About the OPPORTUNITY
Community Project Grants provide competitive funding up to $5,000 to support specific, relevant, and meaningful arts, science, and history experiences of value to the communities you serve. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, United Arts defines “community” as any group that your organization is intentionally working to serve (e.g. members, students, artists, participants, audience, geographic community, ethnic heritage, or cultural traditions).
Funds may be used to create, perform, exhibit, or publish artistic works or to present arts, history, or science events by contracting with services or other organizations or individuals and will require a public-facing component that increases access to art and cultural experiences.
Open to both 501(c)(3) Organizations and Individual Artists, Community Project Grants:
- Increase access to and participation in arts, culture, history, or science programming within our communities.
- Act as a catalyst for positive change through arts and culture-based creative community development.
- Amplify diverse cultures, voices, and experiences
What’s New This Cycle?
- This round of Community Project Grants is leveraging funds from the National Endowment of the Arts.
- All organizations must have a valid Unique Entity ID number to receive federal funds.
- Organizations receiving federal funds must be a 501(c)(3). Fiscal Sponsors are not eligible to receive federal funds.
- Awarded grantees will be required to complete the Arts and Accessibility Section 504 self-evaluation.
- Awarded grantees will be required to submit an activity review questionnaire for compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and/or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before any offered funding can be released
Note that if your venue or location changes you will need to submit a Change Request with United Arts as well as complete an additional NHPA/NEPA compliance questionnaire.
Operating Support Grantees are eligible to apply, but the project must be focused on increasing access in the community.
- The work must be either an expansion to new sites, or a new program/service being offered to a new community.
- It cannot be used to supplant a project that you would otherwise still be providing.
- For the purposes of this funding opportunity, United Arts defines “community” as any group that your organization is intentionally working to serve (e.g. members, students, artists, participants, audience, geographic community, ethnic heritage, or cultural traditions).
Maximum Request Amount: $5,000
Funding is competitive; not all projects of merit are able to be funded. Any applicant whose project will not be possible with partial funding must indicate so in the application.
United Arts funds may be used to support eligible project-related activities within the one-year grant period. Applicants will be notified if they include ineligible expenses in their project budget/ application.
For 501(c)3 Organizations
- Increase access to and participation in arts, culture, history, or science programming within our communities.
- Act as a catalyst for positive change through arts and culture-based community development (creative community development).
- Amplify diverse cultures, voices, and experiences.
For Individual Artists
- For the purposes of this grant, applicants should refer to the following classifications:
- Emerging Artists - Exceptionally talented, early- to mid-career artists who demonstrate a strong interest and a commitment to continued training.
- Established Artists - Exceptionally talented artists who have demonstrated considerable experience in their field, with a substantial body of work.
- Have a public benefit and enrich the community of central Florida by advancing artistic excellence and increasing access to innovative and diverse arts experiences.
- Support activities that further the careers of artists with a professional practice to help them grow and thrive in Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties.
- Support specific activities/work such as presentations, training, research, and/or creation of artwork with tangible outcomes.
Organizational Eligibility:
- Applicant organizations must have current 501(c)(3)status and current good standing with the state of Florida Division of Corporations as a nonprofit organization. United Arts will verify with at www.irs.gov and sunbiz.org.
- The nonprofit 501(c)(3) must be in Lake, Orange, Osceola or Seminole counties (United Arts uses the principal address listed on an organization’s W-9 and Sunbiz registration).
- The nonprofit organization must have a Unique Entity ID through the federal government to receive United Arts Funding (learn more about getting a Unique Entity ID here)
- Faith-based organizations who have 501(c)(3) status as long as the event is a non-faith-based program open to any segment of the population.
- Applicant organizations must be in good standing with any prior United Arts grant or contract reporting.
- Operating Support grantees are eligible to apply, but the project must be focused on increasing access in the community. The work must be either an expansion to new sites or a new program/service etc., being offered to a new community.
- For the purposes of this funding opportunity – United Arts is defining community as both place-based as well as population / social identity-based.
Organization Eligibility Restrictions:
Organizations are NOT eligible if they are:
- Organizations that are adjuncts to for-profit organizations. (“Friends of” organizations are eligible to apply only in lieu of the parent nonprofit organization.)
- A public or private entity governed by an agency of the state government.
- Fraternal or sports organizations.
- Political causes, candidates, organizations, or campaigns
In all cases, final eligibility decisions are made by United Arts staff. Approval of a previous project grant funding carries no assurance of continued funding in subsequent years.
Project Eligibility:
Specific Projects based in the arts and culture, science or history that take place in Lake, Orange, Osceola, or Seminole counties and are open to the public. Exhibits, performances, festivals, arts education, outreach programs, and art-based community development activities are examples of typical projects. Professional artists must be involved in the planning and execution of each project. For arts education programming, teachers must have an arts background. Social and Human Service Organizations must partner with professional artists and/or arts organizations.
These grant funds cannot be used for general seasonal support.
To see what the grant cannot fund, please download the Guidelines document.
Process and required information:
For requirements during the grant period, evaluation criteria, and required National Endowment for the Arts information, please download the Guidelines document.
Application Tips:
- Start early! Read these guidelines thoroughly and take note of any questions.
- Proofread! You can ask for a brief courtesy review by United Arts up to 2 weeks before the deadline.
- Gather the documents: organization financials (most recent IRS Form 990 or financial statements – balance sheet and income/expense statement), support materials (press, flyer/program, patron surveys, link to max 5 minutes of video, etc.) and Letter of Support
- Submit early! Leave extra time at the end in case you have questions or computer trouble. Missing documents or fields will prevent the submission of the application. Contact and project information for all grantees will be made available to the press, and United Arts may use quotes or pictures from applications or reports in publicity.
- Don’t stop here! Post your events for free on the Arts & Culture Calendar, powered by United Arts. Once you create an organizational listing, make sure to ask how to become a featured event, or get discounts listed in the weekly email.
For more information, please download the Guidelines document and additional resources below.
