CAF Guidelines

2012 Community Arts Fund | Guidelines & Application Instructions
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Community Arts Fund provides project support for arts activities that:

• Promote artistic excellence while reflecting the dynamic, diverse, and innovative character of Santa Clara County.
• Stimulate local support, particularly at the grassroots level.
• Recognize and encourage non-professional, volunteer involvement as an essential part of the County’s cultural environment

Community Arts Fund provides annual grants to a maximum of $4,000

• Level 1
  
  
  • Organizations with total expenses of $8,000 to $100,000 in the last completed fiscal year (July 2010 – June 2011) may apply for $4,000.
  • Organizations with total expenses less than $8,000 in the last completed fiscal year (July 2010 – June 2011) may apply for up to 50% of their last year’s total expenses.
     
• Level 2
  
  
  • Organizations with total expenses greater than $100,000 may apply for $4,000 to support an arts project or department that is independently budgeted (i.e. a program of a university or project of a government agency or other nonprofit organization)

APPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNITY ARTS FUND GRANTS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE.
The following will provide important information on:

• Eligibility and restrictions
• Assistance for applicants
• Review process
• Required attachments and support materials
   

DEADLINE FOR COMMUNITY ARTS FUND APPLICATIONS
Monday, March 5, 2012 | 10:00pm (Pacific Time)
ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY
 

ELIGIBILITY & RESTRICTIONS

ELIGIBILITY:

1. Your organization’s home base (primary business office, venue or facility) must be located in Santa Clara County and you must provide arts activities in Santa Clara County which are open and accessible to all.
    
2. Your organization must be ONE of the following:
   
   • A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts organization, certified by the Internal Revenue Service.
   • A 501(c)(3) community or cultural group that regularly provides arts activities as part of its regular programming.
   • A non-profit in character arts organization that is sponsored by a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor OR an individual accepting funds on your behalf who will assume all tax liability.
   • For-profit organizations are not eligible.
   • Institutions of primary and secondary education are not eligible.
   • A local government, university, or college may submit only one application, regardless of the number of arts programs/departments it may encompass.
     
     
3. Your organization must have presented at least one arts activity in Santa Clara County comparable to the proposed project since January 2011.
    
4. Your organization’s expenses, or the expenses of the independently-budgeted project, in the past fiscal year must be less than $100,000.
5. Your organization must have satisfied all of the reporting and acknowledgment requirements of any previously awarded grants from Arts Council Silicon Valley.

RESTRICTIONS:
 

1. Only one grant application – to Community Arts Fund OR Regional Arts Fund - can be submitted for a recipient that is an arts presenting, producing or performance organization.
    
2. Grants may not be applied toward support for political or religious purposes, fundraisers, capital improvements, the purchase of equipment or real property, debt retirement, projects already completed, tuition assistance, refreshment costs, art therapy, or touring expenses.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. If your organization uses a fiscal sponsor, you must submit all required contact information about your fiscal sponsor in the “Organization fiscal agent” portion of the application.
    
2. Your organization must submit a California Cultural Data Project funder report for fiscal years 2010 (2009-2010) and 2011 (2010-2011).

About the California Cultural Data Project (CDP): The CDP is an online system for collecting and standardizing historical, financial and organizational data. Through this system, applicants submit data on one form, updated once a year, which will then be used by many funding organizations. CDP provides additional reporting and benchmarking benefits to arts groups. In addition, the Arts Council uses the collected data for advocacy and funds development to support the arts in our region.
 

APPLICATION ASSISTANCE

CALIFORNIA CULTURAL DATA PROJECT (CDP) TRAINING
Do not wait until the last days before the application due date to set up or update your profiles. You can sign up for a free webinar training now by going to: www.caculturaldata.org

ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS via COMMON GRANT APPLICATIONS
The 2012 Community Arts Fund grant application process is now completely online. There is no hardware or software to install. All you need is a web browser. We’ve streamlined the process and eliminated the stress of assembling submission packets. To submit an application, go to the Common Grant Application website and sign up: www.commongrantapplication.com

There is a 2-part tutorial video that will take you through the application process step-by-step:

• ACSV Online Application – Part One
• ACSV Online Application – Part Two

 

REVIEW PROCESS

• An independent grant review panel, composed of individuals with experience in regional arts activities, scores and ranks applications. (To ensure freedom from conflicts of interest and the appearance of such conflicts, panelists are required to disclose any past, current or prospective affiliations or relationships they or their immediate family members have with an applicant.)
• Organizations are notified of the dates when the review panel convenes, and are encouraged to send a representative to observe but not to address the panel.
• Arts Council staff converts panel scoring and rankings into award amounts, based on available funding.
• Grant awards are authorized and approved by the Arts Council’s Board of Trustees in May.
  Grant notifications will be sent out in June, 2012.

CAF Grant Review Criteria

1. Quality of Programs
2. Community Impact
3. Management Capability
4. Financial Health
5. Sustainability

 

ATTACHMENTS, SUPPORT MATERIALS

REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS:
Besides information that you will type directly into the application form, you will be instructed to attach required documents in the “Organization Documents” and “Program Documents” sections of the application. Under “Organization Documents,” you will need to attach:

• Board Roster (Form provided by ACSV – download, complete, and attach)
• Report on Previous Grant (Form provided by ACSV – download, complete, and attach)
• Tax Determination Letter – scan your letter and submit as a PDF
• Cultural Data Project Funders Report – download from CDP website and submit as a PDF

Under “Program Documents,” you will need to attach:

• CAF Project Budget (Form provided by ACSV – download, complete, and attach)
• Letters of support, review, or audience survey MAXIMUM OF TWO. See below.

SUPPORT DOCUMENTS ATTACHED TO YOUR APPLICATION:
In the “Project Documents” section of the application, you may also submit one or two additional documents in PDF format. The document(s) should be a performance/exhibit/event review, feature article, testimonial letter, or audience survey.

Support materials are a critically important part of the review process and play a major role in the panel evaluation. Give careful thought to what materials will best represent your organization. Panelist comment: “Help us understand the experience of being there.”

WORK SAMPLES SUBMITTED ONLINE AS PART OF APPLICATION:
In the “Program Media” portion of the grant application, you are asked to submit an electronic link to or an electronic file of the following:

• Flickr Photo gallery – maximum 15 photos
• YouTube, MP3, or Flickr Audio file – maximum 5 minutes duration
• YouTube or Flickr Video file – maximum 5 minutes duration

We encourage you to submit electronic LINKS. If you do not want your electronic video or image samples made public, you can create private accounts that can only be accessed by ACSV and the panelists.

To set up a free Flickr account, go to www.flickr.com
To set up a free YouTube account, go to: www.youtube.com
To create MP3 files, download iTunes free at: www.apple.com/itunes/download/

SUPPORT MATERIALS IN HARD COPY, SENT TO ARTS COUNCIL
We will accept hard copy materials for viewing by panelists during the panel sessions. These can include brochures, programs, posters/flyers, catalogs, and curricula.

• Maximum two (2) different samples. No more than two (2) copies of each.
• 2011 CAF and RAF recipients must submit one sample that includes acknowledgment of Arts Council Silicon Valley.
• Mail or deliver to the Arts Council office by March 5, 2012 deadline, in an envelope clearly marked “CAF Support Materials.”
  
  Send to:

Arts Council Silicon Valley
4 North Second Street, Suite 500
San Jose, CA 9511

 

For information, phone or email:

Audrey Wong, Grants Program Manager
408-998-2787 ext. 214 | awong@artscouncil.org
 

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Community Arts Fund is funded by the County of Santa Clara, the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Adobe Foundation, Workplace Giving Campaign, and Santa Clara County Property Tax Donors.