Supporting Arts Grant Program

Eligible Expenses

Supporting Arts grants provide funds that may be used for a wide-variety of operational and program functions including but not limited to:

  • Staff Salaries
  • Payments to contracted artistic, technical or administrative professionals
  • Telephone, shipping and postage costs
  • Space rental; occupancy costs (maintenance, security, insurance, utilities, etc.)
  • Printing, advertising and marketing costs
  • Evaluation services and documentation (photo, video, audio, collection of statistical information, etc.)
  • Travel and conference registration expenses for staff and/or volunteers to attend local, regional or national relevant industry conferences, workshops, retreats, clinics, etc.
  • Production costs
  • Materials and supplies

Grant funds cannot be used for:

  • Expenses incurred outside of the funding period
  • Brick and mortar or capital improvements/construction
  • Elimination or reduction of existing debt
  • Benefits, fund-raisers and social events
  • Scholarship assistance for academic or non-academic programs
  • Political contributions
  • Lobbying activities
  • Legal fees
  • Religious programming, activities or paraphernalia
  • Expenses for programs that occur in spaces that are not ADA compliant*

* The Connecticut Office of the Arts grants funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), therefore, we are obligated to follow the rules set forth by them.  Supporting Arts grant funds cannot be used for Expenses for public programs that occur in spaces that are not ADA compliant.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all programs and facilities meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and are accessible to the widest number of people.  It is the applicant's responsibility to work to remove barriers that may block accessibility. This includes addressing structural, programmatic, communication and attitudinal barriers that keep people with disabilities from fully participating in arts programs.

If your facilities for presenting public programs or the facilities you use for presenting public programs (i.e. rented, leased, donated space) do not meet any one of the standards of the ADA, you are not in compliance and may be ineligible for funding.  For more information, visit the NEA's Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity.