California Arts Recovery Grant Guidelines

CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL ARTS RECOVERY GRANT AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA) 2009–2010 GUIDELINES ARTS RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM OVERVIEW The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA or Arts Recovery) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The ARRA recognizes that the nonprofit arts industry is an important sector of the economy and, through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), is dispersing funds to preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector. Nonprofit arts organizations may receive NEA Recovery Act funds from only one source from the list below: - The National Endowment for the Arts, - A local arts agency designated to operate on behalf of government agencies. - The California Arts Council (CAC), or - The Western States Arts Federation. ORGANIZATIONAL ELIGIBILITY The Arts Recovery fund is stipulated for job preservation in the arts field. An arts organization is eligible to apply to the CAC funds only if it was a qualified grantee for our regular program in any given year since 2002-2003, the year that CAC received its budget reduction. Please check for eligibility within the list provided through the link: ________. PROJECT ELIGIBLE Arts Recovery Grant projects are limited to: Salary support, full or partial, for one or more positions that are critical to an organization's mission and that are in jeopardy or have been eliminated as a result of the current economic climate. AWARD INFORMATION Organizations may request a grant amount of between $5,000 and $20,000. All grants are non-matching and will be awarded for the amount requested. AWARD PAYMENT TERMS, INVOICING AND REPORTIING REQUIREMENTS 50% payment is released within 30 days after receipt of signed grant contracts, another 25% around mid-term of the grant period, and the remaining 25% after all reporting are received after completion grant activties. Grantees will be required to report quarterly or monthly on the use of funds in a pre-determined format until funds are paid. GRANT PROGRAM TIMELINE AND DEADLINE Electronic online applications will be available beginning July 20, 2009 through the CAC website. The application is link to CultureGrants Online, the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) online application system, and applicant may simultaneously apply to WESTAF by answering questions on a related section. Electronic submission must be sent no later than 11:59 pm on Wednesday, August 21, 2009. Applicants will be notified of award or declination by late September/early October, 2009. APPLICATION REVIEW The following criteria, pertinent to artistic excellence and artistic merit, are considered in the review of applications: • Quality of the organization. • Potential of the project to have a significant and immediate impact on the arts work force. • Significance of the project and position(s) to the mission and core work of the organization. • Likelihood that the position will be sustained beyond the one-year stimulus grant support. • Ability to carry out the project including the appropriateness of the budget, the quality and clarity of the project goals and design, the resources involved, and the qualifications of the project's personnel. PRE-CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION AND REQUIREMENTS If an organization is selected as a finalist for CAC funding, the following documentation and agreements must be formalized. Please note: Applicants will not need to provide the documentation and agreements as part of the application; rather, finalists will be asked to provide them prior to going into contract with CAC: • Proof of Eligibility: Related to Employment Status: Upon request, all grantees of CAC stimulus funding grant must present proof that the employee has been laid off from the organization or is scheduled to be laid off. If proof in the form of memos, minutes, emails or other documents is not available, the chief operation officer or chairman of the board of the organization must sign a statement testifying to the fact that the person employed with CAC stimulus fund meet the core eligibility requirement of having been laid off or having been scheduled to be laid off. • Proof of Compensation Rate: Upon request, all grantees must present proof of the previous or current compensation rate of the employee targeted for the use of the funds. CAC will allocate funds to grantees in the range of $5,000 to $20,000 for documented compensation and benefits. • Agreement to File Reports: The CAC, following policy set by the NEA of required quarterly reports, may require monthly reports. CAC will not issue a payment to the grantee organization unless all reports are current. • Non Transferability: In the event the employee designated to receive the stimulus funding separates from the grantee organization, the funds are not transferable to another employee. A request can be made for such transfer; however, approval is not automatic.