These grants of up to $15,000 support projects developed by partners—one arts organization or artist, and one non-arts organization—that harness the power of "arts and..." collaboration.
View Full GuidelinesThe deadline for this grant program has passed. The guidelines below are for reference only.
As our communities continue to change, the arts play an incomparable role in addressing many of our communal and individual challenges and strengths. The value of partnership—and working together across sectors—brings new opportunity, increased effectiveness, and greater depth to our collective work. We aim to facilitate partnerships between the art community and other sectors through this grant program.
NOTE: Unlike other South Arts grants programs, Cross-Sector Impact Grants utilizes a two-step application process for new applicants. An online Letter of Interest will be accepted from any eligible and interested partnership of an artist or arts organization and a non-arts partner. Following a staff review, those projects that most closely align with the evaluation criteria and program goals will be invited to submit a full application.
The following is a top-level list of the main eligibility requirements necessary to be considered for a Cross-Sector Impact Grant. Please refer to the full list of eligibility requirements in the program's Guidelines.
Educational pre-school and K-12 schools or institutions are not eligible for this program.
A full list of eligibility criteria and other project requirements is provided in the guidelines below.
South Arts welcomes proposals from partnering entities working together on a project that addresses arts and community impact through cross-sector partnership. Projects must utilize the arts as a tool in creative approaches to address and advance an issue that is of importance in their community. Projects should also establish or advance relationships across at least two different sectors, one being the arts.
While preparing your Cross-Sector Impact Grant Letter of Interest and application, please refer to the following guidelines.
South Arts welcomes proposals from partnering entities working together on a project that addresses arts and community impact through cross-sector partnership. Projects must utilize the arts as a tool in creative approaches to address and advance an issue that is of importance in their community. Projects should also establish or advance relationships across at least two different sectors, one being in the arts.
Arts disciplines may include, but are not limited to:
Community impact areas may include, but are not limited to:
For purposes of this program, partnering entities are defined as a total of two parties working together for purposes of the proposed project. One entity must represent one or more artistic disciplines listed above and may be an individual artist or organization. One entity must represent an area of community impact listed above and must be an organization. These must be the only two official project Partners in the grant application, although additional individuals and/or organizations may be involved in the project’s implementation.
Examples of eligible partnerships include:
Ineligible partnerships include:
Partnerships who received a grant in FY20 may apply for a FY21 Cross-Sector Impact Grant to continue or further their funded project, as outlined in these guidelines. However, neither partner from a funded FY20 grant may apply for a new project in FY21, either in the existing partnerships or in a new partnership.
All applicants must:
A minimum of one of the two applicants must:
Ineligible applicants include:
However, additional individuals and/or organizations may be involved in the project’s implementation, in addition to the two principal partners. These may include local departments of federal agencies or education pre-school or K-12 schools/institutions as long as no funds are disbursed to additional partners.
Applicants may only be part of a maximum of one LOI.
All projects must include a minimum of two public-facing events held in accessible facilities.
Accessibility for constituents with disabilities must be provided at grant-funded events. For the purpose of these guidelines, accessibility relates to your overall facility and project being accessible to all. In addition to physical access (ramps, accessible parking/box office/restrooms/seating, etc.), communications and programmatic accessibility is not only required but can help your organization build audiences and strengthen engagement. Grant applications should show evidence of thoughtful accessibility planning and implementation efforts. The National Endowment for the Arts has resources to assist arts organizations in making accommodations. Please visit the NEA’s website for more information. Applicants must commit to the Endowment’s Assurance of Compliance and Federal Suspension and Disbarment Policy.
Examples of eligible expenses for grant support include:
*For purposes of this grant program, South Arts defines temporary as designed to be exhibited or shown for not more than one year.
Ineligible expenses include:
These projects are not intended for the creation of new work as a central element of the project. However, work that is created as a secondary outcome or in which community participants are integrally involved in the creative process is allowable.
For projects that did not receive funding through this program in FY20, the minimum grant request for this program is $5,000; the maximum request is $15,000. For projects that did receive funding in FY20, the minimum grant request for this program is $5,000; the maximum request is $10,000.
A match of at least 1:2 is required, meaning for each grant funded dollar, the grantee must provide $.50 towards the project.
Up to half of the match may be comprised of in-kind contributions such as donated materials, donated services, or other contributed non-cash assets. At least half of the match must be cash and cannot include salaried staff time allocated to this project. However, contracted services specifically for this project may be included in the cash match.
All applications will be evaluated using this review criteria.
Artistic Quality (25%)
Project Design (25%)
Community Impact (25%)
Capacity (25%)
Priority will be given to projects taking place in small communities; rural areas (areas that are geographically isolated and generally under 50,000 population); and isolated communities (communities which are isolated due to socioeconomic factors, outmigration, education gaps, and/or lack of infrastructure).
You may review the panel's Scoring Matrix here.
For applicants whose projects were not funded through this program in FY20, Cross-Sector Partnership Grants will utilize a two-part application. Interested parties must submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) through the online eGrant system. LOIs are due Monday, March 30, 2020 at 6:00pm EDT. On or around Monday, April 13, 2020, a limited number of applicants will then be invited to submit a full application. Applications will be due Monday, May 11, 2020. Preceding this deadline, all invited applicants will be required to schedule a virtual meeting with South Arts to discuss their project. South Arts anticipates supporting 7-10 projects at up to $15,000 through this competitive process.
Applicants whose projects were funded through a FY20 Cross-Sector Partnership Grant do not need to submit a Letter of Interest at the March 30 deadline. These applicants should submit only a full application at the May 11 deadline. South Arts anticipates supporting 4-5 projects at up to $10,000 through this competitive process.
Before beginning a Letter of Interest for a new Cross-Sector Impact Grant request, potential partners are encouraged to think about the following factors:
Before beginning an application for a continuing project, partners are encouraged to think about the following factors:
All successful grantees will be required to submit a final report at the end of the grant period. South Arts will provide grantees with a format and instructions for completing the report, which will include information about the funded activities, results, participants, and actual expenses. Grantees are required to document all activities and maintain appropriate records for expenses and must agree to share requested information to enable South Arts to evaluate this program.
Payment will be made to one of the two partners as designated in the grant application. Payment must be made to a non-profit organization or unit of government with a DUNS number.
50% of the grant payment will be made upon signed agreement letter. The remaining grant payment will be sent in full upon receipt of the complete final report.
You can request a review of the method for South Arts’ decisions concerning grant applications through the Appeals Process. If you did not receive funding or if your grant award was rescinded or reduced, you may submit an appeal. Incomplete applications are not eligible for the appeals process. Dissatisfaction with the denial or amount of an award is not sufficient reason for an appeal.
An applicant not funded may appeal South Arts’ decision if the applicant can demonstrate that the application was rejected for any of the following reasons:
If an applicant’s funds were rescinded or reduced, the applicant may appeal South Arts’ decision if the applicant can demonstrate that (a) the project activities outlined in the application were performed, and (b) the contract terms and conditions were followed and fulfilled.
If you believe that you have grounds for an appeal, you must submit your appeal, in writing, to South Arts’ Executive Director, no later than 15 calendar days following the receipt of the electronic notice from South Arts. The submission should contain evidence to support one or more of the allowable grounds for appeal. The decision on an appeal will be made by the Executive Director, who will render a decision within 30 days of the appeal. Mail your appeal to: South Arts, ATTN: Executive Director, 1800 Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 808, Atlanta, GA 30309.
Applicants must submit a narrative of up to approximately two pages which describes their proposed project and a draft budget, along with basic information about each of the partners. These materials must be submitted through eGrant no later than Monday, March 30, 2020 at 6:00pm EDT. Late or incomplete LOIs will not be accepted. Applicants should contact Leland McKeithan at lmckeithan@southarts.org with any questions.
In the LOI narrative, applicants must include a description of:
In addition, the LOI must include a draft budget that overviews expected expenses and sources of income.
It is understood that the information provided in the LOI is preliminary in nature and will be further refined for those applicants invited to submit a full application.
All LOIs will be evaluated for their potential to most closely meet the evaluation criteria listed in these guidelines and the overall goals of this program. Applicants who are invited to submit a full application will be notified on or around April 13, 2020 and will be provided with complete instructions for how to submit the full application.
Have a question about the guidelines or priorities above? It may be addressed in our Cross-Sector Impact Grant FAQ.
Read the FAQAfter reviewing program guidelines, log in to eGrant to submit your Letter of Interest, edit an application in process, and submit any required reports.
Log in to eGrantReview recipient terms and conditions, download the appropriate logos, access final reporting requirements, and more.
Manage Your GrantFor questions about Cross-Sector Impact Grants, contact program director Leland McKeithan.
Contact Us