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 Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and with public funds through Putnam County Government.

• 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 environs
• Governed by a regularly meeting Board of Trustees and operated under a set of  By-Laws
• Must conduct activities in a way that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability
• Demonstrate non-profit status by providing one of the following:

• 501(c)(3) letter
• have official authorization as an arm of local government
• registered as a Charitable organization with the Bureau of Charities
• N.Y. State Board of Regents Charter (Section 216 of the Education Law)

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

(1) A resume and sample of work; and

(2) A letter of agreement with the sponsoring organization stating its willingness to fulfill all obligations and duties of serving as fiscal and administrative agent for a funded project. Please contact PAC for our form.

• 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 applicant must show organizational history and stability
• 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 January 1^st and December 31^st, 2020
• 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. Projects that are of specific interest to a small group will not be funded even if opened to the general public
• Projects must provide evidence of community need and non-duplication of services
• The Arts Link grant can fund expenses such as artistic fees, marketing and publicity, postage, printing, some supply costs, space rental and the like for specific programs
• If applicable, judgment criteria can use audits of previous year’s projects
• Minimum direct request of $800; maximum request of $5,000 for up to three applications
• No more than 70% of the project expense may be requested by applicants

• Capital expenditures, construction, mortgage payments, staff salaries, general operating expenses, improvements or expenditures for establishment of new organizations
• Activities which are targeted to at-risk audiences, targeted to a small insular group or at facilities not considered open to the general public. Activities that announce that they are open to the general public but are not easily accessible or not promoted to the general public will not be funded
• Activities that are primarily geared towards an audience outside of Putnam County
• Public, private, or parochial school districts, their affiliates or components, which exclusively serve a student audience, with no public component (e.g. BOCES, universities and colleges)
• Non-incorporated chapters of organizations whose “parent” is incorporated outside of the Decentralization service area.
• New York State agencies and departments
• Projects taking place in a school during the school day or immediately after. Requests should not reflect activities targeted primarily to school audiences and school-based programs
• Projects where fees are paid to students of universities, high schools, middle or elementary schools, or the use of children as professional artists
• Activities that are fundamentally recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic (e.g. magic shows, balloon art, juggling, clowns, Art therapy)
• Organizations applying directly to NYSCA in 2019, or involving partners that apply directly to NSCA, whether successfully funded by NYSCA or not.
• Fundraising events, awards, prizes, lobbying costs, reception costs, i.e. food, drink
• Acquisition of works of art or the creation of books
• Activities that have taken place prior to 2020
• Equipment purchases, unless consumed during the course of the project, e.g. art supplies. Cameras, picture frames, etc. are considered equipment. Equipment rental is allowed
• Previously funded organizations that have failed to submit final reports and/or comply with previous contract requirements

• Individual artists or organizations that do not have not-for-profit-status can seek sponsorship with an organization that fits the eligibility criteria. (The sponsoring organization is the “Applicant Organization”.) PAC can provide information about the requirements for becoming a potential sponsor. This sponsorship (application) does not count towards the three application maximum.
• What is your connection to the project

• Applicants whose mission/focus is cultural and/or artistic
• Applicants who can provide a 50% cash match
• Applicants who take an innovative and creative approach to bringing the arts to the public
• Applicants presenting requests that demonstrate they are providing access to as broad an audience as possible
• 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
  –    Application shows clarity, completeness and ease of understanding

• Feasibility:
  –   Clearly defined project objectives, project implementation and management
  –   Demonstrated ability of personnel to administer 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 up to three different project requests within the Community Arts program, with separate applications for each. Sponsorships are not counted towards the three application maximum.
• Applicants can apply for a maximum of $5,000 in total, minimum of $800. Sponsorships are not counted towards the $5,000 maximum.
• In 2019, PAC distributed $40,000 to 20 applicants. The grants ranged from $800 to $3,500. It is highly unusual that an organization will be fully funded above $2,500 due to the number of quality requests received each year.

• 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.

• Non-Profit Status
  As listed in the Eligibility and Submission Criteria, organizations must demonstrate non-profit status by up-loading one of the following:
  –   501(c)(3) letter
  –   have official authorization as an arm of local government
  –   registered as a Charitable organization with the Bureau of Charities
  –   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 or year-end treasurer’s financial summary (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. (If applicant is not an arts organization, no board list needed.)

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 DEC/PAC funds.

• 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 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 seminar with PAC staff and should make a reservation for one of the three scheduled dates which include September 26, October 1 & 17. Seminars are primarily to discuss project guidelines and answer any questions pertaining to the application process. Follow–up, one-on-one sessions, can be scheduled, as the information provided in these workshops is a program overview.

It is recommended that new applicants take the opportunity to submit an application draft at least 2 weeks before the due date.  Request a review by emailing PAC’s Grants Coordinator, Joanna Ross, grants@putnamartscouncil.com, so she can make recommendations re: appropriateness, clarity and completeness. A one-on-one meeting is also suggested at PAC or on the applicant’s site (TBD).

• Please be advised that PAC staff does not make funding decisions. Although the Grants Coordinator facilitates the panel meetings, she does not make recommendations or state opinions to the panel. Please understand that any recommendations that she may make to you with regard to your request 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 in late November and early December.

• A panel composed of area community leaders, artists, business people, educators, etc. will be sent the applications immediately after the due date. They will review all applications in preparation for the panel meeting. The panel meets and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees for final approval. 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 of January.

Payment is processed in 2020 and will be sent based 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 January 31^st, 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. Logos and acknowledgement language will be on the PAC website.
• Immediate notification if a project cannot take place or if there are any changes in project plans.
• Awarded funds must be returned before October 31, 2020 if a project cannot take place.

• organizations which APPLIED to NYSCA directly in 2019, seeking funding for your 2020 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 income only. Do not include in-kind on this page.

• 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 “Column B Total Expense” from “Column A Total Income”. The resulting amount, your deficit, will be your “Grant Request”. Indicate how your requested amount will be spent/allocated in Column C. For applicants who have large projects, the deficit may exceed what PAC can provide. In those cases, the deficit and the Grant Request may be different.

• Column “C. PAC Request” helps the panel see exactly which expenses the grant will cover. The total of column C and the PAC request at the bottom of the page must match.
• Please check your math before submission (both horizontally and vertically).