Through the Cultural Funding Grant Program, $90,000 in funding is awarded annually to support Ventura-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. These funds are unrestricted and may be used for organizational support, programming, and services.
Donor Name: City of Ventura
State: California
County: Ventura County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/25/2022
Size of the Grant: $1,000 – $20,000
Details:
Program Goals
The City of Ventura’s Cultural Funding Grant Program, first developed in 1993, supports the following cultural goals as stated in the 2005 Ventura General Plan:
- To support Ventura’s cultural infrastructure of arts organizations and artists
- To ensure comprehensive access to and involvement in cultural opportunities by all segments of the community
- To support economic development and increase tourism
- To enhance lifelong learning opportunities in the arts for all ages
Program Information
- $90,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis, with grants ranging in size from $1,000 – $20,000.
- Organizations are required to submit financial information via SMU DataArts, unless their annual budget is less than $10,000.
- Organizations whose annual budgets are less than $10,000 are only eligible to request $1,000.
- Applicants are required to make a specific grant request. The request may not exceed 10% of an organization’s annual budget.
- Grant funding will be recommended by a panel made up of one Arts and Culture Commissioner, one visual artist, one performing artist/arts educator, one Ventura resident involved with the arts but not affiliated with any arts boards or arts organizations, and one outside grant funding expert.
- Once grant funding has been recommended by the panel and approved by the Arts and Culture Commission, appeals can be made in writing directly to the Parks and Recreation Department within 30-days of the grant approvals. A third party outside the Parks and Recreation Department will arbitrate the appeal, and that decision will be final. No grant contracts will be issued, and no grants will be awarded, until the appeal is finalized.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizations must:
- Be a Ventura-based nonprofit arts and/or cultural organization with 501(c)3 status or have a Ventura County fiscal agent with 501(c)3 status.
- Present, produce, or support arts or cultural programs as a major component of their mission.
- Be in compliance with all City codes, laws, and ordinances.
- Certify, by means of signature on the application, that they are not delinquent in repaying the City any debt, whether the debt arises from a tax, bill, loan, lease, or other financial obligation. Organizations with a delinquent indebtedness to the City are ineligible to receive funding through this grant.
- Be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and operate so as not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability.
- Have satisfied the requirements of any previously awarded Cultural Funding Grant from the City of Ventura, including completion of a final report.
- Provide proof that the organization maintains an ongoing liability insurance policy with a minimum of $2 million aggregate, and $1 million per occurrence general liability coverage.
Restrictions & Limitations
- Organizations that receive line-item budgetary support from the City, independent of the Cultural Funding Grant Program are not eligible to apply.
- Grant funds may not be used to fund organizations or programs whose primary functions include legislative programs intended to influence public opinion, political campaigns of candidates, public relations programs designed to influence public opinion, conduct of religious activities intended to indoctrinate individuals in or to carry out the intent or practice of religious beliefs. If an agency operates under religious auspices, it must clearly distinguish between services of a health and welfare nature and those of a religious nature.
- No grant funds may be used for the payment of any debt, debt interest or deficit reduction; commercial enterprises; any fines and penalties; building or remodeling of facilities, furniture, or fixtures; lobbying any public agency or office; out of state travel; hospitality or food costs; placement of grant funds into trust, endowment, or contingency funds; expenses for projects that have already been completed.
For more information, visit Cultural Funding Grant.
