City of St. Petersburg

Arts Grants

Program Guidelines 2007 to 2008

General Support Grants • Special Project Grants • Mini-Grants

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

St. Petersburg Arts Advisory Committee

Mark Durand • Bob Devin Jones • • Susan Beaven, M.D. • Wilbur (Stan) Hunter • John Richardson • Marty

Normile • Russ Gustafson-Hilton • Donna Fleece • Sue Shapiro • Jeffrey Danner, City Council

• Judith Powers-Jones, Ex-officio

Staff

• Ann Wykell, Manager of Cultural Affairs • Colleen Mazzo, Secretary, Intergovernmental Services

• Danica Krewsky, Accountant II, Intergovernmental Services • Cathy Davis, Deputy City Clerk

City Hall

c/o Intergovernmental Services

175 5th Street North • St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Phone: 727-551-3250 • 727-893-4140

FAX: 727-893-7719 •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

 St. Petersburg Arts Grants Program • Mission

The mission of the St. Petersburg Arts Advisory Committee is to support and encourage within the City

the artistic, cultural and ethical activities that will meet the artistic and cultural needs of the community and its

varied citizenry. The committee will work to promote these goals for the benefit of the City’s citizens and to

ensure that attention is given to fostering and stimulating new/emerging arts and cultural expressions and to preserving

the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nature of the City of St. Petersburg.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizations apply to the City for funding shall:

• Be registered with the Florida Secretary of State as a non-profit organization

• Be a 501(c)3 organization or equivalent (Operating Support and Specific Project applicants only)

• Be in existence and providing services to the residents of the City for one year from the date of

registration with the Secretary of State which is completed prior to July of current year

• Have no outstanding debts to the City of St Petersburg

Budget thresholds are determined by actual (cash) operating revenue for the most recently completed

fiscal year. Non-profit organizations that are not primarily cultural organizations must use the operating

revenues of the cultural programming unit to determine the budget threshold.

 Funding Policies

General Program Support: provides funding to assist underwriting general programming expenses

(not for specific projects) of large and intermediate sized arts/cultural organizations during the specified

fiscal year. General program support funds may beused only for those programming expenses itemized

on the grant proposal budget form.

General Program Support Grants Applications will be accepted bi-annually. Scores and rankings will be

preserved and applied to art grant funding recommendations in alternate years. The next round of new General Program Support applications will be 2008-09.

Eligible applicants: (a) Arts/cultural organizations, history museums/societies, science and children’s

museums, established primarily to present cultural programming for the benefit of St. Petersburg citizens,

and seeking funds for their annual operations. Such organizations must have had actual operations

in excess of $100,000 for the most recently completed fiscal year at the time of the application; (b) Non-profit organizations that present cultural programming for the benefit of St. Petersburg citizens on an ongoing, year-round basis for which the

cultural programming unit has had actual operations in excess of $100,000 for the most recently completed

fiscal year at the time of the application. These organizations must have a facility specifically dedicated

to cultural programming and have paid permanent staff dedicated to cultural programming.(See Grant Request Limits.)

Specific Project Support: provides funding to assist underwriting a specific program or series, produced for the benefit of St. Petersburg’s citizens and visitors, that is not intended to be an annually recurring program or event.

Eligible Applicants: Arts/cultural organizations, history museums/societies, science and children’s

museums, non-profit organizations that are not primarily cultural organizations that meet the

requirements described above for General Program Support, and post-secondary institutions seeking

support for an individual arts project, program or series.

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Mini-Grant Support: provides funding to assist underwriting general programming expenses of smaller

or emerging arts/cultural organizations.

Eligible Applicants: Arts/cultural organizations, history museums/societies, science and children’s

museums, non-profit organizations that are not primarily cultural organizations that have a facility

specifically dedicated to cultural programming and have paid permanent staff dedicated to cultural

programming, and post-secondary institutions seeking support for an individual arts project,

program or series, whose operating budgets are less than $100,000 per year.

Grant Request Limits

Budget thresholds are determined by actual (cash) operating revenues for the most recently completed

fiscal year. Non-profit organizations that are not primarily cultural organizations must base the grant request level on the actual operations expenses of the last completed fiscal year of the cultural programming unit within the larger parent

organization.

Funding Level

• Organizations with budgets of $500,000 or more are eligible to request up to $30,000

• Organizations with budgets of $100,000 to $499,000 are eligible to request up to $20,000

• Organizations with budgets of $99,000 or less are eligible to request up to $5,000 (Mini Grant)

Note

An organization may apply, based on criteria of operating budget, for EITHER a General Program Support

Grant OR a Special Project Grant OR a Mini-Grant. An organization MAY NOT apply in more than one grant

category.

 Allowable Costs

Grant funds may be expended for the purposes of a project provided that they occur or are obligated within

the grant period specified on the application, and they are solely for the purpose of the proposed project and

can readily be identified as such.

Examples include

• Salary support related to the proposed project

• Marketing (promotion and publicity)

• Production costs related to the proposed project

• Publications

• Artistic salaries and/or consultant fees

• Honoraria

• Equipment rental and expendable materials

• Non-expendable equipment up to $1,000

 Non-Allowable Costs

Grant funds may not be used for the following:

• Expenses incurred or obligated prior to or after the grant period

• Lobbying or attempting to influence federal, state or local legislation

• Contributions or donations

• Bad debts, contingencies, fines, penalties, interest or other financial costs pr costs of litigation

• Private entertainment, food/beverages, plaques, awards including purchase awards, or scholarships

• Projects which are restricted to private or exclusive participation

• Benefits and projects planned primarily for fundraising purposes, i.e., hospitality

• Projects to reduce existing deficits

• Re-granting

• Capital expenditures including acquisitions, building projects or renovations

• Non-expendable equipment over $1,000

 Application Renewal • Review Process

Calendar

April 25 • Technical Assistance/Bidders’ Workshop • 9am p.m. St. Petersburg City Hall • Room 100• 175 5th Street North.

May 21 • Postmark Deadline • Applications and Review/Certification of General Program Support Grants may be delivered to Intergovernmental Services Department at City Hall, 175 5th Street North or mailed to Office of Cultural Affairs, P.O. Box 2842, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

May 22 to May 31 • Staff reviews applications and submits to Arts Advisory Committee.

June 22 • 8:30 a.m. • Mini-Grant Panel and Special Projects Panel meets for review and funding recommendations in the

Community Resource Room • St. Petersburg City Hall • 175 5th Street North.

September • City Council acts on Arts Advisory Committee Recommendations

October 2 to 6 • Contracts available for signatures 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Intergovernmental Services Office,

St. Petersburg City Hall • 175 5th Street North.

• Note: Grant-funded activities cannot begin before October 1, 2007 or extend beyond September 30, 2008.

 Committee Review

Eligible grant applications are distributed to the Arts Grants Panel acting as a subcommittee of the Advisory Committee . The Arts Grants Panel will review applications, score and make final funding recommendations

in one meeting. The meetings are open to the public and applicant organizations are strongly

encouraged to attend. Applicants will be invited to answer questions posed by Panelists. Panelists may

adjust their scores after questions.

The Arts Grant Panel for General Operating Grants will convene bi-annually. Scores and rankings will be preserved for recommended grant awards in the alternate year. Mini-Grants and Specific Project Grants will be reviewed annually.

 Evaluation Criteria

Applications must achieve an average point score of 70.0 of a possible 100 points to be considered for funding.

Artistic/Program Excellence • Up to 45 Points

• Proposal summary

• Resumes and reputation of professional artistic/educational personnel

• Strength of program planning, implementation and evaluation

• Prior programming

• Program design adheres to and furthers the mission of the organization

• Benefit to local and regional artists

Outreach and Public Impact • Up to 30 Points

• Marketing and audience development efforts

• Impact of program on St. Petersburg residents, including neighborhoods

• Evidence of cooperative relationships with other organizations

• Direct impact on underserved audiences (minorities and special constituencies)

• Diversity of board, staff and volunteer participation

Management • Up to 25 Points

• Financial stability of organization

• Broad base of financial support

• Accuracy and feasibility of grant proposal budget

• Accuracy, clarity and feasibility of budget detail

• Resumes of key administrative personnel

100 Total Points

Note: Points are recommended guidelines for Panelists.

 Application Instructions •

Specific Project applicants submit:

• The signed original plus 10 copies of the

completed application form. Please mark the original “Original.”

• Names, addresses, phone numbers and affiliations of Board members and officers attached to all

copies.

• ONE copy of independent audit, compilation, financial review, or year-end financial statement

from the most recent fiscal year. Attach it to the original.

Mini-Grant Submit

• The original Mini-Grant Application form plus 10

copies of the completed application form.

Please mark the original “Original.”

• Names, addresses, phone numbers and

affiliations of Board members and officers

attached to all 10.

• Copies of the year-end financial statement

or compilation attached to all ten.

Please submit application pages and attachments

in the following order:

1. Staff Worksheet

2. Application Cover Page

3. Certificate of Review

4. Items A-G

5. Board List

6. Attachments

Completing the Application

Applications may be replicated for word processing.

1. Complete all sections of the application items A-G using only the space directed.

Space allotments are indicated and must be followed. Do not attach any additional pages

unless otherwise permitted in the instructions.

2. Submit only ONE copy of Staff Worksheet. Place it on top of your set marked

original but do NOT staple it to anything. Please give a brief summary of your request and indicate

your funding priorities with 1 being the highest. In the event full funding is not available, grant

funds will be directed in order of priority. Do not fill in section marked “Staff.”

3. You must prepare the application on a typewriter or word processor. Do not alter the format

of the forms or use a reduced type size (minimum “10 point” or “12 cpi”). You may reproduce the

form in your word processor but do not alter the spacing or the page numbers of the

application form.

4. Secure all pages of the application copies in the proper order. Do NOT use hard-sided 3-ring

binders.

5. All additional attachments except the audit, which are provided with the original application,

should be duplicated and provide with each of the application copies.

6. If audio or video tapes are included, they must be attached to each copy. Fewer copies

cannot be shared. Playing tapes at panel review meetings is possible, but at the discretion of the

Panel.

 Budget Instructions •

Organizational Operating Results and Projections (G.1)

• Operating results and projects for non-profit applicants that are not primarily cultural organizations

must only reflect the operations of the cultural program unit within the larger parent

organization.

• Operating results or projections should balance. If there are excess revenues or the cash reserves

are not sufficient to cover the entire deficit amount, the budget will not balance. Excess

revenues should be reflected in an increase in Operating Fund Balance. Deficit in income

should be reflected in the allotment of Applicant Cash and a corresponding decrease

of Operating Fund. Applicant Cash, G.1, Line 22, when available, is used to make up for actual

expenses which exceed actual revenues. The “Operating Fund’, which is really just your cash

reserves will show the net results of operations, an increase in the fund balance for a surplus, or a

decrease for a deficit. Any deficiencies should be explained under Item G.5.

• In-kind information may be detailed in LINE 11.• Round all numbers to the dollar (no cents).

• LINE 10 must balance with LINE 23.

Grant Proposal Budget

• Use a -0- to indicate no expense or review in any line-item category, rather than leaving the line item

blank.

• Double check figures, the grant proposal budget MUST balance.

• Budget should reflect cash expenses and cash income only. In-kind contributions demonstrate

community support and if your project includes in-kind contributions list those in a footnote.

• Specific Program Grant applicants that are not located in St. Petersburg should indicate project

activities and expenses that serve or benefit St. Petersburg residents.

• All budget information MUST BE provided on the formatted pages G.1 and G.2.

• Review the list of allowable and non-allowable costs.

• If you have applied to the Pinellas County Department of Cultural Affairs for funding for the same project, please

be certain that you are not requesting funding from the City for the same line-items, as doing so

will render your application ineligible for funding.

• Grant Proposal Budget Detail – Items G.3 and G.4 must provide more specific details about the

types of expenses and revenues used to arrive at the line-item summaries on Form G.2 Grant

Proposal Budget.

Tips for Budget Detail-Items G.3 and G.4

The budget detail should be a breakdown of each line-item figure as stated in the Grant Proposal Budget G.2.

It is easiest to prepare the detail before doing the summary on Form G.2. Begin with your own budget line-items and group them according to the summary line-items. Check the glossary for definitions of categories.

Example:

(partial budget detail of expenses for a project)

1. Personnel – Administrative (Your line items)

Executive Director Salary 10%$5,000

Assistant Director Salary 3% $3,000

Totals$8,000

2. Personnel – Artistic (Your line items)

Ten Dancers (10) 4 days

@$250/dancer/day $10,000

Choreographer 4 days @$250/day $ 1,000

Totals $11,000

Special Instructions

History Museums should describe:

• The historical themes that will be addressed in the project/exhibit or throughout the museum

(for Programming Support Grant)

• Methods to develop and present programs and exhibits

• Pre/post visit materials, gallery guides, teacher guides, worksheets, workbooks or other

educational materials to be used

Science Centers/Museums should describe:

• Plans for stimulating the observation and study of science and/or technology

• Methods to develop and present programs and exhibits

•Pre/post visit materials, gallery guides, teacher guides, worksheets, workbooks or other

educational materials to be used

Youth and Children’s Museums should describe:

• Strategies for presenting exhibits and programs for young visitors and their families, teachers and caregivers.

• How educational programs are selected and designed

•Study guides, worksheets, workbooks or other educational materials to be used

Arts Education Projects should describe:

• What kind of educational experiences in the arts will be provided

• For what population the program is designed•

Materials such as study guides, teacher guides or other educational materials to be used

• Relationship to school curriculum (if applicable)

Special Instructions For Organizations Not Based in St. Petersburg

Organizations not based in St. Petersburg may apply for a Specific Grant for activities that take place in St.

Petersburg or demonstrate strongly that they serve the residents of St. Petersburg.

• In the project budget include only the above defined activities

• In the goals and objectives C.2. indicate the need for the project and if the project duplicates similar

activities already available in St. Petersburg

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