The Operational Funding Grants provide operational support for qualifying 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and cultural organizations that significantly serve Wichita citizens.
Donor Name: City of Wichita
State: Kansas
City: Wichita
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/04/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Cultural Funding Committee approved a new structure for the Cultural Funding Operational Grants. This new structure divides the Operational Grants into three tiers:
- Cultural Institutions are organizations that have served the residents of Wichita for at least 20 years, have received Cultural Funding from the City of Wichita for at least 15 years, and have budgets of at least $500,000. Once accepted into the Cultural Institution program, organizations do not need to reapply for funding so long as annual performance measures are met. New Cultural Institutions will receive a set percentage of the total available cultural funding. Organizations that already receive significant public funding will be assigned a slightly smaller percentage of the total. Funding for Legacy Cultural Institutions – those organizations with the Cultural Institution title at the beginning of 2025 – will be unaffected by this change.
- Cultural Anchors are organizations that have served the residents of Wichita for at least 10 years and have received funding from the City of Wichita for at least 5 of the last 10 years (relative to the current date). Anchors will receive three-year funding contracts from the City, with consistent funding amounts for those three years, so long as annual performance measures are met. Anchors will reapply for funding after every three-year contract ends. After their third contract (9 years total), the Anchor will be evaluated for inclusion as a Cultural Institution. If accepted, the Anchor’s final contract will receive a 1-year extension, and they will move up to Institution status after that 10th year. Cultural Anchor funding is currently capped at $35,000 per year.
- Cultural Partners are organizations that have served the residents of Wichita for at least 2 years. This tier works in a similar way to the previous iteration of the Operational Grant Opportunity. Partners will apply for funding annually and meet annual performance measures. After reaching ten years of history serving the residents of Wichita and receiving funding for at least five of those ten years, Partners may apply for Anchor status. Cultural Partner funding is currently capped at $15,000 per year.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations must meet the following criteria to receive operational funding:
- The organization must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
- The organization has as its primary purpose the production, presentation, advancement, or preservation of arts or culture in the City of Wichita.
- The organization must serve the residents of the City of Wichita.
- The organization, or any related support organization (“Friends of”, etc.), must receive less than 25% percent of its funding from the City of Wichita. Organizations that do not meet this requirement may apply for programmatic funding opportunities.
- The organization has a minimum of two (2) years of operational history serving the residents of Wichita.
- The organization has full-time professional management and/or cultural/artistic staff. This service may be in-kind of volunteer in nature.
- The organization presents a full season of performances/exhibitions or other year-round programming (including general admission where applicable).
- The organization is ADA compliant. If the organization operates its own facility, that facility is ADA compliant. If the organization utilizes other venues/facilities, they only use ADA compliant facilities.
- The organization is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable requirements of the City of Wichita Revised Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment/Affirmative Action Program Requirements Statement for Contracts or Agreements.
- The following organizations are ineligible for the Operational Grant Opportunity: Arts Council, Botanica, Century II, CityArts, Kansas Aviation Museum, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Museum of World Treasures, Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum, Wichita Art Museum.
For more information, visit City of Wichita.
