How can we get fund capital projects?

Good to Great 2.0 provides grants of up to $500,000 to fund capital projects for nonprofit arts, cultural, or history organizations that connect art, history, and tourism to enhance visitors' experience of an arts or cultural venue and/or historic site. Funded through Public Act 14-98, Good to Great grants are intended for capital projects. Funding will be prioritized for projects that demonstrate a clear vision of how individual sites and organizations can effectively tie together local, regional, or statewide cultural assets in ways that demonstrate measurable movement from “good” to “great”.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations that own or operate an arts/cultural venue or historic site in Connecticut and that promote the art, culture and/or history of the state. While organizations of all sizes are eligible, we particularly encourage small to medium-sized organizations with an operating budget of under $500,000 to apply for these funds, as a portion of total allocated funds will be reserved for this constituency.

Program Goals:

The goals of the Good to Great program are to fund capital* project that:

• Link art, culture, history and preservation in ways that will enhance and transform the visitor experiences of cultural and historical sites.
• Look beyond basic facilities repair or expansion and consider engaging, meaningful, and relevant ways to share Connecticut stories, which can include innovative means of delivery.
• Demonstrate an awareness of start tourism goals and include a clear marketing plan on how to connect the two.
• Expand opportunities for small to medium-sized 501(c)3 cultural organizations.
• Support organizations that seek to expand, and enhance the promotion of arts, culture, and/or history of Connecticut.
• Increase public awareness of and/or visitation to arts, culture and history organizations in Connecticut.

For the purposes of the Good to Great program, "capital" projects must either create new, or improve on existing property of the organization. Materials or products that are "used and consumed" are not capital expenses. Examples of capital improvements include: construction of an ADA accessible entrance to a building, rehabilitating an underutilized space and putting it back in service for the public, or restoring historic fabric in a manner that follows the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Resources.

How to Apply:

We are not accepting applications at this time. Information about the next cycle will be updated on this page when it becomes available. Please check back.