2024 Arts + Culture Grant

the arts & Culture Operating Support grant

SRAC’s Arts & Culture Grant Program aims to transform lives and enrich the community through arts by providing funding support, collaborative partnership opportunities, and program assistance for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that are members of the SRAC.

The SRAC is partnering with Community Foundation of the Ozarks to provide the grant administration for these programs. The CFO distributes grants through these programs each year with the Arts & Culture Grant Review Committee making recommendations.

Funding comes from a portion of the local hotel/motel tax collection allocated to the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

The SRAC seeks to support operational needs of five Springfield arts organizations. Selected arts organizations will receive $20,000 annually for 3 years. Example uses of operating support (but not limited to):

General operational expenses like rent, salaries, utilities, etc.
Planning efforts (strategic, operational, marketing, development, etc.)
Marketing
Facilities
Shared Administration
Technical Equipment
Non-IT Equipment
Virtual Security (virtual and/or physical)

Operating support funds should be considered supplemental funding, not as the primary source of the organization’s revenue. The intent of this grant award is to demonstrate what arts organizations can do when a portion of the burden of operating costs is supported. As a reminder, the grant is funded through collections of the local hotel/motel tax, so impacts of this grant funding should tie into driving more travel and tourism to Springfield. Requests cannot represent more than 50% of the organization’s annual budget.

GUidelines

Arts & Culture Grant Priorities:

To advance arts advocacy, education, collaboration, and tourism in Springfield.
To support of professionalizing the sector by funding operating costs so organizations can focus on mission driven work.
To provide the community with access to high quality arts and culture in Springfield.

Eligible Requirements:

Must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, government entity, school district, or tax-exempt faith-based organization with a primary mission in the arts. Fiscally sponsored organizations are not eligible.
Must be an organization primarily working in the arts in Springfield, Missouri. Organizations not primarily working in the arts are not eligible for this grant program.
Must be an established organization with at least 3 years of successful operations.
Must have a minimum budget of $100,000.
Must be a current member of the SRAC.
Matching funds are not required for this grant application but are strongly encouraged.

Grant Amount: $20,000 per year for up to 3 years

Proposal timeframe: three-year proposals

Total budget: $100,000 will be dedicated to this effort in 2024; up to $300,000 over a three-year effort may be used.

Nondiscrimination policy: In awarding grants, the Springfield Regional Arts Council will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. As part of the grant process, all grantees will be required to affirm that, in providing services funded in whole or in part by a Springfield Regional Arts Council grant, the grantee will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status either in its employment practices or in its policies and procedures concerning access to services.

Grant process timeline:

Date	Event
February 23, 2024	Proposal timeframe opens
April 25, 2024	Full proposal deadline
June 7, 2024	Grant announcement event
May 1, 2025	Recipient reporting deadline to request year 2 funding
On or before June 6, 2025	Notification of year 2 funding decisions
May 1, 2026	Recipient reporting deadline to request year 3 funding if agency received year 2 funding
On or before June 5, 2026	Notification of year 3 funding decisions

Proposal Process

Full Proposals are due to the CFO by 11:45 p.m. April 25, 2024. The maximum page length for full proposals is up to 10 pages (including executive summary).

Proposals must be submitted via the CFO’s Grant Interface site.

Details Required in Full Proposal:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Provide a one-page executive summary within the full proposal:

Brief description of proposal, timeframe, any key details
Include contact information for all key partners and members of team

PROPOSAL DETAILS

Explain the proposed use of operating funds and what need(s) will be addressed. Consider how the proposal fits into the scope of the organization's mission and long-range plans. Will partners be involved?
Itemize the impact the funding will have on the applicant’s organization and the community. How will the proposal address the arts & culture grant goals listed above?
Describe the impact this support will have on travel and tourism for Springfield. What metrics will you use to show impact?
How will you evaluate proposal’s success? Consider explaining what kind of data will be gathered.

Annual Reporting Process

Annual reports from selected grant recipients must be provided each year for multi-year projects no later than May 1st. The Arts & Culture Grant Distribution Committee will review annual reporting to determine next year’s funding request. This report will require key details on the progress of the original proposal’s milestone and timeframe goals and an updated budget including all grant expenses.

Annual reporting must be no more than 10 pages and must include the following details:

Updated project description: describe the progress of the project in its current phase.
Share all milestones and any progress toward the initial proposal’s goals.
Share the goals/benchmarks for the next phase of the proposal.
Impact on Travel & Tourism: Share data collected that demonstrates impacts on driving visitors to Springfield. (Zip code analysis, hotel/motel stays, etc.)
Partner update: List contact information for all key partners/members of team as well as agencies engaged in partnerships, with updated information on any new partnerships or any lost partnerships over the course of the last year.
Past year budget – provide a summary of current progress in the first year’s budget. (accounting for the 11-month timeframe may be factored as well)
Update on all other funding partners, if applicable.

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Past Recipients

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frequently asked questions

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How much funding will be awarded this cycle?

A total of $105,000 will be available this grant cycle to support operations. Arts & Culture grants are supported by a portion of the local hotel/motel tax collection allocated to the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

How much can I ask for?

Five organizations will be selected to receive $20,000 each for up to three years in the Operating Support category.

What is the timeframe of this grant?

Awards will be distributed the first Friday of June. Annual reporting on the grant’s impacts and successes will be due May 1, 2025.

Do I need to show matching funds?

Matching funds are not required but are strongly encouraged.

Can I apply for both the Operating Support and Program Support grant?

Yes, you can apply for both, but the organization will only be able to receive one grant, if awarded by the Grant Committee.

Why did you add an operating support grant category this year?

Fundraising to operate nonprofit organizations is tough and our operational expenses continue to increase year after year. At the same time, without sufficient operation resources, an organization cannot provide high quality programming. The intent of this pilot grant award is to demonstrate what arts organizations can do when a portion of the burden of operating costs is supported. At the end of this 3-year grant cycle, we hope to have data that demonstrates the lasting impact operational support has on an organization’s ability to focus on mission-based work.

Do I need to be a member of the Springfield Regional Arts Council?

Yes. Annual memberships range from $50 to $500 depending on the organization’s size. Give us a call! We can find the right membership for your organization and talk about the great benefits available to SRAC members.

If I am select to receive the Operational Support award, am I guaranteed to receive funding for 3 years?

The organization must complete the reporting requirements on time on May 1 each year. The Arts & Culture Grant Distribution Committee will then review annual reporting to determine next year’s funding request. Check out the grant details for an outline of what will be asked in the annual reporting on the grant.

Are there geographical limitations to the grant award?

Yes. Operating Support is only available to Springfield-based organization for projects taking place in Springfield.

Why is tourism including in the arts and culture Grant priorities?

A large portion of the Arts & Culture grant program is funded through the increase allocation of the local hotel/motel tourism tax. Ensuring investments in arts and culture help attract more tourism to Springfield will grow the pool of funding for future spending on arts and culture projects and demonstrates the impact arts and culture has on the local economy. Have you seen the data the SRAC has collected about the local economic impact of the arts? https://www.springfieldarts.org/about/economic-impact/