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Capacity Building for Organizations and Communities

PLEASE NOTE: This program is not currently reviewing any more applications for this fiscal year. Please speak with your program coordinator about applying after June 1, 2008 for funding in our next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

View a list of Application Questions for Capacity Building for Organizations & Communities.
OAC reserves the right to alter application narrative questions at any time. Please refer to the OnLine Grants Application system for the most up-to-date questions, as well as definitions, formatting details and character limits.

This section of Guidelines is available as a PDF for you to download and print out if you prefer to read it offline. You must also read Legal Requirements if you plan to apply for OAC funding. A PDF of the complete version of the Guidelines is available in the Introduction.

PDF of Capacity Building (25K)
PDF of Legal Requirements (67K)

PDF of Regional Map (88K) with county breakdown and staff contact information

Right Click the file and choose Save Target As: to download the file.

Why the OAC Supports Capacity Building

To survive and thrive, arts and cultural organizations must develop and adapt their internal operations to meet external demands. They must be resilient in connecting their work with community needs and desires and in determining the most effective methods of program delivery. The OAC believes that state tax dollars invested in building the capacity of Ohio’s arts and cultural organizations enables those organizations to better communicate the value of the arts in everyday life. This funding category is important to the OAC to ensure that the public funds granted to arts and cultural organizations are a sound investment that result in a high value of return for the citizens of Ohio. Organizations that possess strong leadership, sound managerial practices and diverse financial resources contribute to the overall health of the nonprofit arts and cultural sector of the state.

Deadline: Monthly through April

Applications must be received in OLGA no later than 5 p.m. on the second Friday of any given month. Because effective capacity building activities require careful planning, applications will be accepted only through the second Friday of April (for activities occurring May 15-June 30), except in rare circumstances. Please check with your program coordinator. Project activity start dates must be no sooner than four weeks after the date of submission in the OAC's Online Grant Applications (OLGA) system. Beginning June 1 of each year, applications will be accepted for the next fiscal year.

Applicants should contact their OAC program coordinator or field representative to discuss their organization's capacity building needs prior to submitting an application for funding. Applying for funding is a two-step process:

  • Preliminary discussion of capacity building needs with your OAC program coordinator or field representative.

  • Submission of an electronic application and required support materials.
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What the Program Supports

Capacity building funds are designed to strengthen Ohio’s nonprofit arts and cultural sector by helping applicants improve internal governance and leadership, cultivate strategic community linkages, and develop financial and human resources for long-term stability. Building organizational capacity is a long-term, evolutionary process that organizations must engage in purposefully. The program provides funding for work in three areas of capacity:
  • Organizational Governance and Leadership
    • Strategic/Long-range Planning
    • Leadership Development
    • Board Development
  • Strategic Community Linkages
    • Participation Strategies
    • Research and Development
    • Program Development
    • Partnership Development
    • Marketing or Branding
  • Assets and Resources Development
    • Financial Resources
    • Information Technology Strategies; Web site Development
    • Feasibility Studies
    • Evaluation and Assessment Strategies
Other topics as appropriate for your organization and approved by your program coordinator.

The OAC supports organizations that do this work by staying current on the latest information and knowledge available, remaining flexible with our assistance and maintaining a searchable database of screened, preferred consultants at http://oac.state.oh.us/search/CapacityBuilding/SearchCapacityBuilding.asp). Applicants are strongly encouraged to interview two or three consultants in order to find the best fit for their organization. OAC staff members coach grant applicants through the process to help ensure that the capacity building funds are used to achieve the desired results of the organization. Grant recipients are required to document their work so their new knowledge can be used to further strengthen the nonprofit arts and cultural sector. This process includes ongoing, periodic conversations among the grantee, the OAC and any third-party service providers that may be involved.

Funding through this grant category requires the organization to engage in continuous reflection to assess the effectiveness and challenges of their work. Capacity building funds are used most effectively to develop individual and organizational skills that will result in benefits not only for the applicant but also for the larger community.

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Examples of Eligible Activities

Funded activities may include, but are not limited to:
  • Peer exchanges between organizations or colleagues.
  • Attendance or presentation at an arts management workshop or seminar.
  • Long-range or strategic planning sessions.
  • Development of an evaluation process for a new or existing project.
  • Facilitation of local research to determine the relevance and value of an arts organization’s programming.
  • A planning process to develop a partnership with a school(s) in the community or to develop Standards-based programs.
  • Redesign of a website to make it accessible to users with disabilities.
  • A public art planning process

Who May Apply

All nonprofit arts, cultural and community-based organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to using the arts effectively and authentically in their programming may apply to this program. However, due to limited funding, small, emerging, and midsized arts and cultural organizations generally are given priority. Call the OAC before submitting an application. Funds for attending professional development opportunities will be awarded to organizations that are committed to sending a team (minimum of two, but no more than five) of administrators and/or board members to the event. The OAC understands that many of our applicants operate with only one administrator and that information will be considered in the funding. In the application and final report, applicants will be asked to define strategies for transferring their new knowledge to other staff and the organization as a whole.

Grant Range

Grants for capacity building generally range from $500 to $5,000. Organizations must show a 1:1 match, half of which may be from allowable, appropriate in-kind donations. Please discuss the source of your intended in-kind donations with your program coordinator prior to submitting your application to make sure that you have listed your in-kind correctly. Capacity building can take many forms and use a variety of tools to help the organization advance. While it may be important to use an outside consultant on a short-term basis, it is important that the application demonstrates that the capacity building work is embraced long term by the organization.

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Additional Information

OAC grants are paid after grant activities are completed and after a satisfactory Final Report has been submitted through OLGA. The OAC must receive the Final Report within 30 days of completion of the project or program or the grant may be canceled. Requests for extensions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be granted if a written request is submitted before the due date of the Final Report. The Final Report Form is linked to the application and Grant Agreement. Grantees should refer to both documents as they prepare the final report, or payment may be delayed.

How to Apply

Prior to applying for funding through this category, the applicant must contact the OAC to initiate the application process. That conversation will serve to determine the best course of action for effective capacity building. Although applications may be submitted any time during the year, funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis beginning with the start of the OAC’s fiscal year (July 1). Applications are reviewed on a monthly basis by a staff committee and must be approved by the OAC Executive Director or Deputy Director. Discuss with your OAC Program Coordinator when your application will be received and when to expect notification.

What the OAC Needs
  • A completed Capacity Building for Organizations and Communities application must be submitted via the OAC’s online application system (OLGA). No paper applications are accepted.
  • One set of required support materials (listed below) must be received in the OAC office within seven calendar days after submitting the online application (e.g. If an application is submitted on September 10, support materials must be received in the OAC office by 5 p.m. on September 17). If the support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. You will be notified via your online account when materials are received.
  • Include with your support materials an Assurances/ Signature/ Support Materials Checklist. This document will appear on your computer immediately after your application is submitted. It must be signed by your organization’s board president or an authorized official.

Support Materials

In addition to the electronic form, include the following applicable support materials:
  • Current strategic plan or executive summary (if available)
  • Credentials/resume of any proposed consultants (if not from the OAC consultant database)
  • Contract or letter of intent from any selected consultants outlining scope of work and cost
  • Materials from proposed conference or workshop
  • Detailed budget breakout for income and expenses (to match the application budget)
  • Detailed times for the intended work showing meeting dates, activities, etc. (if not included in application).
Other materials may be requested after your initial phone conversation with OAC staff.

Evaluation/Scoring Process

Organizations awarded funds for capacity building are expected to make a long-term
commitment to continuous improvement of the organization. Board leadership and
staff should support this work.

In general, Capacity Building applications should address the following criteria:

  • Applicant outlines a logical sequence of proposed capacity building activities
  • appropriate for the organization’s current and long-term circumstances.
  • Applicant demonstrates a genuine desire to affect the philosophy, attitudes and beliefs of staff and/or board members as a result of the capacity building activities.
  • Applicant demonstrates a longer-term commitment to acquiring new knowledge and/or skills that will advance or change organizational practice.
  • Capacity building activities strengthen the relationship between the organization and the community, ultimately building the community educationally, economically and culturally.
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This section of Guidelines is available as a PDF for you to download and print out if you prefer to read it offline. You must also read Legal Requirements if you plan to apply for OAC funding. A PDF of the complete version of the Guidelines is available in the Introduction.

PDF of Capacity Building (25K)
PDF of Legal Requirements (67K)

PDF of Regional Map (88K) with county breakdown and staff contact information
Right Click the file and choose Save Target As: to download the file.