The Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Relief grant program intends to provide relief funding to arts and cultural organizations who have experienced economic hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donor Name: California Arts Council
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/06/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $30,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
Purpose
The California Arts Council’s Strategic Framework prioritizes racial equity and broad geographic reach into communities of all sizes and needs. Recent data and community input demonstrate the need for greater access to general operations funding in support of maintaining California arts and cultural organizations during times of uncertain.
This grant supports the well-being of California’s cultural vitality by helping sustain a robust and diverse arts workforce and infrastructure. Funds may be used to support any eligible expenses associated with the general operations of an arts or cultural organization, including but not limited to rent, utilities, and staff salaries. Applying for this grant does not restrict an organization from applying for other CAC project-based grants. General Operating grants are intended to support the applicant organization in carrying out its mission. Funding is not intended to support a specific project.
Funding Information
Applicant organizations can request up to $30,000 each year for two years. Funding is contingent upon availability of funds and passage of the state budget for 2023-24 and 2024-25. Funds will be paid out at $30,000 during the first program year and $30,000 during the second program year, contingent on passage of the state budget for each year.
Eligibility Criteria
- 501(c)(3) organization as applicant or fiscal sponsor – Nongovernmental applicant organizations must demonstrate proof of nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or section 23701d of the California Revenue and Taxation Code.
- Local government – An arts-based unit of municipal or county government; or a tribal government
- Applicant organizations using fiscal sponsors – An applicant organization that is without nonprofit status must use a California based fiscal sponsor with a federal 501(c)(3) designation to apply for funding. For-profit businesses and individuals may not use a fiscal sponsor to apply to CAC organizational grants. Types of applicant organizations eligible to apply using a fiscal sponsor include, but are not limited to artist collectives, guilds, and 501(c)(6) organizations.
- A CAC Letter of Agreement form is completed and must be signed between the fiscal sponsor and the applicant organization by a representative from both parties and submitted with the application. A blank signature field will not be accepted. If a grant is awarded, the fiscal sponsor becomes the legal contract holder with the California Arts Council. The CAC form is required, no other letters will be accepted to substitute this requirement.
- A fiscal sponsor change is not permissible during the Grant Activity Period, with rare exceptions.
- Fiscal sponsors must have a minimum two-year history of consistent engagement in arts programming and/or services prior to the application deadline. (Acting as a fiscal sponsor to arts and cultural organizations is considered an arts service.) See additional information on the use of CAC fiscal sponsors.
Eligibility Requirements
- California-based – Documentation of being a California-based nonprofit arts/cultural organization; an arts-based unit of municipal or county government; or a tribal government, or nonprofit social service organization with regular ongoing arts programming and/or services and a principal place of business in California.
- Arts programming – Applicants must have a minimum two-year history of consistent engagement in arts programming and/or services prior to the application deadline.
- Certificate of good standing – Nonprofit organizations and fiscal sponsors (if applicable) must have “active status” with the California Secretary of State (SOS) showing evidence of “good standing” at the time of application. You can verify your organization’s status by conducting a search using the SOS online Business Search tool. An indication of “active” (versus “suspended,” “dissolved,” “cancelled,” etc.) confirms that your nonprofit corporation exists, is authorized to conduct business in the State of California, has met all licensing and corporation requirements, and has not received a suspension from the Franchise Tax Board.
For more information, visit CAC.
