Capacity Building—Helping Constituents Help Themselves

It is as important for the Ohio Arts Council to support the people that carry out the arts programming of organizations as it is to fund the programming itself. The purpose of the Capacity Building Program is to recognize that sometimes Ohio's arts organizations can do the most good for their constituents, artists and communities by spending time working to improve their internal capabilities.

Ohio's arts and cultural organizations have a variety of needs, so Capacity Building is not "one-size-fits-all." Capacity Building is designed to be flexible and provide organizations with the tools they need to strengthen their internal capacity. Communication and patience are critical. The work can be hard, and successes are more difficult to see than with traditional programming. The immediate gratification of a great exhibition or successful concert series cannot be compared to the slow work of thorough, long-range planning or financial resource development. However, the rewards are just as important, especially in the long term. The Capacity Building program exists to help organizations reach internal goals as they strive to be more effective in delivering public value to their communities.

Before applying to this program you must read Guidelines, specifically the legal and program requirements. Unless otherwise stated, all future deadlines will use the new Online Grant Application system (OLGA). No paper applications will be accepted for this program.

The Ohio Arts Council is looking for people to serve on advisory panels to review grant applications. To nominate a panelist complete a Nomination for Panel Membership form or contact Karine Aswad at karine.aswad@oac.state.oh.us or 614/466-2613.

Capacity Building Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General grants process FAQ

Resources

Organizational Capacity and Project Planning Worksheets
A useful resource for small-mid size organizations for organizational and project planning.

Secretary of State, State of Ohio
A source of information for how to apply for not for profit status in the state of Ohio. Obtain forms and download a legal guide for non-profit organizations.

About.Com
Overview of articles related to starting a not for profit organization. Includes definitions of not for profits, a glossary and helpful tips.