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2006/2007 Decentralization Program           Erie County Arts Grants

Application Deadline: Friday, October 13, 2006

 Administered by:  Arts Council in Buffalo & Erie County

 

 

 

Text Box: DEC Program Funded by:
 
The New York State Council on the Arts

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

I.                  Program Purpose – Page 3

II.              Eligibility Requirements & Restrictions – Page 4

III.           Application Instructions – Page 5

IV.            Decentralization Program Guidelines & Criteria – Page 6

DEC/KEY Application Form – Page 7 - 14

 

2006/2007 DEC Program Guidelines

DEC Program Purpose

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) established the Decentralization Program (DEC) in 1978 following the mandate of the state Legislature to encourage increased participation at the local level in the state’s cultural funding process.  The purpose of the DEC program is to foster the continued development of local cultural resources responsive to community cultural needs.  DEC support enables emerging artists and organizations to grow professionally and to enhance the cultural climate in communities and neighborhoods where they live and operate.  The DEC program helps to ensure access to the arts and culture to the citizens in each of the 62 counties of New York State, especially to areas that are geographically isolated, economically disadvantaged or ethnically diverse.

2006/2007 DEC Program Guidelines

Eligibility Requirements

1.                 Not-for-profit organizations, applying on their own behalf, based in, and serving Erie County

2.                 Documentation of an active Board of Directors that meet on a regular basis

3.                 Documentation of at least one of the following types of not-for-profit status

·         Acceptance by the U.S. Treasury Department under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code

·         Acceptance by the New York State Board of Regents under Section 216 of the Education Law

·         Acceptance of Charities Registration under Section 172 of the NYS Executive Law

·         Official authorization as an arm of a local government as stated in a formal letter on official stationary signed by the appropriate city, town, or village executive

·         Acceptance of incorporation under Section 402 of the Not-for-profit Law

 

The following are ineligible:

 

1.                 Public schools, colleges, and universities and their affiliates, or components

2.                 Activities that exclusively serve a student audience (curriculum based, in-school programs) with no public component

3.                 Scholarships or fellowships

4.                 New York State agencies and departments

5.                 Organizations that have applied to NYSCA during March 2006, whether funded or not.

6.                 Organizations or activities outside Erie County

7.                 Cultural activities restricted to an organization’s membership

8.                 Arts programs that are recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic in nature

9.                 Art exhibits that are not juried or assessed by a professional curator

10.            Entertainment costs (theatre parties, museum openings, receptions, or fund-raising benefits)

11.            Operating expenses of privately owned facilities (homes and studios)

12.            Requests that are greater than the organization’s total operating expenses minus its total operating income

13.            General operating support requests

14.            Payment of past debt

15.            Capital expenditures (building construction/renovation, purchase of property, etc.)

16.            Equipment purchases

17.            Expenditures for the establishment of new organizations

18.            Funds to underwrite the costs of a school or church production

 

 

2006/2007 DEC Program Guidelines

 

Application Instructions

 

1.                 All applicants must attend one mandatory application seminar

2.                 All applicants must complete all required organizational information and project information sections

3.                 Please attempt to limit your answers to the space allocated on the application form

4.                 Applications must consist of a readable font size and style.

5.                 Please use the following application checklist to ensure that you have provided all necessary information and attachments to your application (please submit the original and 8 copies of the entire application by the deadline)

 

___    Complete Organization Information (the original and 8 copies)

 

___    Complete Project Information (the original and 8 copies)

 

___    Budgets for the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year, year to date, projected organizational budget, and project budget (the original and 8 copies)

 

___    Applicant’s organization program & activities list for the last completed Fiscal Year (FY) and proposed FY, (attendance & income figures are mandatory) (9 copies in all)

 

___    Proof of nonprofit status (1 copy with the original)

 

___    Biographies and/or resumes of artists, consultants, and program directors, where applicable (9 copies for each person or group directly involved with the project)

 

___    Support material directly related to the project, i.e. brochures, flyers, news-clippings, etc., where applicable (no more than 9 copies of each piece, not to exceed 4 separate pieces

 

Application submissions must be collated!

Submission of a complete proposal is the responsibility the application

2006/2007 DEC Program Guidelines

DEC Organizational Programming Grants 

Decentralization Program funds support exemplary professional and advocational arts activities in ALL artistic disciplines, inclusive of historical/cultural activities or arts workshops held for the benefit of the general public within their own communities.  Emphasis in funding is placed on activities serving rural communities and/or communities of color.  Support is available for organizations providing arts programs in Erie County occurring between January 1 and December 31, 2007

 

þ                 DEC applicants may request no more than $5,000 yet no less than $300

þ                 DEC applicants may submit up to three (3) separate requests with a maximum total request amount of $5,000

þ                 DEC requests may not exceed more than 50% of the proposed project or program’s expenses

 

Evaluative Criteria

w                    Applicants must show involvement of qualified, professional artist(s)

w                    The project must reflect the mission of the organization

w                    The project budget must be accurate and realistic

w                    Applicants must show involvement of a qualified project director

w                    Applicant organizations must demonstrate a diverse board, representative of the community served

w                    Applicants must demonstrate that the project will benefit the community

w                    Applicants must show diversity of audience and efforts to expand audience

w                    Applicants must show responsiveness to current and future arts needs of the community

w                    Applicants must demonstrate that the organization has diverse sources of funding in its operating budget

2006/2007 Decentralization Grants

APPLICATION FORM

 

Applicant Organizational Information                                     

                                                                                        

                                                                                                                            

Organization Legal Name                                                      Doing Business As Name

 

                                                                                                                            

Mailing Address

 

                                                                                                                            

City                                                                                 State            Zip + 4

 

                                                                                                                            

Contact Person                                                                  Title

 

                                                                                                                            

Contact Daytime/Evening Phone #                      Fax #                     e-mail Address

 

                                                                                                                            

Board Chair/President                                                Phone

 

                                                                                                                            

Mailing Address Board Chair/President

 

                                                                                                                            

City                                                                                 State            Zip + 4

 

Be sure to contact the Board of Elections, http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe , or the League of Women Voters to ensure your district information is up to date.

 

 

Congressional District #: _____                                              NYS Senate District #: _____   

 NYS Assemb. District #: _____

Fiscal Year Ends: _____                                   Incorporation Date or Date Formed: _____

Have you ever applied directly to NYSCA for funding?  ____ If yes, when? _____

Have you ever applied for a DEC Grant? _____ If yes, when? _____

Applicant Non-Profit Status (check all that apply):

___1.   Determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c) (3) organization

___2.   Letter from the NYS Board of regents Charter, Section 216 of the Education Law (N/A for KEY)

___3.   Filing receipt for the Registration of Charitable Organizations Section 172 of the Executive Law

___4.   Official authorization as an arm of a local government

___5.   Letter of acceptance of incorporation under section 402 of the Not-for-Profit Law

 ACBEC’s DEC Grant Application Form

Applicant Organization’s Legal Name:                                                                           

Applicant Organizational Information                                                                                                                            

1.                  Describe organization’s purpose (mission) and activities of your organization

2.                  List the principal administrative and artistic staff by name title and current annual salary.

Name

Title

Yrs. w/Org.

PT or FT

Salary

1.

 

 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

 

3.

 

 

 

 

4.

 

 

 

 

5.

 

 

 

 

6.

 

 

 

 

7.

 

 

 

 

8.

 

 

 

 

9.

 

 

 

 

10.

 

 

 

 

11.

 

 

 

 

12.

 

 

 

 

 

Salary information is exempt from disclosure under the New York State Freedom of Information Law, and therefore will not be released to third-party inquiry

ACBEC’s DEC Application Form

Applicant Organization’s Legal Name:                                                                           

Applicant Organizational Information                                       

3.                  List the current board members (indicate officers)

Name

Profession

Yrs. w/Org.

Officer Title

1.

 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

3.

 

 

 

4.

 

 

 

5.

 

 

 

6.

 

 

 

7.

 

 

 

8.

 

 

 

9.

 

 

 

10.

 

 

 

11.

 

 

 

12.

 

 

 

13.

 

 

 

14.

 

 

 

15.

 

 

 

16.

 

 

 

17.

 

 

 

18.

 

 

 

19.

 

 

 

20.

 

 

 

21.

 

 

 

22.

 

 

 

 

3a.     Describe the current composition of your board, please be specific. (i.e. gender, ethnicity, special needs, etc.

3b.     How often does your board meet a year

 ACBEC’s DEC Grant Application Form

Applicant Organization’s Legal Name:                                                                           

Applicant Organizational Information                                     

4.                  Describe the audience served by your organization.  Describe what your organization does as outreach to underserved (based on: geography, ethnicity, special needs, etc.) communities, please be specific.

5.                  How many people does your organization serve yearly?  How do you track this figure?

6.                  Attach a list of activities or events your organization presents or performs throughout the year for the last completed fiscal year, and the proposed project year; include date, event name, location, capacity, number of performances, total attendance, and gross income for each event

 ACBEC’s DEC Grant Application Form

Applicant Organization’s Legal Name:                                                                           

 

Applicant Organizational Information                                     

 

7.       To assess the technical assistance needs of Erie County’s cultural community, please feel free to discuss and any concerns or dilemmas your organization is confronting or may confront in the near future.  If you have special concerns within the listed areas please provide more detail in the space provided. (optional)

 

 

[  ]       Board Development

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

[  ]       Fundraising and development

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

[  ]       Legal

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

[  ]       Outreach/Visibility/Marketing

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

[  ]       Rural Networking

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

[  ]       Strategic Planning

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

[  ]       Other

 

          1.                                                      

 

          2.                                                      

 

          3.                                                      

ACBEC’s DEC Grant Application Form

Applicant Organization’s Legal Name:                                                                           

Applicant Project Information                                                

DEC Project Description (make a copy of this page for each project request)

Narrative for Project #:                                       

Project expense is: $                                       Request amount is: $             

No. of audience members to be served by project             

No. of youth to be served by the project                    

No. of artists participating in the project                    

1.      Please give a clear, complete, comprehensive description of your project, addressing all criteria listed in the guidelines for the category you are applying in

 ACBEC’s DEC Grant Application Form

Applicant Organization or Artist Name:                                                                         

Applicant Project Budget                                                      

DEC Project Budget Page (make a copy of this page for each project request 

Budget for Project #:     

Last Completed Fiscal Year