Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary

Grants will be made to eligible organizations to support their own operations. Unlike other Arts Endowment funding programs that offer project-based support, Rescue Plan funds are intended to support day-to-day business expenses/operating costs, and not specific programmatic activities. Cost share/matching funds are not required.

Support is limited to any or all of the following:

  • Salary support, full or partial, for one or more staff positions. Staff positions funded may not conduct work independent of the organization receiving funds.
  • Fees/stipends for artists and/or contractual personnel to support the services they provide for specific activities as part of organizational operations.
  • Artist fees/stipends should be related to work with a tangible outcome, such as performances, presentations, workshops, and/or the creation of artwork. This is considered a stipend to the artist for the work undertaken during the period of performance. Such work must not be performed independently of the organization receiving funds.
  • Facilities costs such as mortgage principal, rent, and utilities.
  • Costs associated with health and safety supplies for staff and/or visitors/audiences (e.g., personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, etc.).
  • Marketing and promotion costs.

Rescue Plan funds may be used to support existing jobs, new jobs, or to restore jobs that were furloughed or eliminated due to the pandemic.

Deadlines

Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØInternal Deadline: 11:59pm MST July 19, 2021

Sponsor Application Deadline: 9:59pm August 12, 2021

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Project Summary (2-3 pages maximum): Describe 1) the overall mission and work of the organization; 2) how the funds will be used to support day-to-day business expenses/operating costs (not specific programmatic activities); and 3) any underserved populations served, such as those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by ethnicity, economics, geography, or disability.
  • PI Curriculum Vitae/Resume
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. Applicants may be arts organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, local education agencies (school districts), and other organizations that can help advance the goals of the Arts Endowment.

If you are a parent organization applying on behalf of separately identifiable and independent components, grant funds can only support eligible costs incurred by the smaller entity/independent component. When selecting a grant amount, base your decision on the overall size and capacity of the independent component.

Limited Submission Guidelines

An organization is limited to one application.

Award Information

Applicants may request a fixed grant amount for: $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000. Cost share/matching funds are not required. We encourage applicants to select a grant amount that is reflective of their overall organization size and internal capacity.

A grant period of up to two years is allowed.

Review Criteria

The artistic excellence and artistic merit of the proposal, which includes the:

  • Significance to the mission and core work of the organization.
  • Ability to carry out an award as shown by the alignment of the budget and other resources with the goals and requirements of this funding opportunity.
  • As appropriate, potential to have an immediate impact on the arts workforce.
  • As appropriate, the potential to serve and/or reach individuals whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by ethnicity, economics, geography, or disability.