BUILDING CULTURAL DIVERSITY

FUNDING FOR ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING CULTURALLY DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS

Cultural diversity creates a rich and varied world. It increases the range of choices and perspectives, nurtures human capacities and allows individuals and peoples to express and share their ideas and values. The OAC believes communities are strengthened by the presence of arts experiences that reflect the viewpoints of Ohioans from all backgrounds and traditions. The Building Cultural Diversity program provides support to arts and community organizations whose mission, programs, staff and board are rooted in culturally specific communities and that offer Ohio citizens the opportunity to experience a full and vibrant cultural life. Organizations must provide artistic, educational and cultural value that is responsive to the needs of their community and has identified strategies for planning, evaluation and management. A flexible application and staff review process helps Building Cultural Diversity applicants succeed as they develop new skills and contribute to the vitality of the arts in Ohio.

Application Deadline: June 1
(Additional deadlines on September 1, December 1 and March 1, or until all funds are expended. The grant activity may start no sooner than six weeks after the application deadline.)

• What the Program Supports
• Who May Apply
• How to Apply
• Review Criteria

View a list of application questions for Building Cultural Diversity.

View a list of Building Cultural Diversity FAQs.

WHAT THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS

The Building Cultural Diversity (BCD) program provides grants to Ohio’s culturally diverse arts organizations whose mission, activities, staff and board are rooted in culturally specific communities. BCD grants can be used for continuing programming or project support, or for the short-term professional development of arts administrators within those culturally diverse organizations. The OAC supports this work by providing current information and resources when appropriate; maintaining a searchable database of screened consultants; and remaining as flexible as possible with our assistance. Members of the OAC staff are available to assist grant applicants throughout the application process.

Allowable Expenses
OAC funds may be used for a wide variety of expenses incurred in the general operation or programming of an organization. Examples of allowable expenses include: artist fees, training or workshop costs, consultant fees, strategic planning, marketing and evaluation and assessment costs. Please refer to the Funding Restrictions section of OAC Guidelines for a list of activities OAC cannot fund.

Grant Awards
BCD applicants may request up to $3,000. Actual grant award amounts are recommended by a panel of OAC staff members and will vary from year to year according to the availability of OAC funds.

All BCD grants require a 50 percent match of the OAC request, half of which may be from allowable, appropriate in-kind donations. Applicants should discuss the source of their in-kind donations with Jim Szekacs prior to submitting their application to make sure the in-kind support is appropriate and listed correctly.

WHO MAY APPLY

Culturally diverse arts, cultural, community-based and social service organizations doing arts programming whose mission, programs, staff and board are representative of the Black/African, Appalachian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, or other culturally specific populations may apply to this program. All applicants must have nonprofit status or nonprofit intent.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants to the BCD program must have:

• At least 50 percent of their staff and 50 percent of their board comprised of individuals from one or more culturally specific populations, AND
• A focus on the arts and culture of one or more culturally specific populations.

Organizations may receive only one Building Cultural Diversity grant per year. Organizations that receive Sustainability or Arts Access support are ineligible for funding through the BCD program. Please contact Jim Szekacs at the OAC if you have questions about your organization’s eligibility.

HOW TO APPLY

Please refer to the Grant Process for Organizations section of the OAC Guidelines for a step-by-step guide to the entire process of applying for and managing an OAC grant.

Application Basics
All applications to the BCD program must be submitted via the OAC’s OnLine Grant Application system (OLGA). No paper applications are accepted.

Organizations applying for a BCD grant must notify Jim Szekacs of their intent to apply. Organizations are also strongly encouraged to discuss their application with Jim Szekacs. This will help the applicant develop a well-conceived, well-written proposal that increases the organization’s chances of successfully competing with other applicants.

Applicants must submit their application electronically via OLGA by 5 p.m. on the final deadline date. If the application is not submitted electronically, it will not be accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to the primary contact listed in the application) when your application is received. For assistance with OLGA, call the help desk at 614/728-4449 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or e-mail olgahelpdesk@oac.state.oh.us.

Support Materials
To complete an application for this program, applicants must submit one set of support materials in hard copy form to the OAC. Applications that do not include support materials will not be accepted.

Each OAC grant program has specific support material requirements. To learn which materials are required for this program, as well as other materials that are optional but may strengthen your application, refer to the Support Materials Grid for Organizations of the OAC Guidelines.

The signature page and support materials must be received in the OAC office by 5 p.m. seven calendar days following the final application deadline date (regardless of postmarked date). If the signature page and support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to your primary contact person) when your support materials are received.

Timeline
The timeline below presents a general outline of the grant process for the Building Cultural Diversity program.

Evaluation and Scoring
A panel of OAC staff members evaluates and scores BCD grant applications and support materials. These reviews are not open to the public; however, program coordinators will report on the panel’s comments about an organization’s application if requested.

At the panel meeting, an evaluative discussion will take place for each application. Following the review, each application will be scored based on how well it meets the review criteria. This score, along with a funding recommendation, will be presented to the OAC executive director and deputy director for their review and approval.

The review process is competitive; not all applications are funded. Due to limited funding, small, emerging and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations may be given funding priority.

Review Criteria

Applicants will be given a numerical score based on how well their application meets the criteria in the following evaluation categories: 1) Artistic/Educational/Cultural Value; 2) Community Participation and Accessibility; 3) Planning, Evaluation and Documentation; and 4) Organizational and Financial Management. Evidence of meeting the criteria will be found in the application’s narrative, budget information, support materials and website. There is a maximum of 100 points across the four categories:

Evaluation Criteria

Artistic/Educational/Cultural Value
The highest score for this category is 30 points.

• Applicant's activities demonstrate artistic, educational and/or cultural value for the community being served;
• Applicant's artistic, educational or cultural activities advance the organization's mission;
• Applicant describes how its activities and programs authentically represent the arts and culture of one or more culturally specific populations.

Community Participation and Accessibility
The highest score for this category is 30 points.

• Applicant understands and is responsive to the diverse needs and interests of the community;
• Applicant has described steps to increase participation in its activities or programs, including participation by people of culturally specific populations and people with disabilities;
• Applicant's working relationships within the community strengthen the organization's ability to carry out its activities.

Planning and Evaluation
The highest score for this category is 20 points.

• Applicant engages in planning and has clearly defined goals;
• Applicant involves community members, volunteers and artists in planning and evaluation;
• Applicant has described how they intend to evaluate the impact of program activities on the community.

Organizational and Financial Management
The highest score for this category is 20 points.

• Applicant demonstrates awareness of strengths and the capacity to complete the proposed project or programming;
• Applicant's budget is realistic and aligns with the narrative;
• Applicant's budget reflects a broad base of revenue and support from earned, unearned and in-kind sources;
• If applicable, applicant has a plan to reduce any accumulated deficit.