The ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants Program is to encourage the development and advancement of the arts in Fairfax County while serving the artistic and cultural needs of Fairfax County residents.
Donor Name: ArtsFairfax
State: Virginia
County: Fairfax County (VA)
City: Falls Church and Fairfax
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/07/2023
Size of the Grant: $1,000 to $30,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants serve both arts organizations and individual artists with funding to support projects that engage Fairfax County residents. Project Support Grants are awarded in four grant subcategories, including Arts in Education, Opportunity, Partnerships, and Arts Access.
Goals
Through the Project Support Grant Program, ArtsFairfax seeks:
- To provide support for established arts organizations and the development of new organizations
- To promote opportunities for individual artists and arts organizations of all disciplines to create, present, and celebrate their artistic endeavors
- To be a catalyst for increased private sector support for arts organizations through leveraged public funding
- To encourage wide participation in the arts through diverse cultural programming available to all residents of Fairfax County.
Funding Categories
Project Support Grants are non-recurring grants used to support eligible nonprofit arts organizations, both established and developing, in providing activities that engage new audiences in the arts and contribute to the vibrancy and quality of life in Fairfax County. Applicants may request $1000-$30,000. These grants will not fund operating expenses. Finally, these grants encourage wide participation in the arts through diverse cultural programming available to all residents of Fairfax County.
Project Support grants support activities that would not normally be part of your organization’s usual activities. For example, if your organization provides after-school arts instruction, then Project Support funding could support the design and implementation of a new class offering that has not been offered before. If your organization occasionally hosts a guest artist, then Project Support funding could support bringing an artist who might normally be financially out of reach. This funding is not intended to support ongoing activities that your organization does on a regular basis as part of your mission. You do not have to create a program that is brand new to your organization; however, for existing programs, your proposal should explain how the funding would enhance or expand the scope of your program offerings.
There are four grant subcategories within the Project Support Grant Program. An organization can submit one grant application in a single subcategory. The grant subcategories are:
- Arts in Education: Arts in Education projects provide high-impact art experiences. Projects may take place in schools, after-school programs, or nonprofit agencies such as art centers, social service agencies, and parks and recreation facilities that provide services to youth and/or adults. Projects can support artist’s fees and travel, space rental, transportation, advertising, publicity, scripts, costumes, sets, props, music, art supplies, and equipment rental or purchase
- Opportunity: Opportunity projects provide the resources to allow an organization to take advantage of an atypical or out of the ordinary opportunity that otherwise would be out of reach. Opportunity projects should further the growth and development of the applicant organization or engage audiences in new arts experiences. Projects can support performances by guest artists, activities, or infrastructure enhancements including programs, exhibitions, and performances for diverse populations (gender, ethnicity, age, people of all abilities sexual orientation) and/or in underserved areas of the county
- Partnerships with Individual Artists, Artist Teams/Cooperatives, non-501(c)(3) Arts Groups: Partnerships support a partnership between an arts organization and an artist, artist teams/cooperatives, and non-501(c)(3) Arts Groups. The nonprofit arts organization must serve as the applicant. Projects can support the production of public art, performances, exhibitions, workshops, commissions, arts in education projects, and culturally unique projects that directly benefit artistic development and recognition
- Arts Access: Arts Access projects strengthen arts engagement and allocation of resources to underserved and economically disadvantaged communities and districts. These projects provide arts programming and reduce the costs of or distance to high quality arts experiences (productions, presentations, exhibitions, learning) in communities where limited arts access has been documented. Arts and cultural organizations located in these communities as well as organizations from throughout the county and cities of Fairfax and Falls Church may apply. Applicants from outside the target District must work with at least one community-based partner to promote sustainable change.
Funding Information
- Project Support Grant Program grants range from $1,000 to $30,000
- Grant Period: 2 years
Eligibility Criteria
- An organization is eligible to apply to the Project Support Grant Program if:
- It has as a core mission the creation, exhibition, presentation, production, or performance of and/or education in an arts discipline and is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with current or pending status.
- It has regular activity in a minimum of four different months in the year or 120 days of the year
- It presents at least 51% of public arts activities within the geographical boundaries of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church
- The organization must have an address of record within the geographical boundaries of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church and satisfy ONE of the following three criteria for at least one year:
- Meet, rehearse, exhibit, and operate within the geographical boundary of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church
- Have 51% of board of directors’ members work or reside in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church
- Verify that 51% of attendees at performances, exhibits, events, and activities reside in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church evidenced through acceptable statistical.
- An eligible organization must:
- Be in compliance with all local, state, and federal laws; and
- If an organization does not hold 501(c)(3) status in its own right, a fiscal sponsor that holds 501(c)(3) status may apply on its behalf. The fiscal sponsor must manage all grant funds and ensure compliance with the terms of the grant if an award is made
- An organization must have independently prepared financial statements such as an audit or a treasurer’s report (audit required for organizations with expenses of $750,000 and above).
- The applicant must have submitted all required final reports for any grants received from ArtsFairfax during the previous fiscal year
- The applicant must maintain an ArtsFairfax Directory listing and list activities on ArtsFairfax events calendar.
Ineligibility
- The following are not eligible organizations:
- Organizations that receive line-item funding from the State of Virginia
- Departments of George Mason University, and nonprofit organizations and foundations that support county agencies are not eligible for ArtsFairfax grants
- Project Support Grant Program grants cannot be used for:
- Fundraising activities, such as capital campaigns or endowment campaigns
- Construction or renovation projects
- Political advocacy costs
- Activities not open to the general public
- Debt retirement
- Pre-grant Costs
- Proselytizing and faith-based activities.
For more information, visit ArtsFairfax.
