Deadline: 27-Aug-20
Arts Forward Fund is a collaborative partnership between the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Greater Washington Community Foundation, and many other individual and institutional contributors, with a goal of helping arts and culture organizations in the DC region stabilize, adapt, and thrive despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of the Arts Forward Fund is to provide resources to support organizations as they make essential shifts needed to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be protracted, and continue their vital role in the region’s economy and community life. The partners around the Arts Forward Fund table believe that arts and culture organizations are a critical part of the region’s economy, as well as essential contributors to the sense of community well-being and collective quality of life.
Funding Information
- Grants will typically range from $10,000 to $50,000.
- They will be flexible in defining grant periods, but expect that most organizations will spend the funds within four to six months.
- Applicants may request multiple types of support from the categories, but should not request more than $50,000.
Arts Forward Fund will be accepting applications for three types of funding:
- Capacity Building — Grants to address the needs of individual organizations as they shift their programs and operations to adapt to the impact of COVID-19. Examples might include technology upgrades, online content platforms, business and financial planning, space utilization planning, equipment and/or consultants needed to ensure the safety of artists and audiences, or marketing and communications support for promoting online content. Capacity-building applications may include staff salaries needed to engage in the work or implement the project.
- Training — Training grants will focus on group learning rather than individual professional development. They welcome applications from arts service organizations that represent many organizations with common training needs. Arts Forward Fund may also use the application process to identify common needs, opportunities for collaboration, and trusted training providers.
- Innovation — Innovation grants will support solutions with implications for the broader arts community. Examples might include shared online content production facilities or platforms, or ticketing systems for paid online events. They encourage collaborative applications from organizations with similar needs.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include:
- Arts and culture organizations serving the District of Columbia, Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax in Virginia. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. A fiscal sponsor need not be identified when the application is submitted but must be secured before a grant can be awarded.
- Organizations working across all artistic disciplines, including visual and performing arts, are eligible to apply, as are youth development organizations with an arts focus, arts education organizations, and grassroots arts organizations working for racial and social justice.
- Organizations with pre-COVID annual revenue of up to $10 million are eligible to apply. (Annual revenue is determined from financial statements for the most recently completed fiscal year.) There is no minimum annual revenue threshold for eligibility.
For more information, visit https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/arts-forward-fund
