OAC: Sustainability Grants

OAC: Sustainability Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Ohio Arts Council
Last Updated: December 31, 2024

Summary

The OAC: Sustainability Grants provide essential operational support for large and mid-sized nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Ohio. The program aims to enhance the state's cultural ecosystem by ensuring high-quality artistic experiences are accessible to all. Grants are awarded based on a formula considering panel evaluations and organizational income, with a requirement for a 1:1 cash match. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a commitment to arts programming and meet specific financial criteria to qualify.

Overview

SUSTAINABILITY General Operating Support for Large and Mid-Sized Organizations The Sustainability program supports ongoing arts and cultural activities in all genres. Awards support the largest and most administratively sophisticated organizations in the state's arts and cultural ecosystem. This flexible and reliable funding supports a wide range of the state's arts providers as they make high-quality artistic experiences available to residents and visitors, positioning Ohio as a national leader in creativity, artistry, and cultural wealth. Grant Awards: Grants vary in size and are determined by a formula that takes into account panel evaluation of each application and the applying organization’s operating income. All awards require a 1:1 cash match. NOTE: College and university applicants must demonstrate broad financial support including a non-university-based cash match. How the Program Works Sustainability grants are four-year awards for organizational operating support. Funds may be used for a wide variety of expenses in the general operation of an organization. Many grantees use Sustainability funds to support general artistic or administrative expenses, and other allowable expenses include marketing, program planning, education, and evaluation.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. All applicants must possess nonprofit status or nonprofit intent. Additional eligibility requirements for Sustainability include:Applicants must have received at least two OAC grants in the last four OAC fiscal years. This support must have come from an OAC funding program that evaluated and scored the application through a public panel process.Applicants’ last fiscal year income must be greater than $50,000. For non-arts organizations – including college and university departments – the arts programming budget only, not an overall organizational budget, should be considered. Applicants may be: arts and cultural organizations in any arts discipline (literature, performing arts, visual arts, traditional arts, multidisciplinary arts, etc.); other organizations providing arts programming (government entities, social service agencies, etc.); or educational organizations (colleges, universities, etc.) that demonstrate a commitment to arts programming in a larger community setting. Organizations must not receive operating support from the Ohio legislature through a line item or earmark in the state budget during the same fiscal year in which the organization receives operating support from the OAC. Organizations must maintain an up-to-date profile in DataArts, a statewide initiative focused on gathering and analyzing financial and participation information from arts organizations across Ohio. A current profile must include a minimum of the two most recently completed fiscal years of data.Large organizations (those with annual income greater than $1.75 million, excluding OAC funds) must meet additional eligibility requirements:Applicants must be incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in Ohio.Applicants' primary mission must be the presentation or production of the arts. Applicants must have been in existence and presenting regular, annual programming for at least five years since the start date of the grant period for which they are seeking funding.Applicants must have a permanent, paid, professional staff administering both the business and artistic functions of its work.Applicants (except local arts councils and centers) must use a majority of artists who meet the definition of a professional artist – a person who devotes a major portion of his or her time to practicing, performing, or teaching the arts.Applicants may not be national service organizations, divisions, or departments of larger governmental entities (e.g., divisions of parks and recreation), nor receive operating funds from other state agencies.Large organization applicants that are college/university-based must:derive at least 51 percent of their income from outside the college/university;manage their own budgets;have an annual, independent audit;maintain their own board, independent of the college/university board of trustees;have an arts-based mission; andnot present work exclusively by or for students.

Ineligibility

Activities that Sustainability funds cannot be used for include:Projects or scholarship assistance that result in academic credit;Any programs of public and private schools – including school districts, affiliates, colleges, and universities – not designed to involve the general public; andThe salaries, travel, or overhead of public and private school, college, university, and government agency staff, faculty, and operationsThe OAC cannot fund the following activities, organizations, and expenditures:Activity Restrictions – GeneralApplications to eliminate or reduce existing deficits.Interest expenses paid on loans or debts.Hospitality expenses (e.g., food and beverages for openings, receptions, or benefits).Fundraising efforts (e.g., social events, benefits, and entrepreneurial activities).United Fund drives or joint arts funding campaigns.Applications for projects that primarily present political, denominational, religious, or sectarian ideas or projects that enhance the property of religious institutions.Arts activities that are essentially recreational or therapeutic, except when the focus of the activities is on art-making led by professional artists and includes a public component, when appropriate.Applications for arts activities that have already begun or have already occurred.Applications that use funds from other OAC programs or funds from re-grant programs supported by the OAC as a match.Applications for out-of-state travel, except for professional development, conferences, or workshops.Requests for artists’ fees when information about the artists and samples of the artists’ work have not been included in the support materials.Applications to cover costs related to filing for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.Academic Activities RestrictionsScholarship assistance for academic credit.Programs of public and private schools, including school districts, affiliates, colleges, and universities that are not designed to involve the general public (this restriction does not affect Arts Partnership).Applications to support salaries and overhead of public and private schools, college, university, and government agency staff and faculty and operations.Projects that are primarily for academic credit.Organization Restrictions – Specific SituationsApplications from for-profit corporations, including S corporations and other entities.Applications from organizations not incorporated in or located in Ohio.Applications from organizations whose membership and participation policies do not comply with nondiscrimination laws.Applications from organizations that are requesting or receiving funds from other OAC programs to operate the same or a similar program in the same fiscal year.Applications from organizations that did not submit final reports within the time required for the preceding fiscal year.Applications from organizations acting purely as fiscal agents for individual artists.Applications from organizations where programming and facilities do not meet or exceed federal ADA requirements.Applications for operating support from arts organizations that are receiving operating support from the Ohio legislature through a line item or earmark in the state budget during the same fiscal year in which the organization applies to receive operating support from the OAC.Equipment and Capital Expense RestrictionsBrick and mortar activities and capital improvements, except in the Individual Excellence Awards.Equipment purchases exceeding $1,000, except in the Individual Excellence Awards.