ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

APPLICATIONS FROM COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

All applications from colleges, universities and government agencies must:

1. Show how the applicant will involve the community outside the college, university or agency in planning or scheduling committees and in implementing the project.
2. Show how the project will be marketed to the general community beyond college or university students, faculty and staff or the agency.
3. Demonstrate a broad financial base of support and contain a cash match from other outside sources; that is, a match beyond staff time and overhead provided by the college, university or agency.

If the college, university, agency development office, or research foundation prohibits departments or programs from raising outside funds, the applicant must submit a statement of that policy signed by the development office along with the application. However, the OAC will continue to recommend that all applicants build a broad financial base for their projects and programs. Indirect costs may not be used to match OAC funds if a grant is awarded; they should not be shown in the cash section of the application. Indirect costs, if listed, should be shown only in the in-kind section of the application.

MULTIPLE PROJECTS

Only one Sustainability application per funding cycle will be accepted from any applicant; when seeking Sustainability funding, combine all programming and projects into one application. If you wish to apply for Sustainability but also are planning a one-time special project, you may submit an additional application for that activity to the appropriate program; however, you must first contact OAC staff. The OAC reserves the right to determine whether an application is for a special project or for ongoing, annual operations.

No organization with a budget of less than $1.5 million may receive more than $40,000 in a fiscal year through any combination of grants from the Sustainability and Project Support programs. This cap excludes additional funding from all other programs. Direct any questions to the OAC staff before you submit an application. If you submit more than one application, you may be required to submit a budget spreadsheet if the OAC staff has questions about the way income and expenses are divided among your various requests. If a spreadsheet is required, the OAC will contact you.

Unincorporated nonprofit groups and incorporated nonprofit organizations that lack administrative or fiscal capability should submit grant applications to the OAC through a fiscal agent. A fiscal agent is an incorporated, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that provides administrative and financial services. Individual artists may not apply through a fiscal agent. Choose an organization with a proven record of financial and administrative stability. Consult the OAC staff about your fiscal agent before submitting your application. You may not submit a proposal through a fiscal agent that employs the project’s coordinators or producers or includes them on its board.

The OAC reserves the authority to determine if an application qualifies as a fiscal agent project and if the representative organization qualifies as a fiscal agent. Based on the Guidelines that follow, the OAC staff will examine the application and support materials to verify that there is a legitimate fiscal agent relationship. The project coordinator and the fiscal agent organization must sign a letter of agreement or a contract that clearly details the legal responsibilities and obligations of each party. A copy of the signed agreement is required for any fiscal agent application and must be submitted by the application deadline for the appropriate program. You may want to consult an attorney when drawing up this agreement.

It is common practice for fiscal agent organizations to charge a fee, often a percentage of the anticipated income of the project. The fiscal agent fee should be included as an expense item in the project budget on the application. You may request OAC funds for all or part of the fiscal agent fee.

If a fiscal agent project is awarded an OAC grant, the grant agreement is made between the OAC and the fiscal agent, not the project coordinator. The fiscal agent is responsible for all OAC paperwork and reporting, including revised budgets, missing information letters, grant agreements, partial payment requests and final reports. If documents are prepared by the project coordinator, they must be reviewed and signed by the authorized official of the fiscal agent organization. Any correspondence regarding a fiscal agent-sponsored application or grant must be submitted either by the fiscal agent or jointly by the fiscal agent and the project producer or coordinator. The OAC strongly recommends that the fiscal agent maintain separate financial accounts for all projects it represents. The OAC will not act as an arbiter for disputes between the project coordinator and the fiscal agent organization. Project coordinators and organizations that are exploring a fiscal agent relationship may obtain information about the process from the OAC Office of Grants Administration & Operations.