Eligibility

Who can apply for a Supporting Arts Grant?

Arts organizations and municipal arts departments can apply for this grant. Use the following information to determine whether you can apply.

Arts organizations

Your organization is eligible if it is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that:

1. Has the arts explicitly stated as a center part of its core mission, vision, focus, and legal purpose, and
2. Has at least 51 percent of its annual expenditures allocated specifically to support arts activities, programming, or performances, and
3. Creates, performs, presents, or promotes arts activities, programs or services to the general public.  The arts include, but are not limited to, music, theater, dance, painting, sculpture, literature, films, and allied arts and crafts.

Your organization must also:

• Have minimum annual operating expenses of $5,000
• Have documentation of income and expenses for the organization's last completed fiscal year
• Be registered with the CT Secretary of the State to do business in Connecticut as a legal business entity and be in good standing
• Have an active Charitable Solicitation Registration with the CT Department of Consumer Protection
• Have Connecticut as its primary place of business and operations

If this is the FIRST TIME your organization has applied, please first send a copy of the organization's bylaws, articles of incorporation, and IRS determination letter to Rhonda Olisky at rhonda.olisky@ct.gov.

Municipal arts departments

Your municipal arts department is eligible if it’s a Connecticut municipal government entity, such as a Commission on the Arts, Department of Cultural Affairs, or other specifically designated office or entity, that has:

• An official designation to conduct and/or support arts programming and/or services for the residents of the municipality
• A dedicated allocation in the municipal budget for arts and cultural support, artistic programming, and/or services
• At least one (1) individual, employed by the municipality, who is responsible for the fiscal management and oversight of the arts budget, including the municipal allocation and outside funding sources (i.e. grants, private contributions)
• Minimum annual operating expenses of $1,000
• A council/committee of residents assigned to and responsible for conducting arts programming and/or services.

If this is the FIRST TIME your department has applied, please contact Rhonda Olisky at rhonda.olisky@ct.gov.

Which organizations are NOT eligible?

• Organizations with a fiscal sponsor. An arts organization must have its own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to apply for a Supporting Arts grant.
• Organizations that receive directed local funds (a.k.a., line items) in the State Budget
• Organizations allocated legislatively directed carry-forward funds in the FY24-25 Biennial State Budget
• Organizations allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds in the FY24-25 Biennial State Budget
• CT Office of the Arts Designated Regional Service Organizations

Which organizations MAY NOT be eligible?

The Connecticut Office of the Arts grants funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and must follow the rules they set. To receive this grant, your programs and facilities must meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and be accessible to the widest number of people. If they do not, you must be working 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. For more information, visit the NEA Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity.