Overview
This grant category provides annual support to Phoenix arts and cultural organizations with a total annual operating budget of at least $2,500,000.
The purpose of this category is to sustain the organizations's program, governance, and management structure in order to achieve regional, national, and/or international visibility, and increase the organization's accessibility to the general public.
NOTE: Applying in this category requires that the applicant participate in the Arizona Cultural Data Project (AZCDP) which involves creating a profile, entering fiscal year data, and printing a report required as part of this application. The initial time and effort involved in CDP is substantial and must be completed prior to applying for General Operating Support.
Grant Requests
General Operating Support applicants do not make specific funding requests. Organizations supported through this grant category receive:
Base Awards that represent a percentage of an organization's three-year average contributed income (all sources) and earned income (Phoenix sources only); and
Merit Awards determined by the ranking an organization receives in the panel review.
Due to limited availability of funds, new organizations admitted to the General Operating Support grant category may initially receive partial awards.
Eligibility
To qualify for funding, an applicant organization must meet the following seven criteria:
- Its primary base of business operations must be located in the city of Phoenix
- At the time of application, it must be a registered non-profit arts or cultural organization with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Documentation of this status must accompany the application
- It must have been in existence and actively producing programs in the city of Phoenix for a minimum of three years
- It must have a minimum prior year income of $2,500,000 (i.e., total of earned income from Phoenix sources only and contributed income from all sources)
- It must employ a paid professional full-time manager who is responsible for the business management of the organization and receives a full-time salary
- It must provide community outreach and/or education programs within the city of Phoenix
- It must submit an Audited Financial Statement from the last completed fiscal year
Not Eligible to Apply:
- Festival Organizations (and other organizations that produce a single annual event)
- Presenting Organizations
- Schools
- Community-Based Organizations
- Local Arts Agencies
- Non-Phoenix-Based Organizations
- Rental Facilities
- Colleges and Universities
- City Departments (and their support organizations)
- Arts Service Organizations
- Organizations without a 501c3
Evaluation Criteria
Full Applications are evaluated and ranked by panelists using the following criteria:
Artistic / Program Quality (30% of Score)
- Internal artistic or program decision-making process
- Quality of artistic or program product
- Efforts and strategies to measure impact of programs
- Programs/events for past, current and next fiscal year
- Quality of support materials
Public Value (30% of Score)
- Community outreach programs and those served
- Educational programs and those served
- Programs targeting underserved populations
- Quality and number of partnerships/stakeholders involved in outreach
Financial Position (20% of Score)
- Organizational budget/audit/review
- Strategy for eliminating or reducing debt
- Successes, challenges or special circumstances related to financial position
Diversity (10% of Score)
- Evidence of organization-wide commitment to diversity
- Strategies to broaden, deepen and diversify audience
- Board diversity
Administrative Ability (10% of Score)
- Organization's short- and long-term planning process
- Executive Director's (or equivalent) resume, position description
- Board of Directors and committee roles
- Staffing
