ARTS ACCESS PROGRAM

FUNDING FOR SMALL, NEW AND EMERGING ORGANIZATIONS

The Ohio Arts Council's (OAC) Arts Access program supports arts and cultural activities that broaden opportunities for Ohio citizens to participate in the arts. These grants provide both project support for new and emerging organizations and general operating support for organizations with annual budgets under $30,000. The application and open review process strengthens applicants' grant-writing skills, reveals promising practices for the arts and increases awareness of cultural resources. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to making artistic programs accessible and relevant to a diverse range of participants. Organizations must also show that their activities have artistic, educational and cultural value and that realistic strategies are in place for planning, evaluation and organizational management. Arts Access funding supports Ohio's arts providers as they make artistic experiences readily available to their communities. This in turn makes Ohio a vibrant place to live, learn, work and visit.

Operating Support

• What the Program Supports
• Who May Apply
• How to Apply
• Review Criteria

Project Support

• What the Program Supports
• Who May Apply
• How to Apply
• Review Criteria

View of a list of Application questions for Arts Access.

NOTE: Both operating support and project support are available through this program. To determine your eligibility for each type of support, click here. Please contact the Office of Grants Administration and Constituent Services if you need help determining which type of support is appropriate for your organization.

OPERATING SUPPORT

WHAT THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS

Application Deadline: March 1

Operating Support grants in Arts Access provide year-long or recurring seasonal funding to eligible organizations for their arts programming. Grants are used to support the day-to-day expenses of these organizations.

Allowable Expenses

OAC funds may be used for a wide variety of expenses in the general operation of an organization. Organizations often choose to dedicate Arts Access funds to artistic or administrative expenses. Other allowable expenses include program planning, education and evaluation. Please refer to the Funding Restrictions section of the OAC Guidelines for a list of activities the OAC cannot fund. In addition to those restrictions, OAC funding cannot be awarded to:

Arts organizations that are receiving operating support from the legislature through a line item in the state's budget during the same fiscal year in which the legislative operating support is available.

Grant Awards
Arts Access applicants may request up to $3,000. Actual grant award amounts will vary from year to year according to the availability of OAC funds, but will generally range from $500 to $2,500. All Arts Access grants require a 1:1 match, preferably in cash. Some in-kind donations may also be used to supplement a cash match. Funded applicants must document any in-kind donations needed for their match when they complete their final report at the conclusion of the grant period.

WHO MAY APPLY

Arts, cultural, community-based and social service organizations doing arts programming may apply to this program. All organizations applying to this program should have nonprofit status or nonprofit intent.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for operating support in Arts Access must have less than $30,000 of income in their most recently completed fiscal year. For non-arts organizations, including colleges and universities, this criterion is based on the organization's arts programming budget, not the overall organizational budget.

Applicants may be:

• Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in any discipline (community arts, literature, performing arts, traditional arts, visual arts, etc.);
• Other nonprofit organizations that provide arts programming (government entities, social service agencies, etc.);
• Educational organizations (colleges, universities, etc.) that demonstrate a commitment to arts programming in a larger community setting.

Additional Eligibility Information
Organizations may receive only one Arts Access grant per year. Organizations that receive Sustainability support are ineligible for operating support through Arts Access.

PROJECT SUPPORT

Application Deadline: March 1 (for projects beginning before December 31)
September 1 (for projects beginning after January 1)

Arts Access Project Support has two deadlines. At the March deadline, the OAC accepts applications for projects that occur in the first half of the fiscal year (July 1-December 31). At the September deadline, the OAC accepts applications for projects that occur in the second half of the fiscal year (January 1-June 30). Please contact the Office of Grants Administration and Constituent Services if you need help determining which deadline is appropriate for your project.

WHAT THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS

Project Support grants in Arts Access provide funding for arts projects taking place within a defined time period. Grants are awarded to support eligible organizations conducting arts activities, as well as organizations not currently receiving Sustainability funding.

Allowable Expenses
OAC funds may be used for a wide variety of project expenses. Examples include: artistic expenses, production or exhibition expenses, marketing expenses, or a percentage of administrative expenses dedicated to the specific project. Other allowable expenses include project planning, evaluation and educational activities. Please refer to the Funding Restrictions section of the OAC Guidelines for a list of activities OAC cannot fund.

Grant Awards
Arts Access applicants may request up to $3,000. Actual grant amounts will vary from year to year according to the availability of OAC funds, but will generally range from $500 to $2,500.

All Arts Access grants require a 1:1 match, preferably in cash. Some in-kind donations may also be used to supplement a cash match. Funded applicants must document any in-kind donations needed for their match when they complete their final report for the grant.

WHO MAY APPLY

Arts, cultural, community-based and social service organizations doing arts programming may apply to this program. All organizations applying to this program should have nonprofit status or nonprofit intent.

Eligibility Requirements
Applications for Project Support in Arts Access are accepted from the following types of organizations:

• Smaller organizations (annual income of less than $30,000) doing a one-time or short-term project rather than a full year of programming; NOTE: For non-arts organizations, including colleges and universities, this criterion is based on the organization's arts programming budget, not the overall organizational budget.
• Larger organizations (annual income of more than $30,000) currently lacking the required OAC grant history to be eligible to apply to the Sustainability program; NOTE: The Sustainability program requires an organization to have received at least two OAC grants in the last four fiscal years.
• Any organization eligible for, but not currently receiving support through, the Sustainability program. NOTE: Organizations who were denied funding through the Sustainability program in the current year must wait until the next year to apply for Arts Access Project Support.

• Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in any discipline (community arts, literature, performing arts, traditional arts, visual arts, etc.);
• Other nonprofit organizations that provide arts programming (government entities, social service agencies, etc.);
• Educational organizations (colleges, universities, etc.) that demonstrate a commitment to arts programming in a larger community setting.

Additional Eligibility Information
Organizations may receive only one Arts Access grant per year. Organizations that receive Sustainability support are ineligible for project support through Arts Access.

NOTE: The information below applies to both operating support and project support applications. Applications are submitted in the same way for all Arts Access requests and the Review Criteria is the same.

HOW TO APPLY

Please refer to the Grant Process for Organizations of the OAC Guidelines for a step-by-step guide on the entire process of applying for and managing an OAC grant for arts organizations.

Applications
All applications to the Arts Access program must be submitted via the OAC OnLine Grant Application system (OLGA). No paper applications are accepted.

Organizations applying for an Arts Access grant are encouraged to notify their regional program coordinator of their intent to apply. All applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a draft application at least 30 days before the final deadline date. To submit a draft application, follow the instructions on the final page of the online application.

Applicants must submit their application electronically via OLGA by 5 p.m. by the final deadline date. If a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or state holiday, the deadline will be extended until the next business day. If the application is not submitted electronically, the application will not be accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to your organization's primary contact) when your application is received.

Support Materials
To complete an application for this program, all applicants must submit one set of support materials in hard copy to the OAC. Applications that do not include support materials will not be accepted.

Each OAC program has different support material requirements. To learn which materials are required for this program, as well as other materials that are optional but may strengthen your application, refer to the Support Materials Grid for Organizations.

A signature page and support materials must be received in the OAC office by 5 p.m. seven calendar days following the final application deadline date (regardless of postmarked date). If the signature page and support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to your organization's primary contact) when your support materials are received.

Timeline
The timeline below presents a general outline of the grant process for Arts Access. Please note that if a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or state holiday, the deadline will be extended until the next business day.

Evaluation and Scoring
A panel consisting of arts and cultural professionals, educators, Ohio artists and other community members meets to evaluate and score Arts Access grant applications and support materials. This panel meeting is open to the public and organization representatives are encouraged to attend so they may hear the panel's comments about their application.

At the panel meeting, an evaluative discussion will take place for each application. Following the discussion, a vote will be taken to determine whether the application advances to the scoring round. If an application moves to the scoring round, it will be given a score based on how well the organization meets the review criteria. After the panel meeting, this score and the organization's request will be used to determine the panel's funding recommendations to the OAC Board. These recommendations are presented to the OAC Board, who will make the final funding decision.

The review process is competitive; not all applications are funded. Applicants not voted into the scoring round will not be funded. A cutoff point in the scores may be determined, so that applications below a certain score are not funded.

Review Criteria
A competitive application will show that an organization meets the following criteria. Evidence should be demonstrated through the many components of the grant application, including OLGA responses and support materials, in addition to the organization's Web site and most recent final report. Applicants will be given a numerical score and can receive a maximum of 100 points across four criteria categories: Artistic/Educational/ Cultural Value, Community Participation and Accessibility, Planning, Evaluation and Documentation, and Organizational and Financial Management.

Organizations will be evaluated according to how well they meet these criteria:

Artistic/Educational/Cultural Value
The highest score for this category is 25 points.

• Applicant's activities demonstrate artistic, educational and/or cultural value for the community being served;
• Applicant's artistic, educational or cultural activities advance the organization's mission;
• Applicant's artistic, educational or cultural activities are strengthened by qualified personnel;
• If applicant participates in K-12 in-school educational programming, that programming addresses the Ohio Fine Arts Academic Content Standards.

Community Participation and Accessibility
The highest score for this category is 35 points.

• Applicant understands and is responsive to the diverse needs and interests of the community;
• Applicant contributes to the economic, educational and/or cultural well-being of the community;
• Applicant has clearly described steps to increase cultural participation in its activities or programs;
• Applicant has identified and minimized barriers to cultural participation including, but not limited to, barriers which prevent participation by people with disabilities;
• Applicant effectively publicizes and promotes its activities to the community at large and the target audience;
• Applicant's working relationships within the community strengthen the organization's ability to carry out its activities.

Planning and Evaluation
The highest score for this category is 20 points.

• Applicant engages in planning and has clearly defined goals;
• Applicant involves community members, volunteers and artists in planning and evaluation;
• Applicant is making an effort to evaluate the impact of program activities on the community;
• Applicant's evaluation strategies are appropriate for the participants and the activity.

Organizational and Financial Management
The highest score for this category is 20 points.

• Applicant demonstrates awareness of strengths and has ability to manage resources appropriately;
• Applicant's staff, board and/or volunteers are qualified and demonstrate capacity to complete the proposed project or programming;
• Applicant's budget is realistic and aligns with the narrative;
• Applicant's budget reflects a broad base of revenue and support;
• If applicable, applicant has a plan to reduce any accumulated deficit.