Sustainability Grants for Statewide & Multi-State Arts Service Organizations

As a Regional Arts Organization, South Arts is committed to the sustainability of arts organizations and recognizes the devastating impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having in the Southern arts community. South Arts will offer a limited number of $5,000 to $20,000 grants to statewide or regional (multi-state) arts and cultural service organizations based in our nine-state region to help sustain operations during or after the pandemic. The goal of this grant is sustainability – helping these organizations to maintain staff and keep their doors open so that they can provide services to their wide geographic reach. Our hope is to ensure the viability of arts and cultural service organizations when leverage and impact are most critical to the larger arts community.

For this program, we define an “arts and cultural service organization” as an organization that furthers the interests of artists and arts organizations. The organization's services and programs may include policy development, advocacy, professional services, funding, fiscal sponsorship, technical assistance, or professional development. This definition is adapted from the Canada Council for the Arts.

This grant program supports South Arts’ mission of advancing Southern vitality through the arts and aligns with the following goal from South Arts’ strategic plan:

• Connect artists and arts professionals in the South to resources that will increase opportunities for success within and outside the region

Important Dates & Deadlines

• Applications must be submitted on or before June 10, 2020.
• Applicants will be notified by email within three weeks of the deadline.
• Funded expenses must occur between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Eligibility Requirements

The following is a top-level list of the main eligibility requirements necessary to be considered for a Sustainability Grant for Statewide and Multi-State Arts Service Organizations. Please refer to the full list of eligibility requirements in the program's Guidelines.

• Be a tax-exempt nonprofit based within South Arts' nine-state service area.
• Arts and cultural service organizations must have a statewide or regional (multi-state) service area. For the purposes of these guidelines, multi-state regional organizations are defined as organizations that serve at least three states in South Arts’ nine-state region and statewide organizations are defined as organizations that provide services throughout an entire state.
• Eligible arts and cultural service organizations primary purpose (at least 60% of the organization’s work) must be to provide services to the Southern arts community (individual artists and/or arts organizations) on an on-going basis. Statewide arts education service organizations and statewide presenter networks are not eligible.
• Eligible expenses supported by this grant include:
  • Salary support (full or partial) for one or more positions that are critical to the organization’s mission
  • Fees for contractual personnel that are critical to the organization’s mission
  • Facilities costs such as rent, utilities, mortgage, equipment, information technology, security, insurance, building maintenance, and cleaning services

A full list of eligibility criteria and other requirements is provided in the guidelines below.

While preparing your Sustainability Grant for Statewide and Multi-State Arts Service Organizations application, please refer to the following guidelines.

Eligibility Requirements

• Only nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) arts and cultural service organizations in South Arts’ nine-state region are eligible to apply. South Arts’ nine-state region includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Applications will not be accepted from fiscal agents.
• Arts and cultural service organizations must have a statewide or regional (multi-state) service area. For the purposes of these guidelines, multi-state regional organizations are defined as organizations that serve at least three states in South Arts’ nine-state region and statewide organizations are defined as organizations that provide services throughout an entire state. 
• For this program, we define an “arts and cultural service organization” as an organization that furthers the interests of artists and arts organizations. The organization's services and programs may include policy development, advocacy, professional services, funding, fiscal sponsorship, technical assistance, or professional development. This definition is adapted from the Canada Council for the Arts.
• Eligible arts and cultural service organizations primary purpose (at least 60% of the organization’s work) must be to provide services to the Southern arts community (individual artists and/or arts organizations) on an on-going basis. Statewide arts education service organizations and statewide presenter networks are not eligible.
• Applicants must have a three-year operating history.
• All applicants must have a DUNS number. Applications will not be accepted from organizations that do not have a DUNS number. Visit the Dun & Bradstreet website for additional information about DUNS numbers as well as instruction on how to receive one.
• Eligible expenses supported by this grant include:
  • Salary support (full or partial) for one or more positions that are critical to the organization’s mission
  • Fees for contractual personnel that are critical to the organization’s mission
  • Facilities costs such as rent, utilities, mortgage, equipment, information technology, security, insurance, building maintenance, and cleaning services
• Please note, this grant does not support programming costs.

Guidelines and Policies

• Applications must be submitted by June 10, 2020 by 11:59 p.m. ET.
• Funded expenses must occur between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
• Arts and cultural service organizations are limited to one application.
• The minimum grant request is $5,000. The maximum request is $20,000. Grant awards do not require a cash match. Grantees may not claim more than 100% of a salary when combined with other federal relief funding distributed by a State Arts Agency. Arts and cultural service organizations that receive CARES funding directly from the National Endowment for the Arts will not be eligible to receive Sustainability Grant funding from South Arts.
• Grants are NOT transferable to other expenses. All changes must be submitted in writing to South Arts for review and approval. Awards may be revised or revoked in light of such changes.
• Arts and cultural service organizations who have failed to submit final reports for any previous South Arts grant by the application deadline for this program will not be considered for this grant.
• Arts and cultural service organizations who fail to properly acknowledge South Arts’ AND the National Endowment for the Arts’ support in programs and press materials may not be considered for future funding.

South Arts will convene a panel of arts professionals to evaluate applications, and anticipates selecting between 15-20 grantees. Applications are reviewed and funding adjudications are made using the following criteria to evaluate each application:

• Impact (60%) – Potential impact on organization’s services
• Need (40%) – Critical need for financial support 

In addition to organizational information, you will need to provide a narrative addressing the following:

1. Provide a description of your organization’s services. (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
2. Describe your organization’s geographic service area. List which South Arts states are served by your organization. (Maximum 1,250 characters including spaces, approximately ¼ page)
3. If you are a regional arts and cultural service organization, describe or estimate how much of your work serves constituents and communities in South Arts’ nine-state region. (Maximum 1,250 characters including spaces, approximately ¼ page)
4. Provide a detailed description on how your organization has been impacted by COVID-19. For example: Is permanent closure a concern for your organization? What changes have been made to your personnel/staff? How have your services changed? (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
5. Describe your immediate financial needs (related to salaries, contractor fees and/or facilities costs) in order for you to continue your work. (Maximum 1,250 characters including spaces, approximately ¼ page)
6. Provide an itemized budget for the financial needs described above. Indicate the expenses this grant will support. (Maximum 1,250 characters including spaces, approximately ¼ page)
7. Provide the short-term outcomes and describe how critical these funds are at this particular moment. (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
8. Describe why your services are critical to your constituents during this time. (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
9. Describe any other needs or changes that are necessary to sustain your organization during the grant period. (Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)

• Application
• Operating budgets for your last two completed fiscal years
• Support documents and materials (up to three, optional)

All grant applications must be submitted online using the eGrant system. We recommend that you visit the site early to create your account, and become familiar with the system. Complete your application in eGrant and upload the required materials. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by email within 3 weeks of the deadline. For assistance, contact Nikki Estes at 404-874-7244 ext. 16.

South Arts strictly adheres to deadlines and will NOT accept applications that are late or incomplete. Deadlines are not extended due to inclement weather. Applicants must agree to the applicable Contract Terms of Agreement, Assurance of Compliance, and Federal Suspension and Debarment Requirements prior to submission. Please visit Manage Your Grant to the review the grantee responsibilities.

This grant program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. CARES funds are intended to help save jobs in the arts sector and keep the doors open to the thousands of organizations that add value to America’s economy and the creative life of our communities.

In addition to supporting this program, South Arts is distributing much of the CARES Act funding we received to our State Arts Agency partners, so that they may directly regrant and distribute it to additional organizations throughout each state in our region.