The program exists to support professional fees for artists, marketing/publicity costs, supplies/materials needed for the execution of the project and direct administrative expenses.  Arts programming must be the driving force of project requests.  The program is supported with public funds through the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and with public funds through Putnam County Government.  The Arts Link Grant Program can accept a maximum of three applications per organization.  The total request per organization cannot exceed $5,000.  An award can support a maximum of 70% of the project’s total cost (see additional details below in the Essential Criteria section).

In addition to the guidelines listed for each category, applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements to be considered for Decentralization funding.

A qualifying organization must:

• Be a not-for-profit organization, association or institution located in Putnam County, incorporated in Putnam County, whose primary mission is providing services to residents of Putnam County and its environs and whose funded activity must take place in Putnam County
• Be governed by a regularly meeting Board of Trustees and operated under a set of By-Laws
• Conduct activities in a way that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability
• Provide proof of non-profit status. The following documentation may be accepted:
• Letter of Determination form the IRS indicating tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3)
• Official authorization as an arm of local government (i.e., a formal letter on official stationary signed by the appropriate county, city, town or village executive)
• Current NY State Bureau of Charities (Office of the Attorney General) filing receipt
• Documentation of charter by the N.Y. State Board of Regents under section 216 of the Education Law
• Documentation of incorporation under Section 402 of the NY State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law

Note: Information on uploading supplemental information is discussed in the Required Materials section of these guidelines.

Any artists group which does not qualify as described above must be sponsored by a qualifying non-profit  that meets the previous requirements.  See “Fiscal Sponsorship” section below for criteria and Sponsor Responsibilities.   

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Arts Link Grants are available for arts programs of high artistic merit and exemplary quality. The qualifications and caliber of participating artists is a large part of the evaluation process.

• Arts Link Grants are available for support of a specific project only
• The grant will fund a maximum of 70% of your project’s total cost/expense.
• The project must culminate by December 31, 2021.
• The applicant must show organizational history and stability
• The applicant must have the acumen and aptitude to successfully create a budget
• The applicant must have the organizational skills to fulfill reporting requirements on a timely basis
• The applicant must demonstrate a willingness to stay connected and communicate with a teamwork sensibility throughout the grant process
• Projects must have at their core an activity that is fundamentally arts, as opposed to an activity the outcome of which is fundamentally rehabilitative, therapeutic or recreational.
• The ability to generate audiences in support of the project must be demonstrable

• The project must have clearly defined objectives and ability to achieve those objectives
• Projects must take place between April 15 and December 31, 2021.
• Projects must be open to, targeted to, available to, promoted to and easily accessible by the general public of Putnam County and not just an organization’s membership.

Note: Projects that are of specific interest to a small group will not be funded even if opened to the general public.

• Projects conducted on-site must be Universally Accessible
• Projects must provide evidence of community need and non-duplication of existing services.
• The Arts Link grant can fund expenses such as artistic fees, marketing and publicity, postage, printing, some supply costs, space rental, virtual programming expenses and the like for specific programs
• If applicable, judgment criteria may include audits of previous year’s projects.
• Minimum request of $800 for each application/ project; maximum request  total is $5,000  for up to three applications .
• Applicants must have attended one of PAC’s informational grant informational seminars to be eligible to apply.

• New York State agencies and departments (including SUNY schools)
• Public universities, colleges; and public, private, or parochial secondary and elementary schools

• Community Arts Link program site Staff or Board members (see Conflict of Interest section)
• Student projects
• Unincorporated applicants without an eligible sponsor or partner organization (
• NYSCA applicants, including fiscally-sponsored applicants that have applied to NYSCA in the most recent cycle. After NYSCA’s application deadline a list of organizations that have applied directly to NYSCA can be obtained upon request. Organizations on this list are ineligible for the state funding portion of our Arts Link Community Grant Program.
• Projects which do not take place in Putnam County
• Projects involving partners who apply directly to NYSCA. NYSCA grantees may not serve as fiscal sponsors or community partners for a Community Arts grant applicant nor can a NYSCA grantee benefit from ticket sales or revenue from an Arts Link funded project.

• Non-incorporated chapters of organizations whose “parent” is incorporated outside of the Arts Link Community Grant service area (Putnam County).
• Start-up or seed funding for the establishment of a new organization
• General operating expenses
• Requests greater than an applicant’s project expenses minus total project income
• Past re-grantees that have failed to submit final reports
• Operating expenses of privately owned facilities (e.g. homes and studios)
• Activities that are not opened to the general public such as camps, clubs or college associations
• Events that take place in private homes
• Non-arts related activity including:
• Galas, benefits or fundraising events including entertainment costs for receptions, food or fundraising
• Entertainment such as balloons, clowns, magicians, “sip and paint”
• Projects that are recreational, therapeutic, rehabilitative or religious in nature including at-risk/social service programs when the purpose is primarily for rehabilitation, therapy or worship
• Acquisition of works of art
• Contingency funds
• Permanent equipment or capital improvements
• Creation of textbooks or classroom material
• Lobbying expenses
• Programs in which children are used as professional artists (paid a fee)
• Regrants by applicants to fund other activities
• Cash prizes, juried shows, fellowships, educational scholarships or other awards to students

You are NOT eligible if you are:

• Organizations which APPLIED to NYSCA directly for 2021, seeking funding for the year 2021 project (even if you withdrew your application or were denied funding )
• Past sub-grantees who have failed to submit final reports
• Public school districts, their affiliates or components, or activities which exclusively serve a student audience with no public component
• Four-year public universities and colleges

• Individual artists or organizations that do not have not-for-profit-status in Putnam County can seek fiscal sponsorship with a Putnam County organization that fits the eligibility criteria. (The sponsoring organization is the “Applicant Organization”.) .The grant award (funds) will be provided to your Sponsor (not to you). PAC can provide  you with a sample letter of Agreement with the Sponsor.  This fiscal sponsorship (application) does not count toward the fiscal sponsor’s  three application maximum or the $5,000 total.
• Provide details regarding your organization’s connection to the fiscal sponsor and/or your fiscal sponsor’s connection to the project, in your application. In other words, why is this organization agreeing to be your Sponsor and/or how the Sponsor will help you r project realize success or are have they limited their role to be fiscal sponsor

Fiscal Sponsors

• Knowledge and understanding of grant opportunity criteria and relevant guidelines.

• Ensuring work for which funding is sought will occur within the appropriate contract period and required service area.
• Consulting with the artist or collective regarding project eligibility and conveying all relevant grant application information, including deadlines and online access details.
• Registering requests and submitting applications with all required supporting information, including an Organizational Budget and Events Schedule (where applicable).
• Executing a letter of agreement with sponsored group/artist that clearly outlines the administration of the grant and defines mutual responsibilities.  
• Informing sponsored group/artist of funding decisions in a timely manner (prior to the expiration of the appeals period).  
• Receiving and disbursing granted funds and ensuring that all relevant tax filings and reporting are executed as appropriate.  
• Submitting a final report on the expenditure of the grant funds after the end of the contract period.
• Sponsoring organizations may serve as fiscal agents for grants being applied to and limit their role to receiving, disbursing, and reporting on grants. The sponsoring organization may alternatively provide additional fiscal, administrative and other services to the group/artists they sponsor.

• Fiscal Sponsors must be located in Putnam County
•    When choosing a sponsor, the group/artists must understand and establish the role of the   sponsor organization, which must be fully described in the grant application. Sponsored group/artists are expected to meet with the sponsoring organization prior to the preparation of the application. The sponsoring organization should work with the sponsored party to comply with all Arts Link Community Grant Program’s requirements and procedures. Sponsored party may consult with PAC staff if they have questions about their relationship with their sponsor.

• Applicants whose mission/focus is cultural and/or artistic
• Applicants whose project features underserved artists, audiences, or disciplines
• Applicants whose project is offered in bilingual format
• Applicants who take an innovative and creative approach to bringing the arts to the public
• Projects that develop audiences for the arts and provide access to as broad an audience as possible
• Projects that take place at sites whose organization’s primary mission/focus is in arts and culture in Putnam County
• Returning applicants that show demonstrated ability of growth in programming.

• Artistic Merit:

–    Artistic quality, program quality.

–    Caliber and credentials of artists and other project personnel supported by resumes and/or work samples.

• Guidelines and Application:

            –    Adherence to these guidelines

            –    Applications that demonstrate clarity, completeness and ease of understanding

            –    Applications whose budget is easily understood.

• Feasibility:
• Clearly defined project objectives, project implementation and management
• Demonstrated ability of personnel to administer and complete project
• Reasonable project budget and demonstrated need for public funding support
• Demonstrated community interest, community support & community benefit, without duplicating existing programs
• Effectiveness of proposed promotional efforts throughout the community
• Applicant’s history with regard to existing program success and management
• Applicant’s history with contract compliance (filing timely reports, visible and proper acknowledgement of PAC on promotional materials, etc.)

• Organizations can apply for a maximum of three different project requests within the Community Arts program with separate applications for each project. Sponsorships are not counted towards the three application maximum nor the $5,000 maximum request.
• Applicants can apply for a maximum of $5,000 in total, minimum of $800. Sponsorships are not counted towards the $5,000 maximum

• In 2020, PAC provided 26 grant awards and distributed $41,000. The grants ranged from $800 to $3500. It is highly unusual that an organization will be fully funded due to the number of and quality of the requests received each year as compared to the limited funds we have to allocate. An average grant in 2020 was $2,150

• The Arts Link Grant Application is an on-line application on PAC’s web site.
• Late applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must have attended one of PAC’s informational grant seminars.

• Please read the application and guidelines carefully. This grant is competitive!
• The application is an on-line form that can be found and submitted on PAC’s webpage, putnamartscouncil.com.  A copy will be generated to you upon submission of the on-line application.

Applicants must up-load documents with their application as either JPG, PDF, or DOC files
of up to 25MBs. Documents can be multiple pages as long as they do not exceed 25MGs.
10 or less documents can be uploaded per application. If you experience insurmountable technical difficulties in transmission, you must submit 9 copies of all required materials to PAC’s office at 521 Kennicut Hill Rd in Mahopac by 5:00 pm Friday, March 19, 2021 and you must inform the grants coordinator that you are doing so.

A.  Organizational

• Non-Profit Status
  As listed in the Eligibility and Submission Criteria, organizations must demonstrate proof of non-profit status by up-loading one of the following:
• 501(c)(3) letter
• have official authorization as an arm of local government
• verification from the Bureau of Charities
• copy of N.Y. State Board of Regents Charter (Section 216 of the Education Law)
  

• Applicant Organizations must up-load a copy of your organization’s most recently completed 990 form or if 990 is not required than the organization’s year-end treasurer’s financial summary/ report is acceptable (please include Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss).
• Board of Director List with Names and E-mails – This is a requirement for organizations that are the applicant organization or the sponsored organization

B. Artistic

The caliber of the artistic personnel is a major consideration for the panel. It is essential for the panel to address the qualifications and caliber of the artist(s) you wish to pay with Arts Link Grant Award.  

• Please list the websites of the artists involved. There is a section for this on the application.
• Please up-load artist resumes
• In lieu of a resume, it is permissible to up-load your own document including relevant information from the artists’ website, perhaps the home page and bio page. If multiple artists are being hired, it is permissible to up-load a relevant  summation of each artist’s artistic accomplishments and careers (not an artist statement, but a resume-like bio)
• Work samples are not required. Any supplemental materials will not be returned.

Support of an organization in the past does not imply or guarantee that continuous support will be provided. Requests are reviewed each year in the context of available funding, evaluation criteria, and are judged competitively against other requests. Repeat requests should be updated and filled out carefully and thoughtfully.

All grant applicants are required to attend a virtual informational seminar with PAC staff and should make a reservation for one of the two scheduled dates which include Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 6pm or Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 6pm.  Seminars are primarily to provide an overview of the Arts Link Grant Guidelines and answer any questions pertaining to the application process. Follow–up, one-on-one sessions, can be scheduled, to discuss details regarding specific projects.

It is recommended that new applicants take the opportunity to submit an application draft at least 1 week before the due date.  Request a review by emailing PAC’s Grants Coordinator, at grants@putnamartscouncil.com, or by calling the office at 845.803.8622.  The Grants Coordinator is able to make recommendations regarding clarity and completeness.
A one-on-one meeting is also suggested at PAC or at the applicant’s site.

• Please be advised that PAC staff does not make funding decisions. Although the Grants Coordinator facilitates the panel meetings, he/she does not make recommendations nor state opinions to the panel. Please understand that any recommendations that he/she may make with regard to requests, in no way constitutes a guarantee of funding and may ultimately not reflect the panel’s opinions.

• Applications will be checked for eligibility, completeness, and accuracy. Applicants may be contacted for clarification and/or additional information so it is important that the person designated as the “Contact Person” be available throughout the grant process,

• A panel composed of area community leaders, artists, business people, educators, etc. will be sent the applications shortly after the due date. The Panel will review all applications in preparation for the panel meeting. The panel meets and provides their recommendations to the Board of Trustees for their information and review.  Grants that include County funded support also need to be approved by the Putnam County Legislature.  Applicants will be informed of the decision regarding their requests by the end April 30, 2021.

Payment is processed in 2021 and is contingent on completion of the necessary contracts and receipt of funds from NYS and Putnam County.  All awarded organizations sign and return a contract which will outline all agreements with regard to fulfilling obligations and the procedures for providing the following:

• An Interim Status Report will be required halfway through the year and a Final Program Report upon completion, or no later than December 31, 2021.
• Provide notification of your event at least two weeks before with 4 complimentary tickets, if applicable. Projects may be audited.
• Credit to PAC and NYSCA and Putnam County for support on all publicity and printed materials (including on social media). Funding credit lines will be provided within each contract and must be strictly adhered to. 
• Immediate notification to PAC if a project cannot take place or if there are any changes in project plans.
• Awarded funds must be returned before November 30, 2021 if a project can’t take place.  

• organizations which APPLIED to NYSCA directly in 2020, seeking funding for your 2021 program (even if you withdrew your application or were denied funding)
• Past sub-grantees who have failed to submit final reports
• Public school districts, their affiliates or components, or activities which exclusively serve a student audience with no public component
• Four-year public universities and colleges

• The budget page is for cash expenses and cash income only. Do not include in-kind contributions in your budget.  If you would like to provide information on in-kind contributions, please provide this information at the bottom of the page, separate from the budget.

• Start by filling out your Expenses and Income. Provide explanations or breakdowns in the second column as demonstrated below. If you need more room to itemize expenses, such as a supply list or a list of artistic personnel, please feel free to add a page.

Then subtract Total Expenses from Total Income, resulting in a deficit.  This deficit amount should equal your grant request. Indicate how your grant funding will be allocated in Column C. Column “C”, PAC request helps the panel see exactly which expenses the grant funds will cover. 

• Please check your math before submission (both horizontally and vertically).