Deadline: 15-Oct-20
The City of Oakland is seeking applications for Neighborhood Voices for Organizations that build belonging within the dynamic neighborhoods of the City of Oakland by supporting culturally-engaging efforts to bring the city’s community members together to foster cohesion during a time of social distancing.
VOICES amplifies the cultural expressions, stories, histories, and heritage found within Oakland’s neighborhoods-particularly neighborhoods and their community members who historically have not received equitable investments of resources or recognition.
They seek applications from cultural-center partnerships between Oakland-based community builders and cultural practitioners, both individuals, and organizations, that are focused on building neighborhood vibrancy and community cohesion and that culminate in a local, public outcome for the benefit of the community.
Partnership projects to be supported may include, for example:
- Cultural activities including, but not limited to, performances in dance, music or theater, visual art, and public art projects, classes, workshops, exhibitions, and literary activities that are rooted in a sense of place and are responsive to COVID-19 conditions (ex. a decorated bike parade, a virtual walking tour, an online folk performance series, or a digital civic art project);
- Artist residencies or apprenticeships that engage young people from a specific neighborhood through long-term, in-depth interaction in educational settings including Oakland Unified School district or charter schools, libraries, public housing communities, youth development centers, and social service agencies and are responsive to COVID-19 conditions.
Funding Information
- $20,000 Grants to Nonprofit Organizations.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant organizations must be based in Oakland at the time of the application and maintain Oakland residency throughout the grant period.
- Proof of organization’s residency is required and may be satisfied by submitting a copy of one of the following: utility bill (landline phone, PG&E, water, or cable bill).
- Incorporated arts organizations must be Oakland-based nonprofits that meet the following criteria:
- Be a registered nonprofit in good standing with the State of California and have IRS 501c3 status with a street address in Oakland (a P.O. Box alone is not acceptable).
- Have its business office located in Oakland and letterhead with an Oakland business address (a P.O. Box alone is not acceptable).
- Comply with federal regulations pertaining to federal grant recipients by meeting the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1963; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Americans with Disabilities Act and Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
- Must have the resources to meet the Insurance Requirements: Once the grant is awarded, the organization must show evidence of 1) General Commercial Liability insurance; 2) Workers Compensation insurance (If an organization has employees); 3) Auto insurance (if applicable); and 4) Abuse and Sexual Molestation insurance (if working with youth under the age of 18 or vulnerable populations).
- Organizations that are not primarily arts and/or cultural providers are eligible only if they have an ongoing, substantial, and integral arts and/or cultural program within their organization.
- Unincorporated, Oakland-based organizations may apply with a fiscal sponsor.
Applications from the following are encouraged:
- Activities that lift-up the cultural identity of a people or the historical significance of a neighborhood
- Racial/ethnic-specific communities or other types of communities that are under-recognized or lack visibility in Oakland;
- Neighborhoods with few formal cultural resources (such as cultural centers, performance venues, art galleries, cultural education programs, etc.);
- Programming that fosters inter-generational activities that bring together elder and young people in the process of creating together for a broader audience;
- Partners who are deeply grounded and engaged in the neighborhood where the project is based.
Required Documents
- Work Sample: One (1) VIDEO or one (1) AUDIO sample, up to five (5) minutes in length, or a LITERARY sample of up to five (5) pages or less, or up to five (5) image files. CHOOSE ONLY ONE FORMAT.
- Work Biographies of key artistic and administrative project personnel (Attachment A). Create a brief paragraph for these people or organizations, explaining their professional background and role in this project. Combine into one document.
- List of Art Activities/Programming (Attachment B) produced by you/your organization during the last fiscal or calendar year, including the name and location of activity.
- Letter of Support from Partner Organization (Attachment C) is a letter that confirms their support and participation in this project.
- Proof of Residency (Attachment D) This will establish your Oakland residency. Acceptable documents include a utility bill (landline phone bill, PG&E bill, mortgage page, rental agreement, or bank statement).
- Fiscal Sponsor MOU (Attachment E) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between your organization and the fiscal sponsor. This is the nonprofit organization that will be receiving the grant funds on your organization’s behalf.
- Board of Directors list (Attachment F). List the members of your Board of Directors. Include affiliations, titles, and terms. If you do not have a Board of Directors (you are using a fiscal agent), please list the members of your Advisory Board.
- Financial Statements (Attachment G). Upload a copy of your Profit & Loss Statements AND Balance Sheet from your most completed fiscal or calendar year. For most applicants, this will be FY2019-20 or CY2019.
- California Secretary of State printout (Attachment H). You can find this document on their website. Must show that your status as “active.”
- Organizational Overview (Attachment I). Provide a one-page overview of your organization’s programming, history, and accomplishments.
PLEASE NOTE: By submitting a grant application to the City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program through this website, you acknowledge and accept that your application materials will become a public record of the City of Oakland.
For more information, visit https://city-of-oakland-california.forms.fm/fy2020-21-neighborhood-voices-for-organizations/forms/7697