FY19-20 LOCAL IMPACT
Grant Application Instructions
Application Instructions
DEADLINE: November 8, 2019 by 11:59 PM
New applicants to this program are highly encouraged to contact the designated staff to confirm eligibility before starting an application.
All grant applications must be submitted in the California Arts Council online grants management system, calartscouncil.smartsimple.com.
Registration and Certification
An authorized representative of the Applicant Organization must be registered, and organizational information must be certified, in advance. The following information and documentation should be prepared prior to beginning this process:
Applicant Organization Federal EIN (or that of Fiscal Sponsor, if applicable)
Applicant Organization DUNS Number (or that of Fiscal Sponsor, if applicable), obtainable from the Dun and Bradstreet Request Service website (requested, but not mandatory at the time of certification)
Applicant Organization contact information, including business address, mailing address (if different), county name, phone and fax number (if available), and website
Number of years Applicant Organization has engaged in arts programming
Year Applicant Organization began arts programs and/or services
Organizational mission statement and purpose
Brief summary of Applicant Organization’s core programs and services
Please refer to CAC Registration Information for additional guidance.
Application Checklist
Required Support Materials:
Artistic Work Samples Materials: Include up to three samples of artistic work providing evidence to the quality of the artists associated with this project. Images, audio, and video (links) should be recent, relevant, and related to your proposed project.
Additional Work Sample Materials: Provide up to two PDF documents that best portray your organization and its work. These may include press materials, flyers, brochures, programs, newsletters, and other marketing pieces generated within the past two years.
Letter of Support or Testimonial: Provide a signed statement from a key stakeholder, partner, or community member. Statement should substantiate the quality of the organization and affirm the organization's impact on its constituents. This should not be from staff or board of the Applicant Organization.
Support Materials Notes: Provide brief descriptions of artistic work samples and other support materials. For video or audio samples, provide specific start and end times for the portion you would like the panel to review. Be sure to clearly indicate which specific files your notes are referencing.
Payee Data Record (STD 204) – a fillable PDF is available to download, complete, and upload within the application.
Required Support Materials for Fiscally Sponsored Applicant Organizations:
Legal name of Fiscal Sponsor Organization
Fiscal Sponsor Organization Federal EIN
Fiscal Sponsor Organization DUNS Number
Fiscal Sponsor Organization executive leader’s name, phone number, and email
Fiscal Sponsor Organization mailing address
Number of years the Fiscal Sponsor Organization has been engaged in arts programming and/or services
A brief description of the history of the Fiscal Sponsor Organization’s arts programming and/or services
An IRS 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF form for the Fiscal Sponsor Organization; no other types of 990 forms will be accepted
A Letter of Agreement between the Applicant Organization and the Fiscal Sponsor Organization confirming their understanding of and compliance with the CAC Fiscal Sponsor Policy
Payee Data Record (STD 204) – fillable PDF available to download, complete, and upload within the application
Please refer to the CAC Fiscal Sponsor Policy for additional information.
Application Questions
The following questions will be asked on the application:
Narrative Questions
Provide a detailed description of how your proposed project will center the arts as a vehicle for building strong, healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities. Be sure to include how your project will accomplish the following:
- Celebrate local artists and forms of arts and cultural expression that are unique to, and/or historically rooted in, the specific community to be served.
- Activate community participants to develop and express their own creative and artistic abilities.
- Foster intergenerational and lifelong arts learning, participation, and
Provide Project Start Date and Project End Date.
Provide a detailed timeline of all key arts programming and/or services that will occur within the Grant Activity Period. (3000 characters)
Describe the community in which this project will take place, including how this community is historically marginalized. Describe how your proposed project is reflective of and responsive to this specific community. (2000 characters)
Describe the required free component(s) of your project. (1500 characters)
What are the intended outcomes for the community? Please describe the methods for evaluating and measuring success. (1500 characters)
Describe plans to promote the project's value and to document and communicate the project's impact to a broad public. (1500 characters)
Quantitative Questions:
Number of free events
Number of artists directly involved
Number of total individuals to benefit directly (individuals participating in the core program activities)
Number of individuals to benefit indirectly (audience members, beneficiaries of public art installations, etc.)
Number of activities supported
Key Personnel Bios:
Provide a brief biography for each key individual (artistic, technical, or administrative) involved in this project. Include name, title, whether to be supported by CAC funds, relevant experience as it relates to this project, and role within the proposed activities.
If proposing therapeutic outcomes, applicants must establish the qualifications of service providers, how strategies are appropriate to the clinical and/or community arts setting, and how support is culturally responsive to participants. (1000 characters)
Equity:
Describe how your project design and implementation reflects a commitment to include and represent the communities to be served. (2500 characters)
Accessibility:
Describe your approach to ensuring the physical accessibility of programs and services for this project, as well as the accessibility of print and online materials. Consider personnel of the Applicant Organization and any partnering organizations, as well as program participants, and potential audience members in your response. (1500 characters)
Accessibility Contact Details: Identify the primary individual who will be responsible for managing aspects of accessibility as it relates to this proposal. This may be a program manager, accessibility coordinator, or other staff member of the Applicant Organization.
Budget Tables
A Budget Snapshot is required, providing basic financial information (revenue and expenses) for a minimum of two, and up to three years. Budget Notes must be provided for any noticeable increases or decreases (surplus or deficits) in line items from one year to the next.
A line-item project budget is required, including anticipated matching funds. Please refer to What the CAC Does Not Fund within the program Guidelines to ensure that all line items are eligible expenses.
You will also be required to fill out a Matching Funds table, indicating sources for the required matching and the status of those funds (i.e., Projected, Pending, Confirmed).
Application Assessment
Panelists may consider any aspect of an application when ranking for each review criteria, including but not limited to the Areas of Assessment indicated below.
Review Criteria #1: Project Design and Implementation
Areas of Assessment:
Narrative and quantitative questions
Project budget
Review Criteria #2: Artistic Merit
Areas of Assessment:
Artist(s) bio(s)
Artistic work samples
Review Criteria #3: Community Impact:
Areas of Assessment:
Narrative and quantitative questions
Organizational history and mission
Letter of support or testimonial
Additional work samples
Review Criteria #4: Management and Leadership
Areas of Assessment:
Narrative and quantitative questions
Key personnel bio(s)
Organizational history and mission
Budget Snapshot
Overall completeness and accuracy of application submission
Review Criteria #5: Equity and Accessibility
Areas of Assessment:
Narrative questions
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