Grants for Regional Arts and Culture Engagement Program (GRACE) 2024

Please see application details below.

Applicants should submit representative samples of past works and/or the credentials of participating artists and other personnel. Projects should be designed to create collaboration between artists, audiences, local businesses, cultural institutions, and/or other community organizations. Projects designed to serve historically excluded areas or populations and projects that address specific community needs will be prioritized. Proposals should be thoughtfully planned with achievable goals and reasonable methods of evaluation. Please consult the specific guidelines for each Grants for Regional Arts and Culture Engagement grant type.

Applicant Profile

• Legal Name and DBA if applicable, Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)/Social Security Number, Year founded, Address, Contact Information, Legislator Information
• Mission Statement/Artist Statement
• Organizational Context for Project Activities: Describe your organization’s history and operations, including the context in which your organization will undertake the project activities.
• Organizational Budget (table) / Optional Notes 
• Funding history with CNY Arts

Project Budget

• Grant Request Amount, Total Project Budget, Will your project be feasible if it is partially funded? Yes/No
• Upload Project Budget Template (project expenses, income, and how grant will be spent)

Project Narrative

• Project Summary
• Detailed Project Description - describe project activities that will take place, provide information on curatorial/selection process, artists, creative process, works of art, productions, venue, public or community engagement activities. 
• Schedule of Key Project Dates - include timeline of activities, Proposed Project Start / End Date
• Audience Grid & Engagement with Intended Community, Participants, & Audience - describe the intended communities, participants, or audiences involved in the project activities, and how they will benefit. Clearly explain how you will engage these groups. Include the demographics of your intended communities, participants, and/or audiences. As applicable, include how you will involve historically marginalized or underrepresented communities limited by factors such as their geographic location, race or ethnicity, economic status, and/or disability, among others. 
• Project Partners & Key Individuals - please list here your list of artists involved with the project and whether anticipated or secured, list any project partners and their role. You may include biographical experience or knowledge relative to this project. 
• Other Project Information (Optional) - If there is anything else that would be essential for panelists to understand about your project relative to the review criteria, provide it here. 

Uploaded Documents

• Project Budget Form (download required template here)
• Proof of Nonprofit Status
• Board Member Affiliation List
• Organization Financial Statement from most recently completed fiscal year
• Work Samples of Artists involved with project
• Letters of Support (strongly recommended, but not required)
• Marketing Materials, Press Clippings, & Additional Support Materials (optional) 
• Additional Bios & Resumes of Artists & Personnel (optional)

Potential applicants must meet all eligibility requirements 

Eligible Applicants

• Must be a resident of or have your organization's address in Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, or Oswego counties;
• Must provide access to the public (excluding Arts Education Grant Project applicants);
• Must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit, local government agency, or Tribal Nation; OR an individual artist, collective, or other unincorporated entity

 Ineligible Applicants

• New York State agencies and departments (including BOCES and SUNY);
• For profit organizations; 
• Public, private, or parochial elementary and secondary schools;
• Students enrolled in a full-time degree program;
• Applicants with open contracts or outstanding final reports from previous grant cycles with CNY Arts (not including 2023 grants);
• Limited liability companies (LLC), business corporations, or limited liability partnerships (LLP)

Applications will be reviewed and scored on the following criteria.

Creativity (5 Points)

• Quality of submitted samples of past works
• Proposed artists and personnel should have experience and/or credentials that are well-matched to the project’s goals
• High level of originality, innovation, relevance, distinction, and quality of project concept and design
• Significance and creative contribution to the public and/or artists

Access & Inclusion (5 Points)

• Engagement with artists and/or audiences from historically excluded communities
• Consideration of community needs and interests (non-duplication of comparable existing programs or services)
• Outreach and marketing plans for core audience that are appropriate and effective
• High level of cultural depth in audience experience

Feasibility (5 Points)

• Overall clarity of project proposal with defined objectives
• Reasonable plan and timeline for implementation and evaluation
• Previously demonstrated ability to implement projects or supporting letters 
• A realistic and achievable budget and timeline
• Marketing / advertising is clearly outlined and realistic

Learn what documentation will be accepted as proof of residency and nonprofit status.

For Organizations providing proof of the organization’s nonprofit status, please supply:

• Letter of Determination from the IRS, indicating tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3)
• Documentation of Charter by the NY State Board of Regents under Section 216 of the NY State Education Law
• Documentation of Incorporation under Section 402 of the NY State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law
• Current NY State Bureau of Charities (Office of the Attorney General) filing receipt
• Official authorization as an arm of local government (i.e., a formal letter on official letterhead signed by the appropriate county, city, town, or village executive)

No other document will be accepted.

For Organizations providing proof of residency, please supply:

• Address that is listed on the organization’s W-9

For Individuals providing proof of residency, please supply:

• Address of place of residency. 

Grant awardees are responsible for the following items.

• Sign and adhere to the terms laid out in the project contract (Funding Agreement) no later than Friday, January 19, 2024 ;
• Conduct all funded activities as described in the application;
• Provide CNY Arts with copies of promotional materials and an advance schedule of all funded events;
• Provide CNY Arts with complimentary tickets for all funded events for auditing purposes, as applicable;
• Add all scheduled events to the CNY Arts & Entertainment Calendar, as applicable;
• Submit a Final Report within 30 days after the completion of a project.
• Attend the CNY Arts Awards Ceremony (anticipated Spring of 2024).
• Immediately and in writing notify CNY Arts of any changes to the project, including dates, locations, admission fees, artists hired, or activities conducted (all changes to funded projects are subject to approval); and
• Prominently and correctly include credit language for the grant award. Please note this exact language will be provided in your funding agreement. You will not use the Statewide Community Regrants language.
• Credit language must be accompanied by the CNY Arts Logo. The language may not be accompanied by the New York State Senate or New York State Council on the Arts logos.