ArtsWA CARES Relief Grants – Fall 2020 – Guidelines

Apply here: https://www.arts.wa.gov/cares-act-grants/

Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Commerce is pleased to provide rapid-response funding to Washington State arts and cultural organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This program is supported by a grant awarded by the US Dept. of the Treasury. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Dept. of the Treasury. Grant funds are administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce in collaboration with the Washington State Arts Commission.

Funds

  • Accepting requests of up to $10,000 for general operating support.
  • No funding match is required.

Priorities

Organizations and fiscally sponsored arts and cultural groups that:

  • Demonstrate significant financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Provide publicly accessible arts and cultural programming within Washington State.
  • Serve and/or are led by members of communities historically underserved in the arts.
  • Demonstrate strong youth engagement programming.

Eligibility

  • Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; have current federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including those affiliated with tribal organizations.
  • Fiscally sponsored groups and organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please note: Fiscally sponsored applicants must be sponsored by nonprofit organizations that have arts, culture, and/or heritage in their mission statement.

Not Eligible

  • Individuals
  • For-profit organizations.
  • Political or advocacy organizations.
  • Government agencies, universities, colleges, academic departments, or entities with significant public funding.
  • Organizations based outside of Washington.
  • Washington State law prohibits funding of parochial schools or other organizations with a religious affiliation or purpose.

Application Review

  • Review panels consisting of ArtsWA staff, ArtsWA commissioners, and community members

evaluate complete applications.

  • Applications evaluated and scored based on criteria (listed below).
  • Feedback will not be given on draft applications or award decisions.

Evaluation and Scoring Criteria – 30 points total available

  • Financial Need (10 points)
  • Arts and Cultural Programming (10 points)
  • Communities Served (10 points)

Financial Need

How has the pandemic impacted your organization’s operations and services, and how are these impacts directly tied to financial need?

Application narrative examples should describe to the review panel and can include but not limited to:

o Temporary or permanent closure.

o Loss of, or difficulty preserving, paid staff.

o Loss of venue or workspace.

o Significant and ongoing loss of revenue.

o Cancelled or postponed public programming due to economic conditions and executive orders associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

o Challenges sustaining operations through COVID-19 related to reopening phase(s), and/or state and county policies.

o Reopening costs associated with necessary health and safety modifications.

Cultural and Arts Programming

Your organization’s cultural/artistic mission and programming.

Provide mission/value/vision statements along with list of programs/services that demonstrate:

o Artistic or cultural exhibitions, presentations, or performances or cultural or art education

programs for the public.

o Services that are culturally relevant to communities the organization serves.

o Programming and services that directly support youth in creative engagement and learning.

Communities Served

Describe to the review panel your organization’s presence in Washington. Include area of operations, community(ies) served, engagement with residents/organizations especially youth, and general impact on communities served. Separate what you have and are doing, from what you plan to do, so the review panel can fully assess the impact of loss of services to Washington State residents.

Application narrative examples can include (but are not limited to):

  • Participation of underserved populations as leads, presenters, participants, and audiences. Include people of color, LGBTQ+, people who live in rural areas, people with disabilities, people who identify as immigrants or refugees, and people whose first (or only) language is not English and people most impacted by social/economic inequities. (This is not an exhaustive list.)
  • Programming specifically designed for youth engagement.

Process and Requirements

  • Applications will be accepted between September 28, 2020 and October 23, 2020.
  • Funds must be expended by December 31, 2020.
  • Must have a DUNS number to receive funds. Not required to apply, but funds cannot be dispersed without DUNS registration. A DUNS number can take up to two business days to receive.
  • The application takes an estimated 30 minutes to complete.
  • Note: This process may be updated or amended to reflect changing circumstances. For the most up to-date version, visit arts.wa.gov/covid-19.

The applicant organization assumes all responsibilities as the grantee. For fiscally sponsored groups and organizations, the fiscal sponsor assumes all responsibilities as the grantee. In signing and submitting a Grant application, the authorizing official certifies that the applicant organization will ensure that the acceptance paperwork and required reports are submitted on time and will comply with the certifications listed below. A final report may be required. Please maintain records on grant expenditures (including receipts) for six years.

ArtsWA is required to ask each applicant for certification of compliance with nondiscrimination statutes, debarment, and suspension. By signing and submitting this form, the organization’s authorizing official is providing these certifications.

Nondiscrimination Statutes and Regulations:

(a.) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000 et seq.), which provides that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the applicant received federal financial assistance;

(b.) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance;

(c.) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance;

(d.) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6106 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, except that actions which reasonably take age into account as a factor necessary for the normal operation or achievement of any statutory objective of the project or activity shall not violate this statute; and

(e.) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary Exclusion (45 CFR 1169):

(a.) The applicant organization certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency; (b.) Where the applicant is unable to certify to any of the statements in the certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal