The Allegheny Regional Asset District board adopted a final budget of $74.6 million yesterday, adding more than $800,000 to its earlier budget with some skillful maneuvering on behalf of needy organizations.

After 18 groups and organizations pleaded for more money from the board, including Manchester Bidwell Corp., which had turned in a late application and was perilously close to receiving no funds, the board granted extra dollars to some of them.

During an October public hearing, William Strickland, president and chief executive officer of Manchester Bidwell Corp., told board members that without the asset district's $155,000 allocation, the organization was in danger of scaling back programming.

With flat sales tax revenue and rising gasoline and energy prices constricting their ability to fund all requests, asset district board members had hinted that there was little room for fiscal flexibility.

In the final budget, the board added $854,150 to its preliminary estimate of $73.7 million. That allowed the board to give $125,000 to Manchester Bidwell Corp., about $25,000 less then what the group had sought.

Several other organizations that were not funded in the preliminary budget wound up with some funding in the final plan. Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society received $4,000 and the Avonworth Municipal Authority was granted $30,000.

The Pittsburgh Chess Club, which was set to receive $1,000 in the preliminary phase of the budget, was granted no money in the board's final version.

The African American Cultural Center received a $75,000 boost in the final budget, getting a total of $275,000, and the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh was granted $25,000 more than the proposed $125,000.

Most of the funding for the late additions came from unexpected revenue increases in October and November from audit deposits and credits.

For 2006, a total of 101 groups were seeking funds, three fewer than last year. The adoption of the budget came after 15 hours of public reviews in August and September

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Annual grants

A total of 70 groups and organizations will receive slightly more than $4.6 million in annual grants from the Allegheny Regional Asset District Board. Below is list of those groups and their funding for 2006.

African American Cultural Center: $275,000

Afro-American Music Institute: $15,000

Allegheny Land Trust: $100,000

Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society: $4,000

Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania: $20,000

Avonworth Municipal Authority (ACORD Park): $30,000

Bulgarian National Education and Cultural Center: $3,500

Calliope: $7,500

Chatham Baroque: $8,000

Children's Festival Chorus: $9,000

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: $150,000

City Theatre Company: $75,000

Community Theater Project Corporation: $15,000

Dance Alloy: $20,000

Edgewood Symphony: $3,200

Frick Art & Historical Center: $31,000

Gateway to the Arts: $30,000

Gemini Theater Company $2,500

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council: $60,000

Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania: $325,000

Jazz Workshop: $9,500

Kuntu Repertory Theatre: $45,000

Manchester Bidwell: $125,000

Mattress Factory: $40,000

McKeesport Symphony Society: $8,500

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh: $10,000

Nego Gato: $2,500

New Horizon Theater: $15,000

North Pittsburgh Philharmonic: $2,500

Open Stage Theatre: $3,000

Opera Theater of Pittsburgh: $8,000

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre: 100,000

Pittsburgh Camerata: $2,500

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts*: $75,000

Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society: $8,000

Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera: $100,000

Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra: $2,250

Pittsburgh Concert Chorale: $4,000

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: $600,000

Pittsburgh Filmmakers*: $100,000

Pittsburgh Glass Center Inc.: $15,000

Pittsburgh International Children's Theater: $20,000

Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre: $10,000

Pittsburgh Musical Theater: $40,000

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble: $5,000

Pittsburgh Opera Inc.: $110,000

Pittsburgh Public Theater: $110,000

Pittsburgh Symphony Society: $1,000,000

Pittsburgh Voyager: $15,000

Pittsburgh Youth Symphony: $8,000

Prime Stage: $8,000

Quantum Theatre: $8,000

Renaissance and Baroque Society: $8,000

Renaissance City Choirs: $4,000

Renaissance City Wind Society: $3,500

River City Brass Band: $90,000

Saltworks Theatre Company: $20,000

Silver Eye Center for Photography: $8,000

Society for Contemporary Craft: $45,000

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall: $200,000

South Hills Chorale: $4,500

South Park Theater: $7,500

Srishti Dances of India: $3,000

Sweetwater Center for the Arts: $25,000

Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras: $10,000

Tuesday Musical Club: $4,000

UMOJA: $7,500

Boyce/Mayview USC Regional Park: $275,000

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: $100,000

Xpressions Contemporary Dance Company: $5,000

TOTAL ANNUAL $4,613,450

*$25,000 of this grant is subject to the completion of the merger between Pittsburgh Filmakers and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

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Source: Allegheny Regional Asset District Board