APPLY FOR FUNDING

DAYTON REGION ARTS RENEWAL GRANTS

Notice of Funding Opportunity:
Culture Works is excited to launch a new grant initiative, the Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant program. Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grants are intended to support jobs in the arts sector, keep the doors open to arts organizations in our community, and assist the field in its response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding opportunity is made possible by a one-time $500,000 grant to Culture Works—the Dayton Region’s arts funding, advocacy, and service organization—from the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan (ARP) Subgranting program.

Culture Works will award up to $350,000 in Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grants to area nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and up to $100,000 to individual artists. Culture Works will retain $50,000 to cover the costs of grant administration. Eligible organizations can request up to $15,000 in general operating support, and individual artists can request up to $5,000 in project support.

Culture Works will begin accepting applications for Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grants on Friday, July 1, 2022, and the deadline to apply will be Friday, August 5, 2022 at 4pm EST. The link to the application will be posted to this page.

Guidelines for Applicants:
Click here for the Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant Guidelines for Organizations
Click here for the Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant Guidelines for Individual Artists

Organizations and individuals interested in applying are encouraged to view recordings of the free virtual info sessions Culture Works hosted in June 2022:

Info Session for Organizations
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Noon-1:15pm via Zoom
Interested organizations are encouraged to view this virtual information session to learn more about the program's eligibility requirements and grantmaking process.
View a recording of the info session here.

Info Session for Individual Artists
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Noon-1:15pm via Zoom
Individual artists are encouraged to view this virtual information session to learn more about the program's eligibility requirements and grantmaking process.
View a recording of the info session here.

Culture Works will begin accepting applications for Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grants on July 1, 2022. Check back soon for a link to the application!

Deadline to Apply: Friday, August 5, 2022 at 4pm EST.

Questions? Contact Hannah Gregory, Culture Works Grantmaking Associate, at hgregory@cultureworks.org.

OPERATING SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS

COMMUNITY ARTS GRANTS

About the Program: Community Arts Grants provide general operating support to organizations that enrich and inspire the Dayton Region through world-class performances, exhibitions, and acclaimed educational programs for all ages. Applicants are placed into one of the following categories based on their annual budget:

General Operating Support (GOS) - Organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 to $10 million
Community Arts Development (CAD) - Organizations with annual budgets of $100,000 to $499,999

The funding for these grants comes from our annual Campaign for the Arts—a community-wide fundraising effort that draws support from thousands of individuals, local companies, and foundations.

In 2021-2022, Culture Works provided Community Arts Grants to 10 organizations: Bach Society of Dayton, The Contemporary Dayton, the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Dayton Public Radio (WDPR), The Human Race Theatre Company, K12 Gallery & TEJAS, Muse Machine, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

General Operating Support (GOS) Eligibility

Community Arts Development (CAD) Eligibility

FAQS

2022-2023 TIMELINE

FAQS

What is the source of the funding used to provide Community Arts Grants?

The source of funding for these grants is money raised through Culture Works’ annual Campaign for the Arts. Individuals and companies throughout the region participate, with more than 50% of the funding coming from workplace giving campaigns. The annual Campaign allows individuals to support not just one art form or organization, but to invest in the fundamental value of arts and culture to our community.

How are funding decisions made?

In 2014, Culture works implemented an outcomes-based funding model to better evaluate the effectiveness of applicants in aligning with larger community objectives. Under this model, a panel of knowledgeable local citizens evaluates applications using an established scoring rubric (see "How Are Applications Scored?").

Panelists also make site visits to applicant organizations—attending a performance, exhibition, or other event—to gain additional insights into the organization beyond the information included in the application. Panelists review and score applications independently from mid-April to mid-May, then discuss the applications as a group and make final scoring decisions at a Public Grant Panel Meeting held at the end of May. Final scores are entered into a funding formula that takes into consideration the total amount of funding available, the number of applicants, and each applicant organization’s budget to determine the grant amounts.

Why does Culture Works use an outcomes-based grantmaking process?

In 2014, Culture Works changed its process to provide more fairness, transparency, and accountability. We also wanted to have more precise outcomes to report back to those who support the annual Campaign for the Arts to show that their gifts are truly making a difference. We take our responsibility to be good stewards of the funding entrusted to us through the annual Campaign for the Arts very seriously.

Is there a precedent for this kind of grantmaking process?

Absolutely! An outcomes-based process with a panel, scoring mechanism, and public grant process is used by the Ohio Arts Council to make funding decisions, and by other state arts councils. The same process is also used by the National Endowment for the Arts and a majority of local area arts agencies across the country. Culture Works is now much more aligned with national standards for best practices through the changes that we have made to our grant making process.

Who serves on the panel?

Culture Works recruits an independent panel of arts administrators, artists, business leaders, and passionate community volunteers to serve on our grant panels.

How are grant applications scored?

Panelists score each application in three areas: Community Impact & Engagement (45 pts), Artistic & Cultural Vibrancy (35 pts), and Organizational Capacity (20 pts). A checklist showing the full evaluation criteria is available here. To determine each organization's final score, Culture Works takes the average score they received from panelists. Organizations must score at least 70/100 points to be eligible for funding.

Why are organizations required to support the annual Campaign for the Arts in order to apply for Community Arts Grant funding?

Conducting a united arts fund campaign is only one of the programs of Culture Works. Organizations that choose not to support the Culture Works annual Campaign are still eligible to take advantage of the marketing, advocacy, and other support provided to every cultural organization in the Dayton Region by Culture Works. However, if organizations wish to benefit directly from the pool of money gathered through the annual Campaign, we think that it is important that these organizations commit to partnering with us to achieve the best possible outcomes for the annual Campaign by being champions for this effort.

2022-2023 Community Arts Grant Timeline

Friday, December 31, 2021

Deadline for applicants to submit an Intent to Apply for 2022-2023 Funding form and a current board roster

January-May 2022

Panelist site visits take place

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Grant application available through the Culture Works website

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Grant application info session for applicants via Zoom

Friday, April 8, 2022

Grant application deadline—must be received by 4pm
(This is also the deadline for Culture Works leadership to give a brief presentation to your board about the Campaign for the Arts.)

TBD

Grant panelist orientation via Zoom

Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 9am-1:30pm via Zoom
(Public session begins at 9:30am)

Grant panel meeting to discuss applications and finalize scores. View a recording of the meeting here. View the list of panelists here.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Funding amounts approved by the Culture Works Board of Trustees

Mid-July 2022

Applicant organizations receive panelist feedback and notification of 2022–2023 grant amounts.

The deadline to apply for 2022-2023 Community Arts Grants has passed.

Questions? Contact kmaner@cultureworks.org.

PROJECT SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTS

The Special Projects Grant program provides funding for organizations to create arts and cultural projects that engage the Montgomery County community. This program is made possible by funding from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) and is administered by Culture Works. The MCACD, with support from the Board of County Commissioners, is providing $250,000 for the 2022 grant cycle.

Small to mid-sized arts and cultural organizations, other nonprofits, schools, colleges and universities, municipalities and government agencies located in Montgomery County can apply for up to $10,000 to support arts and cultural projects--such as festivals, exhibitions, performances, artists’ series, and in-school arts programming. New in 2022, organizations with arts and culture-focused missions may also use the grants to complete capacity building projects such as strategic plans, board development, marketing and branding initiatives, website development, staff professional development training, and feasibility studies.

Projects funded through the 2022 cycle must take place between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. Collectives and other unincorporated organizations may also apply in partnership with a nonprofit, tax-exempt fiscal agent. Arts and cultural organizations--and their auxiliary groups--that already receive general operating support from the MCACD are not eligible to apply.

Read the full 2022 Special Projects Grant Program Guidelines here.

2022-2023 TIMELINE:

2022 Special Projects Grant Info Session
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Noon-1:15pm via Zoom
Culture Works and the MCACD hosted this free, virtual info session to share exciting changes coming to the 2022 program and details about the guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application process.
View a recording of the Info Session here.

Project Ideation Sessions
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 11am-1pm and 6-7pm
Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 11am-1pm
Is your Montgomery County organization interested in applying for a 2022 Special Projects Grant but unsure whether your project is a good fit? Culture Works and the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) staff are hosting Project Ideation Sessions where you can have a quick chat with us, brainstorm, and get feedback on your project ideas.
Sign up for a Project Ideation Session here.

Intent to apply form deadline: Friday, March 4, 2022, 4pm. Organizations must submit an intent to apply through our new application platform, e-CImpact. Culture Works and the MCACD will review all intent to apply forms for eligibility, and approved organizations will be invited to complete the full grant application beginning in late March.

Free Grant Writing Workshops:
Culture Works and the MCACD invite applicants to join us for three free virtual workshops focused on specific areas of the Special Projects Grant application:

Crafting an Impactful Narrative – Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 4pm EST via Zoom. View a recording of this workshop here.
Measuring and Evaluating Project Success – Monday, April 11, 2022 at 4pm EST via Zoom. View a recording of this workshop here.
Completing the Project Budget – Friday, April 15, 2022 at 1pm EST via Zoom. View a recording of this workshop here.

Application deadline: Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 4pm.

Public Grant Panel Meetings:
At these meetings, grant panelists will discuss applications and make funding recommendations. All funding recommendations must be reviewed by the MCACD board for final approval. Following the MCACD board’s approval, applicants will receive written notification of the results of their grant applications along with panel comments (by early July).

Panel 1: Capacity Building and Education Project Categories
Monday, June 20, 2022, 9am-1pm via Zoom.
View a recording of the meeting here. View the meeting agenda here.
Panel 2: Cultural/Multi-Arts, Literary/Performing Arts, and Visual Arts Project Categories
Wednesday, June 22, 2022, 9am-2:50pm via Zoom.
View a recording of the meeting here. View the meeting agenda here.

The deadline to apply for a 2022-2023 Special Projects Grant has passed.
Applications were discussed at public panel meetings on June 20th and 22nd. See above for meeting recordings.

Access Your Application

We've switched to a new application platform, e-CImpact. If you need to access an application from a previous cycle (2020, 2021), you can sign into CommunityForce here.

Questions? Contact kmaner@cultureworks.org.

2018 Artist Opportunity Grant recipient Morris Howard with the Land of Funk mural.

FUNDING FOR ARTISTS

ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS

Congratulations to the 12 artists awarded Artist Opportunity Grants for 2022! Read about their projects here.

About the Program

The Artist Opportunity Grant Program is intended to provide financial assistance to Montgomery County artists to further their careers through professional development opportunities and through opportunities associated with new works. This program is made possible by funding from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) and is administered by Culture Works. The program has nurtured the careers of 76 artists and awarded over $190,000 since launching in 2016.

PROGRAM GOALS

Artist Opportunity Grants help advance the careers of individual artists by supporting expenses related to specific, unique opportunities that have the potential to significantly impact an artist’s work and professional development. The purpose of these grants is to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. The goal is to assist artists in Montgomery County in furthering and innovating their work, to elevate the quality and raise the profile of individual artistic work in the region, and to help artists achieve their artistic and career goals through the pursuit of new works or professional/career development opportunities in the field, thereby making them competitive in the creative marketplace. Grants are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic career point (emerging, mid-career, mature) or genre.

2021-2022 Timeline

Monday, August 9, 2021 - Application opens.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021, noon - Virtual Artist Opportunity Grant Info Session for first-time applicants via Zoom. Watch a recording here.
Friday, October 8, 2021 - Deadline to apply, 11:59pm EST
Monday, November 29, 2021 - View a recording of the meeting here. View the meeting agenda here. View the panelist bios here.
January 2022 - Funding distributed to grantees.
December 31, 2022 - Projects must be completed.

Click here to read the full 2021-2022 Artist Opportunity Grant Guidelines.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

EVALUATION CRITERIA & PROCESS

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

RESOURCES FOR APPLICANTS

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for the Artist Opportunity Grant program, applicants must:

Be a resident of Montgomery County, Ohio with a valid street address (no P.O. boxes) demonstrated by a driver’s license, utility bill, bank statement, voter registration document, etc.
Be a United States citizen or a permanent legal resident
Be at least 18 years old
Be a professional artist or creative entrepreneur. This is defined as someone who:
- Has specialized training in the field (not limited to academic training; may be self taught)
- Is recognized as a “professional” by peers (artists working in the same discipline)
- Has at least a one-year history of public presentation or publication.

It should be noted that the word “professional” refers to the nature of the artist’s commitment, particularly as it is conveyed on the artist’s resume.

Note: The project or opportunity for which an applicant seeks funding must take place between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. If the grant is to complete a project already in progress, it must culminate with a completed work in 2022. Projects anticipated to not be completed by December 31, 2022 will not be considered.

Before beginning your application, review the complete eligibility criteria in the 2021-2022 Artist Opportunity Grant Program Guidelines.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Artistic Merit: The professional capabilities of the applicant; the artistic strength, quality, vision, originality of the applicant’s work as demonstrated in the application, previous work, and artist’s statement.

Work is of compelling artistic vision and singular voice.
Work is inventive, imaginative, substantive in form and content.
Work is self-reflective/critical, demonstrating internal development and willingness to take risks, as appropriate.

Potential Impact of the proposed project to advance/further the applicant’s work/career

Opportunity is unique and not a repeat of past experiences (i.e., is it juried selectively, time sensitive, prestigious for the artist’s field, a “first” for the artist?).
Potential for the opportunity to facilitate subsequent creative work.
Potential impact of the proposed opportunity on the professional development of the applicant (i.e., clearly defined, realistic, attainable goals based on the artist's level of achievement).

Quality of Proposed Project: The artistic strength, quality, vision and originality of the proposed project.

Artist demonstrates an understanding and awareness of professional practice and standards in his/her field.
Artist has demonstrated capacity to be self-directed and is well positioned to take full advantage of the opportunity the grant affords.
Work is well-executed and well-produced, demonstrating control of craft/materials/production values and technique, as appropriate and clear intentionality of purpose.
Work reflects awareness of the history and contemporary practice of its field and its relationship to both.

Administrative Capability: The feasibility of the proposed project as determined by the applicant preparing and clearly articulating a logical, well conceived project plan that can be reasonably executed, clear goals, and an accurate budget.

Professional resume, including education, artistic training, and level of achievement and/or evidence of commitment to personal artistic development as demonstrated through efforts to attain performances, exhibits, etc.
Artist has a history of active engagement in creating artwork and presenting it to the public, with a record of professional accomplishment appropriate to career stage.
Completeness and clarity of the application. The reasonable likelihood that the project can be completed based on the itemized budget and proposed timeline. (See page 6 of the full Artist Opportunity Grant Guidelines for more about budget requirements.)

Public Benefit: The applicant seeks to increase access to and direct participation in high-quality arts and cultural resources that celebrate diversity and foster creativity within Montgomery County.

The applicant is actively involved in the arts and cultural community.
The applicant has experience sharing his/her work through public exhibition/performances and plans to do the same with this project.
Applicant has capacity or is actively seeking to share through exhibits, performances, readings, marketing, local artist organizations, personal website, newsletter or advocacy.
Applicant has identified ways to share about this opportunity with the public.

THE REVIEW PROCESS

All applications will be reviewed by staff for completeness and eligibility before being submitted to an independent grant panel for consideration.

Grant Panel

Culture Works and the MCACD will identify an independent panel consisting of artists, arts administrators, educators, and community leaders who understand and have an appreciation for the careers and professional development of artists. Every effort is made to avoid conflicts of interest.

Panelists are provided online access to eligible applications, supporting materials, and artistic samples. Panelists review the applications independently throughout the month of October and assign scores based on the criteria outlined above. The highest possible score an applicant can receive is 25.

In November, they convene at a public panel meeting to discuss applications and make award recommendations as a group. To facilitate discussion and funding recommendations, applications with the lowest initial scores may be eliminated from consideration prior to the public meeting. Applicants will be notified in advance of whether their application will proceed to the panel meeting.

Public Panel Meeting and Funding Recommendations

The panel meeting will be open to the public and will begin with introductions of everyone in the room. The audience will be given a brief overview of the grant review and scoring process.

Each application will be reviewed using the following process:

a) The first reader (discussion leader) will lead the panel in a general discussion of the application.
b) After all panelists have had a chance to comment, the panel facilitator will draw the discussion of the application to a close and each panelist will have an opportunity to adjust their scores if necessary.

When desired, panel members will be given the opportunity to review an artist’s application and/or documentation. This is done for clarification purposes. As a result of the panel discussion or further review of an applicant’s application or documentation, panelists may adjust their scores. Because materials will have been previously reviewed by panelists, they may or may not ask to review the same materials for every applicant.

After all applications have been discussed and final scores have been submitted, the panel will enter a closed session to review a master list of all applicants, ranked from highest to lowest average score. The panel will make funding recommendations based on these rankings and the funding that is available.

Following the panel meeting, all funding recommendations are reviewed for final approval by the MCACD board. Award recipients will then enter into a contract/grant agreement with Culture Works.

RESOURCES FOR APPLICANTS

Before beginning your application, read the full 2021-2022 Artist Opportunity Grant Program Guidelines here.
Review the Tips for Writing a Great Application
Review the Work Sample Guidelines
Download a Sample Application
Watch the 2021 Artist Opportunity Grant Webinar for Applicants

The Artist Opportunity Grant application is now closed.
Check back in summer of 2022 for the announcement of the next cycle.

ACCESS YOUR APPLICATION

Questions? Contact kmaner@cultureworks.org.

2021-2022 GRANT RECIPIENTS

2020-2021 GRANT RECIPIENTS

2019-2020 GRANT RECIPIENTS

2018-2019 GRANT RECIPIENTS

2017-2018 GRANT RECIPIENTS

2016-2017 GRANT RECIPIENTS

FUNDING FOR STUDENTS

LEONARD P. ROBERTS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Culture Works Leonard P. Roberts Scholarship was established in 1993 in honor of Mr. Roberts, who was the Chairman of the Dayton Performing Arts Fund (now Culture Works) at the time of his death. Since the first scholarships were awarded in 1994, more than $400,000 from the Leonard P. Roberts Scholarship Fund has been provided to 200 students to assist them in their educational pursuits.

Culture Works is pleased to offer scholarships to students who demonstrate participation in and patronage of the arts. Candidates must be graduating high school seniors living in the Dayton Region (Butler, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, or Warren County) or college students at any level who live in and attend college in the Dayton Region. Priority will be given to students majoring in arts disciplines, business, and engineering; however, all majors may apply. Scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,000 - $4,000.

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Be a graduating high school senior living in the Dayton Region (Butler, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, or Warren County); OR be a college student living in and attending school in the Dayton Region
Plan to be a full-time student for the entire upcoming academic year
Demonstrate participation in the arts
Have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA

How to Apply:

The deadline to apply for 2022-2023 academic year scholarships through The Dayton Foundation's ScholarshipCONNECT has passed. Applicants will receive notification of their award status in June 2022.

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

INVEST IN THE ARTS TODAY

Support the Arts

APPLY FOR FUNDING

ARTS RENEWAL GRANTS

COMMUNITY ARTS GRANTS

SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTS

ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

DAYTON REGION ARTS RENEWAL GRANTS

COMMUNITY ARTS GRANTS

FAQS

What is the source of the funding used to provide Community Arts Grants?

How are funding decisions made?

Why does Culture Works use an outcomes-based grantmaking process?

Is there a precedent for this kind of grantmaking process?

Who serves on the panel?

How are grant applications scored?

Why are organizations required to support the annual Campaign for the Arts in order to apply for Community Arts Grant funding?

2022-2023 Community Arts Grant Timeline

Friday, December 31, 2021

January-May 2022

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Friday, April 8, 2022

TBD

Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 9am-1:30pm via Zoom (Public session begins at 9:30am)

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Mid-July 2022

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTS

ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS

About the Program

PROGRAM GOALS

2021-2022 Timeline

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

EVALUATION CRITERIA

THE REVIEW PROCESS

RESOURCES FOR APPLICANTS

LEONARD P. ROBERTS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

How to Apply:

INVEST IN THE ARTS TODAY

Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 9am-1:30pm via Zoom
(Public session begins at 9:30am)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTS