The Special Projects Grant program provides funding for organizations to create arts and cultural projects that engage the Montgomery County community. This program is made possible by funding from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) and is administered by Culture Works.
Donor Name: Culture Works
State: Maryland
County: Montgomery County (MD)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/04/2022
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Detail:
Special Projects Grants provide support for one or a series of high-quality arts and cultural activities that reflect the diversity of their community. The grants support performing, visual, media, literary, and folk arts; festivals; artists’ series; arts and cultural programs of schools, colleges, and universities; cultural traditions; public art programs; and other community and neighborhood arts and cultural partnerships. New in 2022, organizations with arts and culture-focused missions may also use the grants to complete capacity building projects such as strategic plans, board development, marketing and branding initiatives, website development, staff professional development training, and feasibility studies.
Project Categories
The following definitions represent the program categories applicable to Special Project support.
- Cultural/Multi-Arts: Projects involving more than one art/cultural discipline (e.g., festivals, neighborhood events, etc.) or the humanities.
- Education: In-school arts and cultural residencies or education-based community projects. Applicants may use this category to integrate the arts and culture into the basic curriculum.
- Literary Arts/Performing Arts: Projects involving creative writers–including poets, fiction and nonfiction writers–or the performing arts (e.g., theater, dance, and music) presented or produced by the applicant organization.
- Visual Arts: Projects involving painting, film, photography and digital media, crafts, sculpture, and design arts.
- Capacity Building (NEW in 2022): Projects designed to enhance an organization’s ability to carry out its mission. Note: To apply in this category, an organization’s mission must have an arts or cultural focus.
Funding Information
- Applicants may request up to $10,000 per grant cycle.
- The 2022 grant program will fund projects taking place from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.
- Colleges, universities, municipalities, and government agencies must provide a 1:1 cash match. The maximum grant request cannot exceed $10,000 or 50% of the total project budget (i.e. to receive a full $10,000 award, the project expenses must be $20,000 or greater).
NEW in 2022: There is no longer a matching funding requirement for nonprofit organizations, regardless of whether they are applying for a new or repeat project.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicants must document the following in order to be eligible:
- Organization is located in Montgomery County.
- One application per organization, school, college, university, municipality, or government agency.
- Nonprofit and tax-exempt status (Collectives and other unincorporated organizations may apply in partnership with a nonprofit, tax-exempt fiscal agent).
- Compliance with previous Special Projects Grant conditions and final reporting (applies only to repeat applicants).
- Fiscal accountability and management.
- Grant amount requested meets the requirements outlined for new and repeat projects and appropriate matching funding.
For more information, visit Special Projects Grants.
