Arts & Culture Commission Meeting Date: June 10th, 2024
To: Arts & Culture Commission Members
From: Natalie Draper, Library Director
Title
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town Grant Application
Body
Action Requested:
Discuss the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town Grant Application.
Summary Report:
The Arts and Culture Commission would be seeking matching funds to support the commission of a Placemaking Plan focused on downtown areas, the Riverwalk, and riverfront and adjacent parks and public spaces.
Our Town is the NEA’s creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding, the program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Our Town projects engage a wide range of local stakeholders in efforts to advance local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes in communities. Competitive projects are responsive to unique local conditions, develop meaningful and substantive engagement in communities, center equity, advance artful lives, and lay the groundwork for long-term systems change
Alternative Options:
Financial Impacts:
Eligible organizations may request up to $150,000 dollars, with a minimum request of $25,000.
Eligibility
Organizations eligible to apply include:
• Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations;
• Nonprofit institutions of higher education;
• Units of local government; or
• Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes.
Applicant organizations must have completed at least 3 years of arts programming prior to the application deadline.
All applications are submitted by one organization and require at least one partner organization. The applicant/partner pair must include 1) a nonprofit organization and 2) a local governmental or quasi-governmental entity. If neither of the partners is an arts, design, or cultural entity, then an additional arts, design, or cultural partner is also required.
Total amount of NEA grant funds requested is $100,000, which is over the $25,000 amount and requires council approval.
Local Match Requirement
A one to one nonfederal match is required and would be met by 1% for the Arts funds.
Tentative Timelines:
August 15, 2024 Completed applications due.
April 2025 Anticipated date of grantee announcement.
July 1, 2025 Earliest Start Date for Proposed Project