Professional Development Grant Program

Overview

Regional Arts & Culture Council

Our mission is to enrich our communities through arts and culture.

We envision a thriving region, powered by creativity, with arts and culture in every neighborhood.

We Value:

* Accessibility: Inclusion, simplicity, and ease
* Advocacy: Visibility, resources, and impact
* Equity: Racial justice and representation in services and investments
* Diversity: Of art forms and artistic traditions
* Community: For belonging, support, and connection
* Innovation: Testing and adapting; finding new ways to deliver value

Professional Development Grant Program

RACC is providing the Professional Development Grant Program in partnership with the estate of Harriet Beal Cormack. Cormack was a civic leader with an interest in urban affairs, social justice, women’s rights, and the arts. She was known as a remarkable patron of the performing, visual, and literary arts, and RACC is pleased to honor her entrepreneurial spirit and artistic interests with this grant program to support the growth of artists and arts leaders across the tri-county region. Funding from the Cormack estate will be increased with investments of public funds from Multnomah County and Washington County.

The Professional Development Grant Program assists artists or arts administrators by offsetting expenses related to specific, unique opportunities with the potential to significantly impact professional development. An opportunity may be one of many things, but the proposal must clearly demonstrate how the activity will benefit the applicant long-term.

Unlike grant programs that support the creation of new artwork, this program does not ask panelists to critique the applicant’s previous artistic projects with work samples. Instead, reviewers must determine from the application whether the applicant has made the case that the opportunity is impactful, timely, and will advance their career.

An applicant may request any amount up to $2,000. Due to the competitive nature of this grant program, funded applicants may receive less than the requested amount.

Eligibility

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Application Details

Professional Development Grant Guidelines
Spring 2025
The Professional Development Grant Program assists artists and arts administrators with expenses
related to opportunities that improve their business management skills and/or help advance their
careers. This program was created in partnership with the Estate of Harriet Beal Cormack, with public
investment from Multnomah County and Washington County.
Individual artists and arts administrators legally residing in Multnomah, Washington, or Clackamas
Counties are eligible to apply.
RACC Professional Development Grants are awarded in amounts up to $2,000.
Application Due Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 by 5:00pm.
Grant awards will be announced no later than Friday, June 27, 2025.
Apply online in the RACC Opportunity Portal (racc.org/apply).
Contact the RACC Grants Team at grants@racc.org.
INTRODUCTION
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) grant programs provide resources that increase the
community’s access to a wide range of arts and culture activities and embody RACC’s core values:
● Accessibility – Inclusion, simplicity, and ease
● Advocacy – Visibility, resources, and impact
● Equity – Racial justice and representation in services and investments
● Diversity – of art forms and artistic traditions
● Community – For belonging, support, and connection
● Innovation – Testing and adapting; finding new ways to deliver value
RACC is providing the Professional Development Grant Program in partnership with the estate of Harriet
Beal Cormack. Cormack was a civic leader with an interest in urban affairs, social justice, women’s
rights, and the arts. She was known as a remarkable patron of the performing, visual, and literary arts,
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and RACC is pleased to honor her entrepreneurial spirit and artistic interests with this grant program to
support the growth of artists and arts leaders across the tri-county region. Funding from the Cormack
estate will be increased with investments of public funds from Multnomah County and Washington
County.
The Professional Development Grant Program assists artists or arts administrators by offsetting
expenses related to specific, unique opportunities with the potential to significantly impact
professional development. An opportunity may be one of many things, but the proposal must clearly
demonstrate how the activity will benefit the applicant long-term.
Unlike grant programs that support the creation of new artwork, this program does not ask panelists to
critique the applicant’s previous artistic projects with work samples. Instead, reviewers must determine
from the application whether the applicant has made the case that the opportunity is impactful, timely,
and will advance their career.
An applicant may request any amount up to $2,000. Due to the competitive nature of this grant
program, funded applicants may receive less than the requested amount.
Applications for this grant must target activities happening only between July 1, 2025 through June 30,
2026. Funded activities must take place within this timeframe.
When applying for a RACC Professional Development Grant, you may submit only one application for
consideration.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for the RACC Professional Development Grant, you must:
1. Be an individual artist or an arts administrator:
The focus of this round of the Professional Development Grants Program is on individual
development as an artist or arts administrator.
If your proposed professional development activities will benefit an organization or arts group
you are affiliated with or employed by, please be sure to detail not only how your activities will
benefit the organization but also, and most importantly, how it will benefit you as an individual
and further your creative development.
2. Residency: Be headquartered/physically reside with a legal residence within RACC’s service area:
Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties.
If awarded a Professional Development grant, the grantee must continue to be
headquartered/physically reside within the tri-county area for the duration of the grant.
Otherwise, the grant will be forfeited. Legal address as shown on W-9 form/income tax return
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must be within RACC’s service area. (Applicants must be able to offer physical proof of residence
upon request.)
3. Previous RACC Grants: Applicants who have received previous grants through RACC must have their
reporting requirements completed to be eligible to receive this grant.
4. Collaborators: Artists who have a history of working together may submit a proposal to support
expenses related to an opportunity presented to them as collaborators.
Only one artist should submit the application, but the answers to the narrative questions should
address the nature of the collaboration.
EXAMPLES OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
Applicants should be applying for an opportunity that specifically benefits the business management of
the artist or administrator and/or brings the artist to another level artistically in a manner that is not
related to the creation or presentation of a specific artwork.
Examples include:
1. Travel and/or registration expenses for workshops, seminars, bookings, and other conferences which
will clearly help in advancing the artist or administrator’s work and are uniquely relevant to the
applicant’s current stage of development.
2. An invitation to: exhibit at a gallery outside the tri-county area; present at a performing arts festival;
study with a mentor or renowned teacher they would not otherwise be able to access. The activity
might be juried in some way or available only through a competitive selection process. In any case, it
should not duplicate experiences the artist has had in the course of his/her ongoing work, and it must
lead to professional growth in the artist’s career in a clear and meaningful way.
3. Artistic research for long-term benefit to the applicant. Research should not be “project-based”, but
related to the artist’s ongoing exploration and development of professional skills. For example: a visit to
an archive or collection, or travel and interview time with an established artist in your field.
4. General promotional material, including the development of websites. Promotional materials cannot
be related to a specific project or presenting season. Applicants must demonstrate a clear distribution
and/or marketing plan in proposals for portfolio or promotional materials.
5. Professional consultants for skill or career development.
Eligible expenses would include:
● Travel, transportation, shipping, and lodging costs
● Registration fees for classes, workshops, conferences, or residencies
● Website design fees, developer fees, or other portfolio printing costs and materials
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● Professional consultant fees and services for artistic or business skill development, such as
coaching, mentoring, or training
FUNDING & ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS
Please read these carefully prior to submitting a grant request to ensure your proposal is considered:
1. Professional Development Grants cannot be project focused and are not for the costs related to
the creation of artwork. Grants will not be awarded to pay the applicant’s own professional
artistic or administrative fees.
2. Grants will not be awarded to an individual to try a new craft outside of their artistic practice or
for degree or certificate program tuition.
3. Individuals enrolled as a student in a degree or certificate program in the arts at the time of
application are not eligible to apply.
4. Grants will not be awarded to pay for a full or part-time staff position.
5. Applications that are incomplete, or do not follow application requirements, will be deemed
ineligible.
6. This grant is intended for the growth and development of an individual’s career; organizations
are not eligible to apply for programming activities or to pay for staff time. However, arts
organizations may be the recipient of grant funds on behalf of the professional development
activities and expenses of a named team member. The application should be focused on the
individual’s professional development opportunity.
7. One eligible applicant should apply on behalf of a collaboration. Proposals from more than one
applicant for the same project or activity will not be considered. The eligible applicant in a
collaboration will be the recipient of the full grant award and responsible for administration.
8. The IRS considers these grant funds to be taxable income: All non-exempt grantees will receive
a 1099-NEC for the total amount paid to them by RACC in a calendar year. Consult your tax
professional with questions about receiving a grant award and how to deduct business-related
expenses in order to maximize awarded funds.
9. Individuals will need to provide RACC with a Social Security Number or Individual Tax
Identification Number upon notification that they have received a RACC grant award. Grant
awards to arts administrators may be paid to a 501c3 arts organization as the fiscal agent for the
professional development opportunity.
10. Available funding from Multnomah County and Washington County governments may influence
awards to applicants in those counties. Cormack Estate investment will support awards in
Clackamas County and across the region.
11. Members of the RACC Team, Board of Directors, or current RACC contractors are not eligible to
apply.
WHAT CANNOT BE FUNDED?
Professional Development Grants will not be awarded for the creation of artwork or the artist’s own
professional artistic or administrative fees. Additional ineligible expenses:
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● Activities and related costs that have already taken place.
● Activities that do not take place between the dates July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
● Ongoing/pre-existing work or business expenses
● Tuition or costs for a degree-bearing program
● Purchase of food
● Purchase of equipment as the only activity or expense and unrelated to a specific learning
opportunity
● Unpaid curatorial or teaching opportunities that primarily benefit the host organization
● Learning a new craft unrelated to your artistic career
● Self-produced publications
● Staff salaries and benefits
● Medical fees, and most legal and accounting fees
APPLICATION PROCESS & REVIEW
You must submit the required application and supplementary materials through the RACC Opportunity
Portal at www.racc.org/apply by the stated deadline. The applications are evaluated by panels made up
of RACC Team members and community representatives.
The review panels will use the following criteria and award up to 7 points for each of the following
measures. The individual reviewer scores on a panel are averaged for a panel score, which determines
the ranking of the applications on the panel. Funding is then awarded based on that ranking of the
average scores, and award amounts will be based on panel ratings and recommendations. Grant
program activities will be reported to the RACC Board of Directors. When crafting your responses to the
narrative items, please keep the Professional Development Review Criteria in mind.
REVIEW CRITERIA
1. Proposal Merit - including clear description of activity, value of the proposed activity, and quality
of the professionals involved.
2. Benefit to Applicant – including evidence that activity will improve business/management skills
and/or artistic growth and will have long-term impact on the applicant.
3. Timely Opportunity - including evidence that the activity is urgent or well-timed and unique in
the artistic practice of the applicant.
4. Financial Readiness - including budget detail and cost documentation clearly supporting the
activity and request amount.
5. Applicant Investment- applicant capacity to meet proposal objectives with complete and clear
application, supplemental materials, and cash or in-kind contributions or other fundraising
towards the activity.
Reviewers with a conflict of interest will not be permitted to offer an opinion or score on the application
in question.
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All grant applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email and directly within their account at
the RACC Opportunity Portal. Please check your spam filters and online account before contacting RACC
team members. Once award notifications are sent out via email, you may contact the RACC Grants Team
to schedule a one-on-one feedback session. Priority will be given to first-time applicants.
GRANT AWARDS & ADMINISTRATION
Professional Development Grant awards will not exceed $2,000. Grant funding decisions and specific
award amounts are based on panel scores and available funding. Due to the competitive nature of this
grant program, it is possible that funded applicants may receive less than the requested amount. If an
application is not fully funded, the applicant may adjust their proposal in consultation with RACC staff.
All grant applicants will be notified of their application grant status by email and in their online account.
Funding decisions will be made by Friday, June 27, 2025.
As a grantee, you will receive the full grant award after submitting the Grant Agreement via the RACC
Opportunity Portal and providing your financial payment information through Bill.com, including W-9
information.
You will be required to submit a Final Report after your activity is complete. Final Reports must be
submitted and approved before the applicant is eligible to apply for a new grant from RACC.
Grant awards are taxable income, and all non-exempt grantees will receive a 1099-NEC for the total
amount paid to them by RACC in a calendar year.
Grant awards that are not claimed within 12 months of the award date will be forfeit.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Professional Development Grant recipients will acknowledge the support by RACC in all printed or digital
materials related to the Professional Development Grant, if applicable. The RACC logo shall be used if
space and format permit.
FINAL REPORT REQUIREMENTS
At close of the Professional Development Grant cycle, you will submit a Final Report via the RACC
Opportunity Portal, along with documentation of eligible expenses. Final Reports for Professional
Development Grants are due within 45 days of the funded activity and no later than August 15, 2026.
Submission of the Final Report will affect eligibility for future grant cycles.
Final Reports will include:
● Information on successes, challenges, and feedback on the grant process.
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● Final itemized budget with actual costs and contributions where revenues should be equal to or
greater than total expenses.
● Documentation of eligible expenses related to the professional development activity such as
receipts, contracts, or paid invoices.
● Optional materials that show acknowledgement of RACC grant funding through credit or use of
the logo or documentation of the activity with photos, videos, articles, etc.
RACC understands that opportunities will evolve, consultants or collaborators may change, and
timelines will extend. RACC does not need to approve minor changes if the goals remain the same, and
we look forward to reading about the activity outcomes in the final report. However, it is your
responsibility to notify RACC at grants@racc.org in advance of any major changes in the grantee status
or ability to fulfill the grant activity.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
The RACC Grants Team is available to answer questions and support applicants throughout the
process.
RACC Team members will pre-record a Grant Info Session in early April and post to YouTube with a link
from the Grant web page. Frequently Asked Questions will be addressed on the web page as well.
Contact us at grants@racc.org with your specific questions about the application or the process, or to
request the following support:
• Technical Support for the RACC Opportunity Portal
• Translations Services and Language Support
• Accessibility and ADA accommodation requests
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Professional Development Grant
Application Questions
This downloadable version is provided for your reference and
convenience for working offline
Applications must be submitted at https://racc.org/apply
● Applicant Information Form
● Eligibility Profile
● Professional Website and professional social media profiles
● How are you organized to apply for and receive grant income?
○ For organizations: This grant is intended to benefit the career development of
individuals. What is the name of the arts administrator benefitting from the
opportunity?
● Are you currently enrolled as a student at college, university, or in a professional certification
program?
● Have you ever received a grant from RACC before (Portland Arts Project, Arts3C, Project,
Professional Development, Make|Learn|Build, etc)?
● Have you reviewed the Professional Development Grant Guidelines?
Primary Artistic Discipline (Choose your primary discipline for records):
● Dance/Movement
● Film/Video
● Folk Arts/Cultural Arts
● Literature
● Media Arts (Audio/Computer/Technology based)
● Multi-Discipline
● Music
● Theatre/Musical Theatre
● Visual Arts (2D and 3D)
● Other Discipline (please specify):
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What category best describes your proposed opportunity? (select one)
● Artist Residency
● Conference
● Workshop, class, or seminar
● Artistic Research
● Present or exhibit work outside of the region
● Work with a consultant or mentor
● Website, portfolio, or other marketing materials
● Other (please specify):
What is the start date of your proposed activity? Must be after July 1, 2025.
What is the end date of your proposed activity? Must be before June 30, 2026.
1. Please describe your proposed professional development activity in detail. Be sure to include what
the activity is, where and when it will take place, who is involved, and why you selected this opportunity.
(1200 characters including spaces)
2. How will this opportunity impact your career as an artist or arts administrator? What new skills,
assets, or experiences will you gain from this opportunity? (1000 characters including spaces)
3. Explain why the timing of this Professional Development opportunity is significant to you in your
career, how it is distinct from others you have had previously, and what makes it most valuable at this
time. (1000 characters including spaces)
BUDGET
PROPOSAL COSTS OR EXPENSES:
List all expenses directly related to the total cost of the proposed opportunity (examples: airfare,
lodging, registration fees, etc.). Consultant fees should include a breakdown of number of hours and
hourly rate (example: "J. Doe, marketing coach one-on-one at $120/hr for 4 hours" Amount: "$480" or
"Five hours mentoring with J.D., $125/hour" Amount: $500").
See guidelines for a list of eligible and ineligible expenses.
Your expenses total may be higher than your RACC grant request. You will detail other contributions or
fundraising to make up the difference and show your investment in the activity.
The total costs and total contributions sums should match for a balanced budget.
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Budget Item Description: Amount
Example: Round-trip, PDX to Los Angeles $450
Example: Shipping 10 works, Acme Shipping quote $950
Example: 4 nights food and lodging, covered by applicant $350
$
$
$
$
$
TOTAL COSTS: Example: $1,750
PROPOSAL CONTRIBUTIONS OR REVENUE:
In the first line, include the amount of funding you are requesting from RACC and mark it as Projected.
The RACC Grant Request maximum is $2,000.
List all cash or donated (in-kind) contribution sources you will put toward your total cost. Indicate
whether the contribution is confirmed or projected. Confirmed contributions make applications more
competitive.
Consider sources such as applicant cash, specific grants, fundraiser events, online campaigns (ie.
GoFundMe or Patreon), anticipated work or merchandise sold, discounts to class or workshop fees, or
in-kind donation of goods or services etc. In-kind donations should be clearly indicated with a specific
source and what cost line item it covers in the budget above.
Contribution Source Description Confirmed or Amount
Projected?
Example: RACC Grant Request Projected $1,400
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Example: Applicant Cash for food and lodging Confirmed $350
$
$
$
$
$
$
Example: $1,750
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS
(Total needs to match Total Costs listed above):
Verify that your budget is balanced (i.e. total costs and total contributions sums match). Yes/No
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS
Supplementary materials must be uploaded through the RACC Opportunity Portal to complete your
application. Acceptable file types are website links, PDFs, and JPEGs. Please adjust your formatting
before you upload your files to your application account.
● Individual applicants should upload an artistic resume or bio.
● All applicants should upload resumes or bios for contractors, consultants, and/or teachers, if
applicable.
● All applicants must provide price lists, quotes, estimates, or documentation of cost research to
support the proposed budget for key expenses or purchases related to your proposal.
● Optional opportunity for all applicants to include information relevant to the activity or event
outlined in the proposal, such as video introductions, letters of invitation or support, brochures,
links to websites, proposals from consultants, and/or any other materials that provide detail
about the opportunity.
● Applicants with a Fiscal Sponsor will upload a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to
confirm the relationship.
● Individuals are asked to provide demographic information. This information is separate from the
grant application and will not be shared with Reviewers.
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