The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ ) Mertz Gilmore Seed Fund for Dance is a new initiative to invest in the originality, insight, and potential that exists within the grassroots dance community in Upper Manhattan.
Donor Name: Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation
State: New York
Town: Upper Manhattan
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 04/01/2022
Size of the Grant: $5,000
Grant Duration: 7 months
Details:
The Seed Fund for Dance is a grant program designed to support creatives with exceptional dance or choreographic talent, who exhibit a distinctive voice, and whose career path would benefit from the recognition and visibility that this award offers.
Funding Information
- The program will provide $5,000 grants to support 16 dance projects taking place in Upper Manhattan from January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023.
- Eight (8) Grantee projects: August 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023.
Eligibility Criteria
The Seed Fund for Dance invites proposals from individual dance artists, ensembles, collectives, and nonprofit organizations with budgets of $250,000 or below in their pursuit of a project that expresses their artistic vision.
- Individual artists must self-identify as dance makers focused on the creation and/or performance of dance.
- Individual artists must be year-round residents of Upper Manhattan, defined as north of 98th Street on the east side of Fifth Avenue; and north of 110th Street on the west side.
- Students who only live in Upper Manhattan when school is in session, those registered to vote in another state, and those who file taxes in another state are not eligible to apply.
- Individual artists must have carried out or participated in publicly accessible dance programming in 2 of the last 5 calendar years.
- Individual artists may not apply or receive funds for the benefit of any for-profit or nonprofit entity for this project (including LLCs).
- Individual artists may only be affiliated with one proposal per application cycle.
- Grantees who receive funding in the first cycle may not apply for the second cycle.
- However, unfunded applicants may reapply in the second cycle by rolling over their application and providing any necessary updates.
- Collectives and groups must appoint a lead applicant who meets all the criteria specified above for individual artists. If awarded, the lead applicant will serve as the fiscal agent for the project, responsible for disbursing all funds received and providing all required narrative and financial documentation.
- Applicants may have a concurrent UMEZ Arts Engagement grant. Funds may be used as a match to that project or for another project entirely.
Nonprofit Dance Organizations
- The UMEZ Mertz Gilmore Seed Fund for Dance invites applications from nonprofit dance organizations that meet the following
Organizations must have a principal mission that promotes the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and/or performance of dance. - Organizations must be headquartered in Upper Manhattan, defined as north of 98th Street on the east side of Fifth Avenue; and north of 110th on the west side. (Office is determined by address on Federal/State filing.)
- Organizations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with proof of nonprofit status.
- Organizations must have carried out or participated in publicly accessible dance programming in 2 of the last 5 calendar years.
- Organizations must have operating budgets of $250,000 or below for two of the last three completed fiscal years. Organizations incorporated less than three years ago with a current budget of $250,000 or below are also eligible to apply.
- Organizations may have a concurrent UMEZ Arts Engagement grant. Funds may be used as a match to that project or for another project entirely.
- Organizations may only be affiliated with one proposal per application cycle.
- Grantees who receive funding in the first cycle may not apply for the second cycle.
- However, unfunded applicants may reapply in the second cycle by rolling over their application and providing any necessary updates.
For more information, visit UMEZ Mertz Gilmore Seed Fund for Dance.
