The Impact Projects grant program intends to support collaborative projects that center artists and artistic practice in responding to issues experienced by historically and systemically under-resourced communities in California at this time, including, but not limited to, social, political, and economic inequalities.
Donor Name: California Arts Council
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/06/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $25,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
Purpose
The California Arts Council’s policies and practices prioritize racial equity and have a broad geographic reach into communities of all sizes and needs, and this includes a commitment to support a network of arts service organizations that provide practical resources for the communities they serve. These priorities include strengthening the creative expression of artists, artistic practice, and community collaboration as vital strategies in healing, stabilizing, uplifting, and transforming communities. Artistic projects that foster creative social change in the areas of equity and access provide crucial opportunities for sustaining strong, healthy, vibrant, safe, and resilient communities in a region.
This program prioritizes local artists and forms of arts and cultural expression that are unique to, and/or historically rooted in, the specific communities to be served.
Impact Projects grants support arts organizations for collaborations between local artist(s) and community members to develop and express their own creative and artistic goals and address a community-defined need. Collaborative projects will utilize various creative practices to impact social issues affecting their communities, including but not limited to systemic marginalization, incarceration/justice systems, access to education, poverty/economic disparity, health disparities, accessibility for people with disabilities, housing insecurity, violence, food insecurity, cultural/social justice, intergenerational learning, veterans’ issues, and environmental sustainability. Previous applicants to project-based programs such as Reentry Through the Arts and Veterans in the Arts, etc. are encouraged to apply through this program.
Funding Information
- Applicant organizations can request up to $25,000 for the grant period
- Grant Activity Period: October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must comply with the requirements below. All applications must include the listed items at the time of submission in order to be considered for funding.
- California-based – Documentation of having 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.
- 501(c)(3) organization as applicant or fiscal sponsor – Non-governmental (municipal, county, or tribal) applicant organizations must demonstrate proof of nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, of the California Revenue and Taxation Code.
- Fiscal sponsors – An applicant organization without nonprofit status must use a California-based fiscal sponsor with a federal 501(c)(3) designation to apply for funding.
- The fiscal sponsor will provide the fiscal oversight and administrative services needed to complete the grant.
- A Letter of Agreement between the fiscal sponsor and the applicant organization must be signed 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.
- 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.
- 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 TaxBoard.
Project Requirements
- Applicant organization must develop and complete a project addressing the goals of the program to be completed within the project timeline. The project description must include an anticipated timeline for completion within the Grant Activity Period.
- Projects must be collaboratively developed between local artist(s) and community members to develop and express creative and artistic goals and address a community-defined need. Projects must utilize creative practices to impact social issues affecting a community.
- Project planning, implementation, and evaluation must reflect a commitment to include and represent the communities to be served.
- All aspects of the project should be free to community participants and free and/or affordable and accessible to audiences. This detail should be clearly noted in the project description.
- Rates of compensation for individual artists and/or arts workers to be supported by this grant must be appropriate to experience and comparable to fees for other local skilled workers.
- Individuals to be compensated by this grant may not be full-time students in a degree program directly related to any type of compensation/credit for this project.
- All CAC-funded programs, services, information, and facilities where funded activities take place, including online spaces, must be accessible for individuals with disabilities, including but not limited to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, have difficulty speaking, have a physical disability, visual disability, developmental disability, learning disability, mental illness, or chronic illness.
For more information, visit CAC.
