Up to $1.1 million grants available for Arts and Culture Organizations in the US

Deadline: 1-Nov-21

Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) is now accepting applications from Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) is now accepting applications from arts and culture organizations to help endure the economic hardships caused by COVID-19.

This emergency funding represents a significant commitment to the arts and recognition of the value of the arts and culture sector to the nation’s economy and recovery.

Objectives

The objective of the M-AAA American Rescue Plan (ARP) Grant is to invest in and provide financial support to eligible organizations including but not limited to non-profit arts organizations, arts service organizations, units of state or local government, federally recognized tribal communities or tribes, and a wide range of other organizations that primarily produce, present, promote, or serve the arts.
Applications will be assessed for artistic merit and artistic excellence in service to any or all of the following constituencies:
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC);
- LGBTQ+ communities;
- Low income communities;
- Remote and rural communities (communities with fewer than 50,000 in population and isolated from metropolitan areas);
- Individuals with disabilities;
- Individuals in institutions;
- Individuals below the poverty line;
- Individuals with limited English proficiency;
- Military veterans/active duty personnel including the National Guard and Reserves;
- Youth at risk

Funding Information

Each applicant may submit one application for a fixed grant amount of $10,000, $20,000 or $40,000. Cost share/matching funds are not required. Applicants are encouraged to select a grant amount that is reflective of their overall organizational size and internal capacity.
Grant funds may be used for expenses incurred starting on or after July 1, 2021, and must be totally expended on or by June 30, 2022. This is a one-time grant opportunity and may not be renewed or extended.

Ineligible Funding

contracts with artists/personnel who reside outside M-AAA’s region;
compensation for the applicant’s board of directors
sub granting or regranting through programs the applicant manages; and
Project expenses, including those associated with benefits or fundraiser events

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non profit organization, a unit of state or local government, or a federally recognized tribal community;
Be a non profit organization that has its own Board of Directors with its own established bylaws, and manages its own budget independent of a parent organization;
Be incorporated in and currently conducting business in one or more states in the M-AAA region, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas;
Have a cash operating budget no greater than $500,000 for the most recently completed fiscal year prior to March 2020 which is considered the onset of closures due to COVID-19;
Have at least a three-year history of arts programming prior to the application deadline; Programming is not required to have taken place during consecutive years. If the applicant’s programming was affected or suspended due to COVID-19, the application may reference 2020 or 2021 programming that was cancelled or re imagined due to the pandemic. Virtual programming, planning, and COVID-19 recovery activities are considered to be programming. You may also choose to list arts programming from a recent year other than 2020 or 2021.
Have arts and culture explicitly stated as central to the organization’s mission. An organization that include arts and culture as a primary and major focus of a larger mission may apply if their larger mission is centred in serving a specific cultural group;
Compensate all professional artists or supporting professional personnel at no less than the prevailing minimum compensation in accordance with Part 505 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Apply directly on its own behalf. Applications through a fiscal sponsor/agent are not allowed;
Have and provide a valid EIN which will be verified using the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Tool
Have a valid Data Universal Numbering System ID (DUNS #) or UEI (Unique Entity Identifier created in the System for Award Management
Be in good standing with M-AAA, with no overdue or delinquent reports and/or documentation;
Commit to M-AAA’s Grantee Assurance of Compliance and Federal Suspension and Disbarment Policy; and
Agree to acknowledge M-AAA and the NEA in all marketing and communications materials related to this grant.