Grant Requirements
EMPOWER awards may be used for a wide variety of operational and program costs, such as:
- Staff salaries
- Payments to contracted artistic, technical, or administrative professionals
- Telephone, shipping, and postage costs
- Space rental and occupancy costs, including maintenance, security, insurance, and utilities
- Printing, advertising, and marketing costs
- Evaluation services and documentation, including photos, video, audio, and collecting statistical information
- Travel and registration expenses for staff and/or volunteers to attend relevant local, regional, or national industry events, such as conferences, workshops, retreats, and clinics
- 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
- Eliminating or reducing existing debt
- Benefits, fundraisers, 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) and must follow the rules they set. Funded programs must occur in ADA-compliant spaces. If they don't, you may be ineligible for funding.
Credit DECD's Office of the Arts in all appropriate marketing, publicity, and informational materials, including press releases, brochures, and adds. Download our logos.
Comply with the Connecticut Office of the Arts Overview Guidelines
Submit a Final Report within 30 days after the funding period ends.