Deadline: 17-Dec-20
The Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE) Bridge Fund has been announced which is a resource dedicated to supporting Northwest Arkansas arts and culture nonprofit organizations that aim to stabilize and reimagine operational and programming models amidst continued challenges caused by the global pandemic.
Funds may be used to support transition planning including, but not limited to:
- Developing new sustainable and inclusive business models, staffing models, programs and strategies.
- Winding down programming and operations where needed.
- Generating new streams of revenues.
- Developing new partnerships.
- Building capacity and infrastructure to take programming online for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
Funding Information
- Organizations may request grant amounts of up to $20,000 for transition planning.
- Grant sizes will take into account organizational operating budget sizes, organizational impact and need.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding, organizations must:
- Have been directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Be located in Benton or Washington counties.
- Hold 501(c)3 nonprofit status from the IRS.
- Have had a total annual operating budget of $3 million or less during the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year.
- Have a primary mission or key programmatic focus related to arts and culture.
- Have a demonstrated track record of providing arts and culture programs for the Northwest Arkansas community within the last 12 months.
- NOT ELIGIBLE:
- Stand-alone or one-time festivals, conferences, or other events disconnected from long-term strategic stabilization and growth.
- Stand-alone publications, films/videos or websites disconnected from long-term strategic stabilization and growth.
- Groups that are legally, financially, or operationally part of a larger institution, e.g. the art department of a college or university.
Evaluation
- Applications will be reviewed by a panel made up of CACHE staff and appointed external reviewers.
- Grant decisions will be made based on the strength of the application, the feasibility and timeliness of the requested project, the need expressed in the application, the number of applicants, and the total funds available to distribute.
- The most competitive proposals will be part of long-term plans to strategically and organizationally shift in response to the ongoing and dramatic changes within the arts and culture sector due to COVID-19.
- Priority consideration will also be given to organizations supporting underrepresented and historically oppressed populations with staff and board members reflecting the populations they serve.
For more information, visit https://www.nwacouncil.org/arts-culture-bridge-fund