SFAC’s Creative Space Planning and Facilities Grant Program

Deadline: 27-Oct-21

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is seeking applications for its Creative Space – Planning and Facilities Grant to support the enhancement of San Francisco cultural facilities through Planning and Facility Improvement Grants.

The funding category aims to improve existing arts facilities and develop new ones that will support the work of San Francisco’s arts organizations and artists.

CRSP Planning and Facilities grants support the planning or pre-planning for the development or acquisition of arts facilities; or facilities-related capital improvements to address emergency and safety situations including compliance with COVID-19 related health orders, and/or improve or enhance the creative space.

Funding Categories

Planning Grants: Grants for up to $50,000 to arts organizations for the planning or pre-planning of the development and/or acquisition of arts facilities. Funds may be used for overall plan development or specific components, such as: feasibility studies, design and engineering consultations, financial and management analysis, market analysis, site analysis, needs assessment or capital campaign preparation. The applicant organization may use a San Francisco-based tax-exempt fiscal sponsor to apply for a CRSP planning grant.
Facility Improvement Grants: Grants for up to $100,000 to tax-exempt arts organizations with programming space needing capital improvements. The affected spaces must be integral to the organization’s arts activities. Multiple projects may be included in the request and must meet at least one of the following priorities:
- Emergency situations that render the artistic activities at a creative space inoperable, such as: correct cited fire, ADA and/or safety code violations, address issues prior to receiving a citation; or complies with COVID-19 related health orders.
- Improve or enhance the creative space by significantly upgrading an organization’s artistic presentation, such as: improved stage floor, lighting systems or new sound equipment.
- Positive effects on audience accessibility, comfort, and enjoyment of the creative space, such as: soundproofing, seating areas or heating/cooling equipment.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant organization or fiscal sponsor must be tax-exempt and in good standing under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Only fiscal sponsors may be used for the Planning Grant category.
The applicant organization (and its fiscal sponsor, if applicable) must be San Francisco-based, and must demonstrate a history of consistent programmatic history and public benefit to the City of San Francisco, its neighborhoods and communities over the last two years.
The applicant organization’s mission statement must be clearly focused on the development, production, and/or presentation of arts activities and/or youth arts activities in San Francisco.
Organizations must either hold title or be in possession of a qualifying lease (Level 2) or have a letter of intent from the property owner to enter into a qualifying lease or sale.
The applicant cannot be part of another City agency or department.
The organization’s annual operating revenue must not exceed $3,000,000. Fiscal sponsors: Organizations that exceed the $3,000,000 income cap due to regranting or non-arts related emergency COVID response funds must verify their operational budget without pass-through funds at the time of application. Applicants must upload audited financials from the most recently completed fiscal year demonstrating the dollar amount of pass-through funds.
Applicants must not be in default on any grants or loans from:
- SFAC;
- other City departments (including but not limited to the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, Grants for the Arts);
- Northern California Grantmakers Arts Loan Fund;
- Community Vision Capital and Consulting;
- Community Arts Stabilization Trust; and/or
- the Center for Cultural Innovation. This default clause was expanded due to the fact that SFAC has fiduciary relationships with these particular organizations.
The proposed project must take place in San Francisco between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 (for Planning and Level 1) or June 30, 2024 (Level 2).
The organization must be willing and able to meet the requirements associated with receiving funds from the City and County of San Francisco. In order to receive a grant payment from the San Francisco Arts Commission, the organization must become a registered, compliant supplier and meet the City of San Francisco’s insurance and business tax requirements.
Fiscal Sponsors
- Fiscal sponsors must be based in San Francisco and register as a compliant City supplier.
- If the applicant plans to work with a fiscal sponsor, a contractual arrangement between the applicant and the fiscal sponsor must be confirmed prior to the San Francisco Arts Commission’s grant application process.
- Organizations may not act as a fiscal sponsor for employees or artists contracted by that organization; a third-party fiscal sponsor is required.
- Applicants cannot retroactively work with or change fiscal sponsorship after a grant application is approved for funding.
- If an applicant is approved for funding, the fiscal sponsor is the legal grantee and receives the funds on behalf of the applicant who is the subgrantee.
- The fiscal sponsor/grantee is required to work with the subgrantee to complete and submit financial documentation of the disbursement of funds with the grant’s final report.
- All funds must be paid to the subgrantee in advance of the final disbursement of the grant.
- Copyright: If the applicant receives funding, the fiscal sponsor and the applicant must decide who will hold the copyright to any materials or work created during the grant period. This should be discussed in advance of signing the grant agreement, as it includes language regarding copyright, which is approved and initialed by the fiscal sponsor.
- Financials: The applicant organization’s Profit and Loss Statements and Balance Sheets for the two most recently completed fiscal years are required at the time of application, and should be provided by the fiscal sponsor for the organization to upload to the online form.