The StartUp Program develops and strengthens the management capacity of emerging arts organizations (or those applying for an annual DDOA grant for the first time) while providing modest support for operating expenses.
Donor Name: Delaware Division of the Arts
State: Delaware
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/15/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The StartUp Program serves as the gateway for emerging arts organizations to enter Delaware Division of the Arts’ (DDOA) General Operating Support (GOS) grant program.
Funding Information
StartUp Program funding consists of operating support up to $2,500 and a program of training classes and consulting with Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA).
Grant Period
Funding awarded in the FY2026 grant cycle must be spent on activities that occur between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026.
Expenses Eligible for StartUp Support
Funding from StartUp grants may be used to support most aspects of an arts organization’s annual operating expenses (not including capital expenses), such as:
- Artists’ fees
- Administrative costs
- Contractual services
- Facilities operations (utilities, routine maintenance…)
- Marketing or publicity of events/activities
- Personnel (salaries, benefits…)
- Professional development (workshops, seminars, conferences, excluding credit earning post-secondary coursework)
- Supplies and materials
- Technical costs
- Travel (domestic) and other operational expenses necessary to deliver arts programs and services.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for StartUp, applicants must:
- Have the promotion, presentation, production, and/or teaching of the arts as their primary purpose as outlined in their charter, incorporation papers, bylaws, and IRS nonprofit determination letter
- Have a stable, functioning board of directors that meets at least quarterly
- Be based and chartered in Delaware as a nonprofit organization; exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) or 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; and eligible to receive donations allowable as charitable contributions under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954
- Have been providing continuous public arts programming for at least two years at the time of application
- Have total operating income of more than $16,000 for the last completed fiscal year.
For more information, visit DDA.
