The Community Arts Development (CAD) Operating Grants is designed to sustain and help grow Howard County-based non-profit arts or cultural organizations with exhibition, presentation, or production in the arts as their primary function.
Donor Name: Howard County Arts Council (HCAC)
State: Maryland
County: Howard County (MD)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/08/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
To carry out its mission, Howard County Arts Council awards operating and special project grants to eligible organizations. HCAC is committed to helping promote, improve, and strengthen the structure of community arts organizations by providing operating funds for established arts organizations and by supporting the development of small and mid-sized arts organizations through project-specific funds. These grants are larger and can cover the cost of a variety of day-to-day expenses like salaries, office equipment, utilities, and more.
Purpose of the Grants Program
- To foster excellence, diversity, and vitality in arts offerings for Howard County residents
- To broaden opportunities for Howard County audiences, artists and arts organizations
- To increase the availability of arts activities in Howard County
- To promote countywide awareness of arts resources and opportunities.
Grant Period
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant organizations must be incorporated as nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, 501(C)(3), in good standing with both State and Federal governments
- New applicants must schedule a brief introductory meeting with HCAC staff to go over grant eligibility and procedures
- New applicants, or applicants who have not received operating grants for each of the preceding two years, must apply under the project grants category for two consecutive years and successfully complete both of these project grants before being considered as eligible to apply in the operating grant category. All grant applications, interim reports, and final reports must be submitted on time, be complete, accurate and approved by HCAC to qualify as complete
- Projects must involve an artistic process or product
- Eligible non-arts organizations may apply for project funding only, and only direct artistic costs will be considered for funding and organization’s match. In order to qualify for a grant in this category, projects must involve an artistic process or product
- Projects must take place in Howard County
- To be eligible to apply in the operating category, the following conditions must also exist:
- Applicant organization must be incorporated as an arts or cultural organization with exhibition, presentation or production in the arts as its primary function, as documented within your articles of incorporation, and whose primary purpose is producing or presenting the arts through public programs and services
- Organizations must have successfully completed two CAD project grants over the past two consecutive years, which includes completing the project as described in the grant application and submitting related interim and final reports on time. HCAC must approve all reports and will notify applicants of any outstanding issues. Organizations should plan on applying in the project category for a minimum of three years
- Organization must be in good standing with HCAC (i.e. all required obligations from previous grants are met and all reports are submitted on time and are accurate, complete, and approved)
- Organizations must have at least a part-time paid executive director, CEO, managing director, or comparable position responsible for administering the grant funds and who reports directly to the organizations’ board of directors. This position must be filled for no fewer than 6 of the 12 months prior to submitting the application
- Organizations may provide tuition-based educational programs, but the expenses for such programs may not comprise more than 50% of the organization’s operating expenses for the last completed fiscal year. If tuition-based educational expenses comprise more than 50% of the organization’s operating budget, the organization must apply based on an operating budget that excludes educational expenses.
For more information, visit Howard County Arts Council.
