2009-2010 Grant Program GUIDELINES Updated May 2009

In order to realize its mission, the Arts Council’s programs are designed to:

• foster artistic excellence;
• increase artistic productivity and creativity;
• develop processes that nurture artists and arts organizations;
• educate a larger constituency regarding the contribution of the arts to community development;
• increase accessibility to the arts throughout the community;
• encourage wider participation in artistic activities;
• and reflect the cultural diversity of our community.

Funding is available to eligible organizations annually in the form of:

Operating Support Grants provide unrestricted financial support to Fort Worth arts organizations for general and administrative costs.
Operating grant maximums are determined by a percentage of prior year expenses.

Project Support Grants provide financial support restricted to the implementation of a specific arts program or project to be presented in Fort Worth.
$8,000 maximum Project request.

Neighborhood Arts Program (NAP) Grants provide financial support to organizations for arts-related projects or operations in traditionally underserved communities of Fort Worth.
Operating grant maximums are determined by a percentage of prior year expenses.

Mini Grants provide funding for projects and opportunities not normally included in an organization’s operating budget. Mini Grants also serve as a prerequisite for organizations wishing to apply for Operating, Project or NAP grants in the future.
$2,000 maximum Mini Grant request.

Although the Arts Council certainly welcomes promising new arts organizations into the fabric of our community, the focus of the agency’s Grant Program lies in supporting the work of nonprofit arts organizations already established within the community.

To be eligible to apply for and receive Arts Council grant funding, an applicant must:

• be a registered 501(c)(3) arts organization (applicants applying under another organization’s 501(c)(3) “umbrella” are no longer allowed);
• have been in existence and actively programming in the Fort Worth arts community for a minimum of 3 years (if applying for a first-time Mini Grant, the programming requirement is reduced to 2 years);
• have met all required filing deadlines, including submission of all reporting requirements for any Arts Council grants previously received;
• have prior year operating expenses of at least $5,000 in order to be eligible for Project or Mini Grants;
• have prior year operating expenses of at least $50,000 and at least one paid staff to oversee operations in order to be eligible for Operating support (General or NAP).

Arts ORGANIZATIONS AFFILIATED WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES may apply for project support when their programs reach significant non-student populations (50% or more). In addition to the eligibility requirements listed above for standalone arts organizations, school-affiliated applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria also:

• The application’s primary mission is to present or produce artistic/cultural programming;
• The organization’s programming is not directly related to the university’s academic programs;
• The programming is open to the public and meets all the requirements expressed in the guidelines;
• The organization has a community-based board of directors or advisory board that meets regularly;
• Project budget size will determine in which category of applications are reviewed, not the educational organization’s total expenses.

Arts Council grants will not fund:

• Debt retirement, capital improvements, endowments, construction, or real property,
• Interest on loans, fines, penalties, or costs of litigation;
• Benefits or special events planned primarily for fundraising;
• Scholarships, purchase awards, or cash prizes;
• Subgranting programs;
• Recitals or classes for which tuition is charged;
• Service organizations.

Application may be made to the Arts Council to receive funding for Operating expenses and/or Project expenses. Additionally, applications may be made within the guidelines of the Mini Grant program or the Neighborhood Arts Program in order to help drive programming into underserved areas of the community. Currently, organizations will be limited to two applications of any type during the 2010 Grant Year.

Organizations may only apply for only one grant type within each category each year. (For example: If an organization applies for General Operating support, they may also apply for Neighborhood Arts Program Project support, but they may not apply for NAP Operating support.)

NOTE: Regarding application “overlap”, Operating budgets should not include any elements of submitted Project budgets and Project budgets should not include any general operating expense.

Review Process

In order to ensure fairness in the distribution of public and donated funds, volunteers from throughout the community are approved by the Arts Council Board of Directors to serve on Grant Review Panels. During panel deliberations, applications are discussed as a group and then, individually, panelists score each application on the basis of: Artistic Merit, Managerial Ability and Service to the Community. Based on the cumulative rankings, the panel makes funding recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval at its next meeting.

Funding Timeline for Grant Year 2010 (programming January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010):

NOTE: Mini Grant applications are received, reviewed and funded on a different timeline; please refer to the Mini Grant Guidelines for specific detail.

Payment Grants are paid in full within 45 days of award notification unless:

• the award is a General or NAP Operating Support grant of $10,000 or more, in which case payment is made in four equal, quarterly installments
• the award is a Mini Grant, in which case 75% of the award is paid at time of notification and the remaining 25% is paid upon timely receipt of all Final documentation.

Fund Receipt Recognition & Reporting Requirements Funding by the Arts Council requires acknowledgement in all programs, press releases and advertisements for grant-supported activities as is feasible. Credit should be similar to: [Name of organization or project] is partially supported by a grant from the Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County. The Arts Council logo is also available for use in materials prepared by the fund recipient.

Throughout the year, quarterly reports documenting attendance at funded activities are required.

By the end of the grant period (the end of the grant year unless otherwise specified), submission of a Final Report is required. This form is available online or by contacting the Arts Council staff, 817-298-3035. Submission of a Final Report is required to maintain eligibility for future Arts Council funding.

Operating Support Grants fund general and administrative costs incurred during the grant year. To be eligible, an organization must have prior year operating expenses of at least $50,000 and at least one paid staff to oversee operation.

Applications are evaluated based on evaluated on artistic merit, managerial ability and service to community.

Requests may include administrative staff salaries, salaries/fees of artists, supplies, production costs, space rental, marketing, printing and other general and administrative costs.

The maximum award in this category is determined by a percentage of each organization’s prior year expenses. For organizations with operating budgets:

Funds received in this category must be matched dollar for dollar during the grant year, with any combination of earned and/or unearned income.

Application requires submission of the appropriate financial statements, as specified in the Financial Reporting Requirements section of the Grant Program Guidelines.

Quarterly attendance reporting is required in addition to submission of a Final Report.

Participation in the Arts Council’s “Arts Card” discount program for Council donors and attendance at any City of Fort Worth-required fiscal training are also required.

Organizations intending to submit a grant application are encouraged to schedule an informative meeting with members of the grant panel that will be reviewing the application. (Contact information is available through the Grant Program office, 817-298-3035.)

Project Support Grants help fund the cost of a single, defined project to be completed during the grant year.

Requests may include exhibitions, special performances, collaborations, outreach, and other production costs.

Project Support requests are limited to $8,000 and may not exceed 50% of the submitted project budget. Applications are evaluated based on evaluated on artistic merit, managerial ability and service to community.

Project application budgets may include general and administrative costs only if those costs are project-specific. Project application budgets should be separate from and may not include any income or any administrative or other costs already included in a current Operating Support application. Project budgets should “stand alone from” Operating Support application budgets.

Funds received in this category must be matched dollar for dollar during the project cycle, with any combination of earned and/or unearned income.

Application requires submission of the appropriate financial statements, as specified in the Financial Reporting Requirements section of the Grant Program Guidelines.

Quarterly attendance reporting is required in addition to submission of a Final Report.

Participation in the Arts Council’s “Arts Card” discount program for Council donors and attendance at any City of Fort Worth-required fiscal training are also required.

Organizations intending to submit a grant application are encouraged to schedule an informative meeting with members of the grant panel that will be reviewing the application. (Contact information is available through the Grant Program office, 817-298-3035.)

The Neighborhood Arts Program (NAP) was created to bring the performing, visual and interdisciplinary arts into traditionally underserved communities, particularly low income areas, of Fort Worth. Many programs are offered during school hours, after school, evenings and weekends, and summers.

Generally, locations are eligible if more than 50% of the user population is below the poverty line. Locations can include:

For more specific NAP criteria, contact the Arts Council office at 817-298-3035 or katherine@fwcac.org

Neighborhood Arts Program Grants provide financial support to organizations for projects or operations in traditionally underserved communities of Fort Worth.

Funds operating expenses of arts organizations that either office in a designated, low income communities or that provide more than 50% of its programs* to underserved communities. The NAP application requires documentation of proposed locations and activities.

* 50% of programming to be determined by percentage of audience served and percentage of service offerings.

To be eligible for operating support, an organization must have prior year operating expenses of at least $50,000 and at least one paid staff to oversee operations.

Application requires submission of the appropriate financial statements, as specified in the Financial Reporting Requirements section of the Grant Program Guidelines.

Quarterly attendance reporting is required in addition to submission of a Final Report.

Funds received in this category must be matched dollar for dollar during the grant year, with any combination of earned and/or unearned income.

The maximum award in this category is determined by a percentage of each organization’s prior year expenses. For organizations with operating budgets:

Funds the cost of a single, defined project to be completed in an NAP designated community during the grant year.

NAP Project grants are not limited and do not require a cash match, although documentation of additional financial support can be beneficial. NAP awards are highly competitive and evaluated on artistic merit, managerial ability and relevance to underserved communities.

NAP Project application budgets may include general and administrative costs only if those costs are project-specific. NAP Project application budgets should not include any administrative or other overhead costs considered and accounted for as part of General Operating Expense. NAP Project budgets should “stand alone from” General Operating Support application budgets.

Application requires submission of the appropriate financial statements, as specified in the Financial Reporting Requirements section of the Grant Program Guidelines.

Quarterly attendance reporting is required in addition to submission of a Final Report.

Participation in the Arts Council’s “Arts Card” discount program for Council donors and attendance at any City of Fort Worth-required fiscal training are also required.

Mini Grants enhance the growth and professional development of eligible organizations by providing funding for projects and opportunities not normally included in an organization’s budget process.

Mini Grants also serve as a prerequisite for organizations wishing to apply for Operating, Project or NAP grants in the future. First-time applicants to the Arts Council must receive Mini Grant project funding to become eligible to apply later for General Operating, Project or NAP support. It is recommended that first-time applicants meet with Arts Council staff prior to submitting an application.

Mini Grant requests are limited to $2,000 and may not exceed 50% of the submitted project budget. Funds allocated by the Board will be available for granting in this category until the allocation is depleted for the fiscal year.

Organizations are limited to one Mini Grant application per year.

Mini Grant applications are approved by the Executive Committee of the Arts Council Board of Directors. Grants are awarded based on need, relevancy and impact to the organization.

Funds awarded in this category must be matched dollar for dollar during the project cycle, with any combination of earned and/or unearned income.

Submission of a complete Final Report is due either: within 45 days of the end of the award period or no later than the deadline for annual grant final reports in order to receive final payment and to maintain future eligibility. If extenuating circumstances prohibit the timely completion of the Mini Grant process, coordination with Arts Council staff must be initiated and documented prior to the regular deadline. An incomplete Mini Grant will prohibit further applications in this category until the grant is complete.

(Participation in the Arts Council’s “Arts Card” discount program for Council donors is not required if a Mini Grant is the only funding received from the Council for the year.)

• Professional training or consultants to assist the organization’s management development.
• Equipment relevant to the artistic or professional aspects of the organization
• Travel & registration subsidies to attend professional development conference relevant to the organization
• Unforeseen or unique opportunities that are not part of an organization’s regular season
• Emergency situations

Mini Grant applications are accepted:	Award period:
Thu, April 1, 2010	For projects to be completed May-September 2010
Weds, Sept. 1, 2010	For projects to be completed October-December 2010

Payment on Mini Grants is made in two installments, with 75% of the award paid at time of award notification and the remaining 25% paid within 45 days of receipt of all required documentation.

Mini Grant projects must be completed within the specified activity period and a Final Report (including expense documentation) submitted within 45 days of the end of the quarter, unless otherwise arranged with Arts Council staff, as described above.

Applying organizations with prior year actual expenses > $250,000:

• must submit the most recently completed fiscal year’s audited financial statements in order to be eligible for funding.

Organizations with expenses of $150,000 - $249,999:

• must submit either an audit or year-end financial statements compiled and authorized by a certified public accountant.

Organizations with budgeted expenses of $25,000 - $149,999:

• must submit a copy of the most recently filed IRS 990.

Organizations with budgets < $25,000:

• must submit internally prepared financial statements for the prior year.

There are no exceptions to these requirements. Any organization not submitting the appropriate financial statements by the stated attachment deadline will not be eligible for funding.

After reviewing submitted financial documentation, at its discretion the Arts Council may request additional information from applicants in order to clarify data or to provide needed detail.

One set of all required attachments is required from each applicant annually. If an organization makes multiple grant applications to the Arts Council in a given year, it is not necessary to resubmit the required attachments. Attachments are not saved year to year, however.

REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS:

• Cover page listing:
  Organization name "2010 Attachments" Grant application categories applied for
• Federal 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter;
• Organizational History, 200 word max. (1/2-page appox.);
• Biography of artistic and/or administrative leadership, 400 word max. (one page, appox.);
• Bulleted two-year program history (two pages, max);
• Current Board of Directors list, including names and addresses;
• Financial Statements as specified in the Grant Program Guidelines.

Optional Attachments:

• Maximum of five (5) samples of programs, advertising, media coverage. No multiple copies, please. (Excess samples will not be reviewed; they will be discarded upon receipt.) Samples are optional and need only be submitted when their content demonstrates a noteworthy aspect of the organization or its programming.

Grant applications submitted to the Arts Council are reviewed by volunteer Grant Panels in accordance with the published criteria for each applicant category (Major Organizations; Mid-Size Organizations; Small Organizations and Youth Programs). Neighborhood Arts Program applications are also reviewed by those same panels, by category.

Grant Panels are composed of ten to fifteen community volunteers, depending on the number of applications in the category. An Arts Council board member chairs the Panels. The Panels consist of arts, business professionals and community leaders who are knowledgeable of the varied artistic disciplines represented on the panel. Panelists conduct performance evaluations and participate in scheduled staff presentations throughout the year (primarily in the fall) and submit written reports to the Arts Council that are reviewed during panel deliberations.

Upon receipt, Arts Council staff reviews applications for completeness. Staff may contact the applicant if simple clarification is needed or, if the questions are more complex, submit written questions to the applicant in order to provide clarification during deliberations; applicants are given at least one week to respond to these preliminary questions. Responses are made available to panelists.

During the deliberations, required attachments and any other supplementary materials are made available for review. Submitted financials, performance and staff reports and the application narratives are presented and discussed in detail. Staff members are present during this discussion in order to document the process and to answer any questions posed by the panelists; however, staff does not participate in the actual scoring of any applications. If a question is raised that cannot be answered, at its discretion, the Panel may direct staff to contact the applicant by phone for an immediate answer.

Panelists individually score each application when discussion is complete, assigning point values based on the criteria outlined in the Guidelines. Applications are then ranked, based on their cumulative scores, and funding recommendations are derived based on: application scores, maximum award amounts, and the total funds allocated to each Panel. Panelists may (or may not) also choose to review an organization’s previous funding levels (past three years) as a guide.

Funding recommendations determined by the Panels are presented by the Grant Panel Chairs to the Arts Council Board of Directors for final approval at the next scheduled Board meeting (typically, in February). After the award amounts are approved by vote, applicants are sent notification letters - along with grant contracts, reporting and recognition requirements and panel comments. A community celebration of the awards typically is hosted by the Arts Council as a forum for public presentation of the (initial) award checks. (General and NAP Operating grants of $10,000 or more are paid out in quarterly installments.) Grant checks may only be released once an executed contract is on file with staff.

Mini Grants are processed in a similar manner but applications are received, reviewed and funded on a semi-annual basis.

Funding timeline for applications supporting programming January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010):

Completed grant applications should be delivered, with USPS post-mark or via hand delivery, by 5pm to:

Completed final reports should be delivered by 5pm to: