Individual artists and organizations with an annual budget of $300,000 or less are invited to apply.
Eligible arts organizations should demonstrate an existing organizational structure and artistic product that is proven or shows signs of promise. Minimally in place must be:
- An active, functioning board of directors.
- Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) public charity status, in place or applied for.
- An identified leader for the organization, paid or volunteer. The organization does not need to have a regularly scheduled season in place but should be able to demonstrate increasing artistic strength through examples of past performances or exhibitions, capacity to carry out the proposed project and articulation of a clear artistic vision.
Participating artists/organizations must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- A partnership of, at minimum, two artists working together for a performance, exhibition, or screening around a theme.
- An artist or arts administrator collaborating with a group of advisors to present the work of multiple artists around a theme.
- An established, but unincorporated, arts organization consisting of multiple artists.
The fiscal sponsor for the collaboration must meet both of the following criteria:
- Must be a well-matched 501(c)(3) organization with a clear, mission-driven relationship to, or interest in, the project or members of the collaboration.
- Must be persuasive in its preparedness to provide administrative and technical support, offer artistic support when appropriate, oversee the receipt and expenditure of grant funds, and, in general, provide proof that it is exercising control of the project.
Nonprofit organizations with budgets greater than $300,000 are eligible sponsors; however, each individual artist/organization’s annual budget must be no more than $300,000. If the fiscal sponsor for the collaboration is not an arts organization or does not have demonstrated expertise in the artistic discipline(s) specific to the proposed project, there must be an active advisory committee in place with skill in arts administration and knowledge of the proposed art form.
Due to strict eligibility requirements associated with collaborative projects, it is strongly advised that you contact the Endowments to discuss your project prior to submitting a proposal.
The initiative does not fund:
- Single artist projects.
- General operating support or staff positions.
- General marketing activities.
- Capital requests.
- Benefits or fundraising events.
- Programs that primarily provide benefit or opportunity to a membership organization’s own constituents.
- Arts education programming or programs that primarily provide training opportunities to youth.
- Projects that take place prior to the initiative’s grant notification dates.
- Non-arts organizations that utilize arts as part of their programming.
- Organizations/sponsors that are not IRS 501(c)(3) public charities.
- Organizations outside of the following southwestern Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland.
