City Arts Operational Grant

Purpose:
To assist arts organizations in fulfilling their missions by providing funds to maintain their stability and encourage their advancement.

Description:
These grants provide general operating support to help meet costs related to regular programming activities and administration.

Funding Requirementss:
Funding from the grant must be matched dollar for dollar by other cash income. In-kind services do not satisfy the matching requirement. The cash match must be met prior to submitting a Final Report, but no later than June 13, 2014. Funding from the City of Alexandria from other Departments, including Alexandria City Public Schools, cannot be used for the cash match.

• Grant funding cannot exceed 20% of the organization's total budget. In calculating the 20% (or eligible amount for the request) the amount is based on the actual budget from the previous fiscal year.
  
  
• The Commission reviews and sets the maximum amount of an Operational Grant annually. The current maximum amount is $13,000.

Eligibility:
In addition to the general eligibility requirements described in this Guide to Funding, the following requirements must be met for the City Arts Operational Grant applicants:

• Must have been in existence as an organization for one year prior to the grant deadline;
  
  
• Must be able to provide (as part of the application) a minimum of one full year of financial history completed prior to the grant deadline;
  
  
• Must be an Alexandria-based organization. To be considered an Alexandria-based organization, the organization must have its administrative offices in the City of Alexandria, or be able to demonstrate a similar sustained physical organizational presence within the City. An organization conducting three-quarters or more of its regular board meetings within the City for the 12 months prior to the grant deadline and during the grant period shall be considered an Alexandria-based organization;
  
  
• Must have performed no fewer than five public programs and/or events in Alexandria within the 12 months prior to the grant deadline date;
  
  
• Must not apply for a City Project Grant in the same grant cycle.

Grant Review Criteria:
The following criteria and weighting are used during the Grant Review process by the Resource Panel members. These criteria act as a guide for evaluating the grant applications; the weighting percentages reflect the relative importance of each category to the overall assessment.

Impact on the City of Alexandria (30%):

• Will the program enhance the artistic experience of the citizens of the City of Alexandria?
• What methods are used to track attendance figures?
• Has effort been made to include outreach to, and participation by, a diverse audience?
• Does the organization provide any free or reduced ticket opportunities to the City's residents?
• Does the organization provide an opportunity to develop local or regional talent?
• How do the organization's programs attract audiences from outside Alexandria?

Artistic Excellence(25%):

• Do key artistic personnel have the artistic skills and technical resources needed to accomplish the organization's programs?
• Do the organization's programs demonstrate artistic quality? Has artistic quality been demonstrated and documented in previous programs?
• Do the organization's programs and long-range plans provide the opportunity for continued artistic development and innovation?

Management Ability(15%): 

• Have SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely) goals been articulated?
• Has the organization previously demonstrated and documented the ability to carry previous programs?
• Does the organization have an effective method for self-evaluation of both artistic and organizational goals?
• Does the organization provide professional development opportunities for key personnel, board and other volunteers?
• Does the organization have a Strategic Plan?

Financial (15%):

• Is financial integrity demonstrated by an accurate, realistic, and logical organizational budget?
• Does the organization have a long-range financial plan, including a debt reduction plan if applicable?
• Are major changes from last year's actual budget explained in the budget narrative? Does the applicant explain any long-term debts, and is a debt reduction plan included, if applicable?

Marketing and Fund Raising (15%):

• Is there a marketing plan?  Are a variety of marketing methods used? (i.e., newsletter, advertisements, mailings, web site, etc.).
• Is there a fund raising plan? Does the plan address the approach to attract diverse funding sources (including in-kind support)?
• Are special events planned to raise funds and cultivate the audience/donor base?

Grant Specific Required Attachments: - City Arts Operational Grant:

Please follow this outline when preparing the grant.  The program outline acts as a guide for writing the grant and articulates grant specific attachments.  Collate the grant packet in the exact order of the grant outline. 

1. Organizational Background (1 page maximum)
   1. State the mission of the organization.
   2. Provide a brief history of the organization.
       
2. Planned Season or Program ( 2 page maximum)
   1. Describe briefly all arts activities proposed in this grant application.
   2. Complete the Program Calendar included in the online application. 
      
      
3. Impact on the City of Alexandria ( 1 page maximum)
1. Describe how the organization's programs enhance the artistic experiences of the City's residents.
2. Describe the method used to track attendance figures.
3. Describe the organization's outreach to, and participation by, a diverse audience.
4. Describe any free or reduced ticket opportunities provided to the City's residents.
5. Describe how the organization's programs provide an opportunity to develop local or regional talent?
6. Describe how the organization attracts audiences from outside Alexandria.
   
   
4. Artistic Experience. ( 1 page maximum)
   
   1. Describe the credentials of key artistic personnel.
   2. Describe the artistic quality of the organization's programs.
   3. Describe the organization's ability to carry out previous programs of comparable scope and complexity.
   4. Describe how the organization's programs and long-range plans provide the opportunity for continued artistic development and innovation.
      
      
5. Management (1 page maximum, plus course and membership lists)
1. Describe the organization's ability to carry out previous programs of comparable scope and complexity.
2. Describe the Board's Committee structure and list the authorized number of Board Members; last year's number of Board Meetings and approximate average Board attendance.
3. List the number of full-time and part-time paid employees/volunteers.
4. Describe the ethnic make-up of key personnel, board and other volunteers
5. Describe the organization's method for self-evaluation of both artistic and organizational goals.
6. List the names and the dates of training, seminars, workshops, and similar programs related to professional, artistic, organizational and board development attended by key personnel, board and other volunteers in the last 3 years.
7. List any professional organizations to which the organization and key personnel, board and other volunteers belong.
8. Attach the organization's Strategic Plan.
   
   
6. Finance (2 page maximum for narrative) 
   1. Complete budget pages included in the online application.
   2. Budget Narrative: The Budget Narrative gives the applicant the opportunity to explain the Budget.
   3. Note any significant shifts in income and/or expenses from year to year.
   4. If your Budget includes "Other" expenses that are greater than $1,000, the Budget Narrative should explain those expenses. The Budget Narrative should also be used to describe how the organization will secure the financial resources necessary to meet the 1:1 "cash match" requirement.
   5. Provide organization's Fiscal Year 2011-2012 financial statement signed by the organization's accountant or fiscal officer.
   6. Explain any long-term debts, and include a debt reduction plan if applicable.
      
      
7.   Marketing/Fund-raising (1 page maximum plus list of contributors)    
   1. Provide a marketing plan with a variety of marketing methods for promoting the organization's programs (i.e., newsletter, advertisements, mailing, web site, etc.).
   2. Provide a fund-raising plan which addresses how the organization will attract diverse funding sources (including in-kind support).
   3. Provide information about special events planned to cultivate the audience/donor base.
   4. Provide a current list of contributors.