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 Limitations:

• Funding from the grant must be matched dollar for dollar by other cash income. In-kind services do not satisfy the matching requirement.
• The artistic event or program to be supported by the grant must take place within the City of Alexandria.
• 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 projected year’s budgeted expense.
• 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 have a City Project Grant application pending 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 (35%):

• Will the program enhance the artistic experience of the citizens of the City of Alexandria?
• Has effort been made to include outreach to, and participation by, the diverse audiences and communities of the City?
• Does the program provide an opportunity to develop local talent?
• Are means in place to ensure reliable attendance figures?
• Does the program provide an impact to citizens of Alexandria and to the visibility of the Alexandria arts community?

Artistic Excellence(25%):

• Do participating personnel have the artistic skills and technical resources needed to accomplish the proposed program?
• Does the proposed program demonstrate artistic quality?  Has artistic quality been demonstrated (and supported by adequate documentation) in previous programs? 
• Will the proposed program provide the organization with the opportunity for continued artistic development and innovation?
• Is there evidence of long range planning for artistic development?

Management Ability(15%): 

• Do proposed key personnel (leadership, board, volunteers) have the necessary skills and experience to carry out the program?  Is attention paid to staff professional development?
• Has the organization previously demonstrated (and supported by adequate documentation) the ability to carry out such a program?
• Have realistic goals with a related time-line been presented?
• Has the organization developed self-evaluation procedures by which to measure its effectiveness and that of its programs?

Financial (15%):

• Does the organization have a long-range financial plan, including a debt reduction plan if applicable?
• Is financial integrity demonstrated by an accurate, realistic, and logical organizational budget?
• Is the program planned in a financially sound and business-like manner?  Is the program dependent upon requested grant funds?

Marketing and Fund Raising (10%):

• Is there a marketing plan?  Are a variety of marketing methods used? (i.e., newsletter, advertisements, mailings, web site, etc.).
• Are fund raising plans being directed to a wide variety of funding sources? 
• Are financial support and in-kind services being sought?
• 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)

   A. State the mission of the organization.
   B. Provide a brief history of the organization.
   C. Include a Strategic Plan. 

2. Planned Season or Program ( 2 page maximum)

A. Describe briefly all arts activities proposed in this grant application.
B. Describe means in place to ensure reliable attendance figures.
C. Provide a complete Program Calendar Sheet. 

3. Impact on the City of Alexandria ( 1 page maximum)

   A. How does the program enhance the artistic experience of the citizens of the City.
   B. Describe the organization’s outreach to the diverse audiences of the City?
   C. Does the program provide an opportunity to develop local talent?
   D. Are complementary or reduced price tickets being offered to specific audiences in the City?  If so, to which audiences and to what extent?
   E. Does the program provide an impact to citizens of Alexandria and to the visibility of the Alexandria arts community?

4. Artistic Experience. ( 1 page maximum) Describe the organization’s artistic effectiveness in terms of:

   A. Artistic credentials of the proposed principal participants.
   B. Provide information that demonstrates artistic quality and the ability to carry out previous programs of comparable scope and complexity.
   C. Provide information about the proposed program that demonstrates the opportunity for continued artistic development and innovation.
   D. Provide long-range plan for artistic development for the organization.

5. Management (1 page maximum, plus course and membership lists)

   A. Board Activities.  Note the authorized size of the Board of Directors; the current number of Board Members; last year’s number of Board Meetings and approximate average Board attendance.  Describe the Board’s Committee structure.
   B. Number of full-time and part-time paid employees.
   C. Ethnic make-up of the board, employees and key personnel.
   D. Describe the organization’s method for self-evaluation of both artistic and organizational goals.
   E. List the names and the dates of courses, seminars, workshops, and similar programs related to professional, artistic, organizational and board development attended by key personnel in the last 3 years.
   F. List any professional organizations to which the organization and/or key personnel belong. 

6. Finances (1 page maximum for narrative, attach budget)  Describe financial planning associated with this project/program:

A. Does the success of the proposed activity depend upon grant funds?
B. Does the organization have a long-range financial plan, including a debt reduction plan if applicable?  List any long-term debts and explain.
C. Provide a minimum of one full year of financial history completed prior to the grant deadline.
D. Note any significant shifts in income and/or expenses from year to year.

7.   Marketing/Fund-raising (1 page maximum plus list of contributors)    

   A. Provide a marketing plan with a variety of marketing methods for promoting program/project (i.e., newsletter, advertisements, mailing, web site, etc.).
   B. Provide fund-raising plans which are directed to a wide variety of funding sources.
   C.Provide information about financial support and in-kind services being sought for the program/project.
   D. Provide information about special events planned to cultivate the audience/donor base.
   E. Provide a current list of contributors.