’s 2nd Street and Folk Festivals?

Bassard: Wear comfortable shoes, get ready to hear great music, enjoy good food and have a good time!

UVW: Which performance(s) will leave audiences exhausted from dancing, singing or simply having too much fun?

Bassard: With four stages at 2nd Street and seven stages at the Folk Festival, both events feature great artists. There’s something for everyone. http://www.venturerichmond.com/

Interview with Cindy Creasy, Media Relations Representative for SMG Richmond, Richmond CenterStage

Cindy Creasy contends that anyone who says there is nothing to do in Richmond hasn’t spent much time looking. The city’s array of restaurants, museums, parks and The James River offer a “wealth of activities,” she said. Creasy provided some other details about how and why the city and Richmond CenterStage increasingly attracts audiences from Richmond, as well as Charlottesville, Northern Virginia and the Tidewater area.

UVW: How did you land the Jacksons (Tito, Jackie and Marlon,

6 Urban Views Weekly | September 30, 2015

James “Saxmo” Gates

Fall In: The River City’s Season of Cultural, Musical and Theater Events

formerly of The Jackson Five)?

Creasy: It’s a new tour and our booking manager, Jackie Knight Naparlo, has been doing a great job securing such acts. You will be seeing all events and resident companies. Audience attendance has been wonderful, and we see repeat audiences coming back. They (patrons) find that parking is not an issue and enjoy the caliber of acts.

UVW: What do you attribute to the uptick in audience attendance and interest in Richmond events?

Creasy: The City of Richmond has embraced events such as the Richmond Folk Festival and the Maymont Jazz Festival. Magazine articles about Richmond as a tourist attraction, the state of Virginia’s lower unemployment rate and overall quality of life make it attractive for artists and performers. Richmond also is now one of the top stops for comedians.

UVW: With so much to do, how do audiences pick and choose?

Creasy: Isn’t that a wonderful problem to have? October is the perfect month to be outdoors. It’s a great festival month. From October to May, theater kicks in.

UVW: How do you get it all done?

Creasy: It’s amazing when you think about the amount of work.

It’s a big, huge, collaborative effort.

Websites: www.AltriaTheater.com www.RichmondCenterStage.com

Interview with Deborah S. Sommers, Executive Director, Modlin Center for the Performing Arts, University of Richmond

Deborah S. Sommers assumed leadership of the University of Richmond’s Modlin Center For The Arts five years ago and hasn’t slowed down since, overseeing the center’s 45-event Great Performances Series, four main stage productions by the University’s theatre and dance department and the University Players and Dancers, 30 musical performances in the Department of Music’s Free Concert Series, plus community events and performances throughout the year. Sommers also directs and teaches Richmond’s arts management program and works with faculty across the disciplines to design academic components that coordinate with the Modlin Center’s artistic programming.

UVW: How do you handle such a massive undertaking each year?

Sommers: I have a great team of people that I work with. I can’t do it without them. Every year there are so many interesting programs, and being a part of the university, it has to do with the many disciplines offered.

UVW: Many of this season’s performers and performances truly are world-class. Do you agree?

Sommers: Yes! I’m just so excited to have Audra McDonald. To fit her in among her Broadway shows and other work is such an accomplishment. Jeffery Tabor, who has had great roles from comedy to inspirational characters, will allow people to connect in their own way. We also have Bluegrass music and jazz artists

Regina Carter and Christian McBride. Classical musician Lawrence Brownlee is a “voice from heaven.” There will be fun, quirky things (that enable) the audience to become part of the production itself. Then there is puppetry in late April. They are amazing. I just feel that we are so lucky to have this season full of talented people.

UVW: Who are some of the other artists and performers on your roster?

Sommers: Michelle Dorrance and Toshi Reagon (Dorrance Dance with Toshi Reagon and BIG Lovely, The Blues Project, Oct. 22). Toshi’s mother (Bernice Johnson Reagon) founded Sweet Honey in the Rock. I listen to her voice and she just takes me somewhere else. Other artists include Mavis Staples, Joan

Osborne, Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik.

UVW: Why are so many events occurring in October?

Sommers: I think that the (UCI World Championships) bike race taking place in September affected people who were trying to program.

UVW: How will that affect attendance at certain events?

Sommers: There is a lot going on here with a

wide range of events. A lot of people are comfortable exploring the arts, and there are a lot of curious Richmonders who want to come out and see and experience new things. I find a good deal show up to explore. We kind of go on a journey together.

http://modlin.richmond.edu/events/index.html

Bonnie Newman Davis is a veteran journalist and journalism educator who has written for several local and national news outlets. Davis currently is a visiting professor in School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

7 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

Con Funk Shun

Fall In: The River City’s Season of Cultural, Musical and Theater Events

By Bonnie Newman Davis


Ervin Clarke


The DealBy Nathaniel Sillin

From Strip to Chip: Everything You Need to Know About the New Generation of Payment Cards

If you’ve received a replacement for your credit or debit cards in the mail lately, take a closer look. That little gold chip on the front is going to make it tougher for thieves to steal your data.

By year-end 2015, Visa estimates that 63 percent of cards in American wallets will feature this new technology (www.VisaChip.com) aimed at derailing counterfeit fraud. The new chip adds a unique, one-time code that changes every time you use your card to make an in-store payment. That automatic security code change makes your data nearly impossible to use to create a counterfeit card.

Counterfeit or “cloned” cards account for about two-thirds of in-store fraud to the tune of $3 billion, according to Boston-based research firm Aite Group. The transition to chip cards is expected to be nearly complete by year-end 2017.

You’ll see very slight differences in using these cards. First, you’ll need to insert a chip card into a new slot built for chip cards and keep it there until your purchase is complete. You won’t have to swipe traditional magnetic strip on the back anymore. You will still be able to sign, enter a PIN or just pay-and-go for everyday transactions as before. Just remember to take your card with you when the transaction is complete.

However, if you are currently using an old, but unexpired card, or if the business where you’re

doing a transaction doesn’t have the upgraded chip card equipment, don’t panic. The strip on the back of your card will continue to work with all card terminals for the foreseeable future.

For merchants – the collective name for the stores, restaurants and other businesses where you use credit and debit cards every day – the transition to chip cards is moving along as well. According to a recent survey by Visa, approximately 90 percent of business owners are aware of chip technology, and about 70 percent have already upgraded their equipment or have plans to do so. Current estimates show that 47 percent of U.S. terminals will be able to read chip cards by the end of the year.

There’s one more incentive for all businesses to get on board with chip card technology: Starting October 1, liability for some counterfeit fraud may shift from the card-issuing financial institutions to retailers unless they are able to accept and process chip card transactions.

For merchants, processing chip transactions will likely involve a hardware or software upgrade somewhat similar to upgrading a cellphone contract. In many cases, the terminal will be included in the cost of the service. About a third of merchant terminals are already chip card-capable and just need a software update to fully function.

For the smallest businesses, some low-cost options for upgrading card acceptance terminals can cost $100 or less. Square https://squareup.com/contactless-chip-reader, for example, recently announced a new $49 card reader that accepts chip cards as well as mobile payments, and they’re giving away 250,000 of them to small business customers at no cost.

If you travel overseas regularly, you’ve probably already seen chip card technology in action. It’s based on a global standard called EMV and is already at work in countries moving to cashless options for private and public goods and services.

One final note. While you’re waiting for your new chip cards, you’ll still be able to use your current strip-based credit cards in new machines under their zero liability fraud protection rules. However, debit card security rules are different, so it is best to check with your bank on their guidelines so you know your funds are secure.

Bottom line: The move from strip to chip cards will create a more secure environment for credit and debit card users. However, consumers will still need to keep their cards safe and confirm the accuracy of all their spending data.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

Ask us how: (804) 441-6255

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Ron BeaufordPresident


With the right type of venue, any party or event you put on can go off without a hitch.Anyone planning a special event, such as a wedding, concert or fundraiser, will understand the importance of finding the right venue.

You don’t want to deal with a large crowd on your property. Hosting a major event at your home or office could be a hassle. A classy, well-equipped venue can make your gathering a success.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a location for your special occasion.

LESS STRESSEvent planning is stressful. You will need a venue that lowers your anxiety level before and during the event. This is especially true of weddings. Whether you or a friend is getting married, you will need an experienced venue staff. The employees should treat you and your guests with respect and grace.

Venues can be very helpful with event planning. Top-quality venues regularly do business with many vendors. They can give you advice on finding other vendors in your area. They might be able to assist you in the planning phase, which can help you relax as you plan for the big day.

CALL THE SHOTSOn the other hand, you should control the entire process. Be sure the details are meeting your expectations. When you feel a venue is pressuring you or even making decisions without your consent, end the relationship. You need people who will work with you, not people who only consider what is easiest for them.

The theme, style and decor of the event should be your choice. Leave the smaller

details to the venue’s staff and management. Doing so will free you to focus on important aspects of the occasion.

INCLUDED SERVICESEvery venue is different when it comes to services. Some places offer hardly any services, while others help you set up and clean up. Placing tables and chairs is time-consuming. Taking down decorations and equipment afterward can put a sour ending on a fabulous day.

Read your contract carefully. Unless you are on a very tight budget, look for a full-service venue that will set up and tear down as part of their pricing package.

TECHNICAL NEEDSYour event might require special technical needs. For example, sound and lighting is vital for a musical event. The venue should have the right electrical and audio connections, as well as places to route and hide cables safely.

Weddings can also be a technical challenge. The band or DJ will need to have clear sound and a dance floor. Wedding photographers might have preferences about where backdrops and special lighting will be placed.

The best venues can help you have a successful, stress-free event. Finding the right place to experience your special occasion will be memorable for you and your guests.

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Urban Views Weekly September 30, 2015

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