City of Charlotte issued the following announcement on Mar. 3.
The City of Charlotte's Arts and Culture Advisory Board is accepting applications from arts and culture nonprofits and other eligible organizations for up to $20,000 in unrestricted grant support in the current fiscal year 2022. The board in February approved $400,000 in grants for the Infusion Fund to distribute.
The Infusion Fund is a collaboration between the city and private donors, represented by Foundation For The Carolinas, to support arts and culture over three years. The 18-member advisory board, working with the city's arts and culture officer, Priya Sircar, is responsible for developing a comprehensive arts and culture plan for Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and allocating Infusion Fund dollars to support local artists, arts and culture.
How to Apply for a Grant
The call for applications is open March 3-24. A simple application form is available on the Arts and Culture Advisory Board’s webpage in English ( Apply for an Unrestricted Grant) and ( Participe en el proceso de solicitud de una Subvención de fondos de libre acceso).
Attend a Virtual Information Session
The city will host a virtual information session on March 18, from noon to 1 p.m., to answer interested applicants' questions about the grants and the application process.
- Virtual Webex Event
- Event Number (Access Code): 2302 832 0253
- Password: YfvY9rHg8Q3
- Call-In Phone Number: 650.479.3207
- Call-In Access Code: 2302 832 0253
Eligibility
This round of funding is limited to organizations based in the city of Charlotte that have not yet received support from the Infusion Fund.
Nonprofits and creative groups that work with a nonprofit fiscal agent or sponsor can apply for the unrestricted operating grants. Recipients can use the money at their discretion for needs such as renting rehearsal space, training in administrative skills, or paying artists.
"These grants open up new opportunities for organizations and artists to receive unrestricted dollars to apply how they need and see fit. This has previously been the most difficult funding to obtain and will hugely benefit the needs of the community," Sircar said.
Applicants must prove their 501(c)(3) status with an IRS letter, or provide both a letter of support from their fiscal agent or sponsor and their agent or sponsor's IRS 501(c)(3) letter. Applicants must also fill out the online application, providing information about their annual budget, their mission and whom they serve, and their goals for the funding. This information will help the arts and culture team allocate funding and allow the team to collect insight and data on the state of arts and culture in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
The Award Process
All applicants that meet the eligibility requirements will receive support. Funding requests will be honored as best as possible, given the availability of funds.
City staff will review the applications and, in late March, recommend to advisory board members a slate of potential grant recipients. The advisory board will award the grants in early April. The one-year funding period will end in March 2023.
Continuing the City's Commitment to Arts and Culture
This round of grant funding is the latest in the Infusion Fund partners' efforts to ensure increased and sustainable investments in local arts and culture. In January, the board voted to partner with the Arts and Science Council to distribute another $400,000 to individual artists and creatives. The board in February approved $35,000 in support of "I Am Queen Charlotte," a creative experience to celebrate Black women in Charlotte, which kicks off Sunday.
As it looks to build a strategy for allocating arts and culture funding in the next fiscal year beginning July 1, the board will consider how for-profit creative businesses may also receive support.
Original source can be found here.
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