Deadline: 16-Oct-20
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County’s Mini Grant program is designed to support innovative, well defined arts-related projects that are directed to a new or broader audience, preferably within underserved communities. The Arts Council’s vision is to serve as the premier resource for the cultural arts community in the County, providing leadership in advocacy, funding, programming, promotion and information sharing in order to help create and sustain a vibrant cultural community that enriches the quality of life for every county resident.
New partnerships with other arts-related groups are encouraged in an effort to engage more local residents in cultural and artistic activities. The Arts Council is available to assist applicant organizations with outreach and marketing to potential partners and audiences within Anne Arundel County. Organizations may not apply for more than one Mini Grant per fiscal year.
The Arts Council operates an annual Community Arts Grant program for nonprofit cultural/arts
organizations in the county to help achieve its goals. The purpose of the Grant Program is:
- To foster excellence, diversity and vitality in arts offering for all Anne Arundel County residents;
- To broaden opportunities for County audiences, artists and arts organizations;
- To increase the availability of arts activities and programs for all County residents; and
- To promote countywide awareness of arts resources and opportunities.
Funding Information
- This mini grant program is awarded to eligible nonprofit cultural/arts organizations and programs on a dollar-to-dollar matching basis and may not exceed $2,500.
Eligibility Criteria
- Must have been incorporated in Maryland as a not-for-profit organization and have received tax-exempt status from the United States Internal Revenue Service.
- Must be an organization providing public programming or services in Anne Arundel County in the visual arts, performing arts, cultural arts, or historical preservation.
- Must be physically located and primarily performing or operating in Anne Arundel County and in good standing with the Maryland Office of Assessments and Taxation on the date the application is filed.
- Must comply with Title VI, Section 601, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that no persons, on the grounds of race color, or national origin, shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination related to, the arts.
- Must comply with Title IV, Section 1681, of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 Section 6101, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or age.
- Must comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which states that no otherwise qualified person shall, solely by reason of his or her handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination related to, the arts.
- Must maintain complete and accurate records of all activities connected with the grant.
- Must utilize generally accepted accounting principles, maintain complete and accurate records of all receipts and expenditures in connection with the Grant, including Interim and Final Reports, and have these records available upon reasonable notice for inspection and available to send electronically to a representative of the Arts Council.
- Must file a final report, both narrative and financial, with the Arts Council by the specified deadlines.
- Must give credit to the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County whenever and wherever credit is being given, in all web related and social media, brochures, news releases, programs, publications and publicity.
- Must notify the appropriate program officer in writing if a significant change is made in any Arts Council funded program or project.
Review Criteria
The review of grants will be based on the following evaluation criteria:
- Artistic Merit; Quality/Creativity of Programming
- Recognized quality of artistic programming;
- Fulfills unmet community need;
- Programming reflects applicant’s objectives;
- Arts Council grant will provide meaningful contribution to programming.
- Service to the Community
- Broadens access and opportunity to the arts;
- Reaches underserved audiences and constituencies;
- Enhances geographic, socio-economic and cultural diversity of arts programming;
- Staffing, Board membership, audience/constituency reflects a broad diversity;
- Engages in successful partnerships with other County arts groups and patrons.
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Exhibits sound business practices and financial responsibility;
- Exhibits ability to leverage in-kind, Board and volunteer resources;
- Management/administrative structure capable of providing planned
programming.
For more information, visit https://www.acaac.org/we-support/grant-programs/