Virginia Commission for the Arts is seeking applications for its General Operating Support to Virginia arts organizations to continue, strengthen, and expand their programs.
Donor Name: Virginia Commission for the Arts
State: Virginia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 02/01/2022
Size of the Grant: $500-$200,000
Details:
The purpose of General Operating Support is to assist organizations of artistic merit in fulfilling their missions by providing funds to maintain their stability and encourage their advancement.
Funding Information
Minimum grant awards will be $500 per year; maximum grant awards will be $200,000 per year.
Eligible Activities
- Special projects
- Maintenance / operation costs
- On-going programming
Eligibility Criteria
- Virginia organizations whose primary purpose is the arts (excluding units of government and educational institutions and their private companion foundations), that have an independent governing board, that meet the Basic Eligibility criteria, and that are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Organizations must be incorporated in Virginia before applying for General Operating Support and must have completed three years of programming. Applicants for General Operating Support are required to present at least three different programs or services for the public in Virginia each year.
- A Virginia arts organization is defined as one whose primary purpose is the arts, that is incorporated in the state, and that has its headquarters and home season, or activities equivalent to a home season for non-producing organizations, in the state.
- Applicants that are at least three years old must have a previous year’s income of at least $10,000 in cash. Organizations with smaller budgets may be eligible to apply for Project or Technical and Organizational Development Assistance grants.
Avocational Organizations. Priority in this funding program will be given to organizations that pay artists. Avocational organizations may be funded in this program if they provide specific services or programs that would otherwise not be available in that particular geographic area. Avocational organizations may apply in the other grant programs of the Commission.
Festivals. In order to be eligible for General Operating Support a festival must be a separately incorporated Virginia organization with a year-round administrative staff and a year round presence in the community; have as its primary purpose the arts, spend the majority of its budget on arts activities; last longer than three consecutive days; hire professional artists; and include education and outreach programs as part of the festival. Other festivals may apply for Project Grants and Touring Assistance.
Educational Organizations. Organizations that exist primarily to provide arts education should meet the following criteria:
- The instructors should be professionals or former professionals in their fields.
- Classes should be aimed at acquiring skills at ever-increasing levels of difficulty.
- Classes should be focused on development of skills rather than being primarily rehearsals for a performance.
- The organization should have a diversified funding base, beyond tuition and ticket sales for public performances, that shows widespread community support.
- Scholarships should be available for low-income students. There should be an active effort to recruit students from all segments of the community.
- In addition to instruction, there should be regular opportunities for students to perform or exhibit for the public.
Vocal and musical ensembles that perform primarily pop, Broadway, or barbershop music, or that focus primarily on competitions are not eligible for General Operating Support but are eligible to apply for Project Grants for new initiatives or for Technical Assistance.
Diversified Funding Base. Applicants are expected to earn as much income from ticket sales/admission fees as possible, and seek contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government, including from special fundraising activities when feasible. This philosophy recognizes that government resources are limited while demands for services are high and that the arts are healthier when open to diverse stakeholders and not financially dependent on any single source of support.
For more information, visit General Operating Support.
