How can we use Supporting Arts Grant funds?

Supporting Arts 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 or activities that occur in spaces that are not ADA-compliant*
  
  *The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) grants funds received from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and must follow their funding requirements.  The Supporting Arts program is funded, in part, by funds received from the NEA.  Therefore, if your organization offers a program or activity and that program or activity is fully or partially supported by these grant funds, the program or activity must be ADA-compliant.  If not, then you may be ineligible for funding and both the National Endowment for the Arts and the CT Office of the Arts has authority to suspend and/or terminate funding.