Grants are the primary vehicle by which the Vermont Arts Council supports artists, organizations, communities, and schools. Please note that grants are highly competitive. The following Council priorities are addressed through grants:
- Creation of new work;
- Support for learning in and through the arts;
- Creation or strengthening of collaborations between the arts community and other organizations/agencies;
- Employment of Vermont artists;
- Advancement of the cultural development of towns and regions;
- Development of new participants and audiences for the arts;
- Outreach to underserved populations such as at-risk families, elders, ethnic and minority communities, people with various disabilities, or rural communities;
- Exposure to new or little seen art forms;
- Strengthening of arts organization management or artistic capacity to better serve their constituents;
- Professional development for artists and educators.
Applications should be artistically strong and should address one or more of the Council's overall goals, which are to:
- Increase opportunities for everyone in Vermont to experience and/or participate in the arts;
- Educate policy makers and the general public about the benefits of investing in Vermont communities through the arts.
Maximum amount vary. See specific categories for details.
Any Vermont organization with not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS that is governed by a board of directors that meets regularly to set policy, or any public agency, municipality, or educational institution, that:
- Is registered in Vermont;
- Has been in existence and conducting programs for at least one year prior to application deadline;
- Complies with all the Legal and Other Requirements;
- Has submitted all required reports on any prior Council grants.
PLEASE NOTE : Generally, an applicant may submit one application per deadline, but may receive Grant funding only once in that grant year. Some programs vary; refer to the specific guidelines for more information. An artist, organization, education institution, or municipality submitting their own application may also participate in or collaborate on other applications, but may not be the primary grant recipient for more than one application per grant year.
Not-for-profit organizations in neighboring states that can demonstrate significant benefit to Vermont artists and/or audiences are eligible to apply for Grants provided that, except for being registered in Vermont, they meet the conditions listed above.
Individuals who:
- Have been residents of Vermont for a minimum of one year prior to the application deadline, and are residents at the time the award is granted. See Residence Requirements;
- Are 18 years of age or older at the time of application;
- Are not enrolled as full time-students at the time of application or during the grant period;
- Have submitted all required reports on any prior Council grants.
Individual artists, education institutions, agencies of state or local governments, not-for-profit organizations and artist groups with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status may apply directly without using a fiscal agent. Artists and artist groups applying for Artist Development funding may also apply directly. Organizational applicants and artist groups who lack not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status, must identify a Vermont 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, municipality, or public agency to serve as a fiscal agent. (See Fiscal Agent Form - you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.)
Typically, fiscal agents are cultural institutions, such as presenters, community arts centers, arts councils, performing and visual arts organizations, government agencies, historical societies, museums, and not-for-profit galleries. The fiscal agent becomes the legal applicant of record, redistributes the funds to the intended recipient, and is entirely responsible for all published requirements of the grants program. These include contracts, revised budgets, fiscal records and reports.
Fiscal agents may not impose a fee on an organization or artist for serving as a fiscal agent. However, organizations may charge for services if a project receives funding. Such fees generally range from 5-7% and should rarely exceed 10% of the total grant award. The level of payment should be compatible with the extent of the services provided to the organization or artist by the fiscal agent.
Organizations and individuals seeking a fiscal agent may contact the Council for possible recommendations. The Council recommends that a fiscal agent enter into a formal agreement with the group implementing the project, outlining the working relationship between the two parties. A sample Letter of Agreement is available from the Council.
- Academic tuition;
- Activities in which artists are not appropriately compensated;
- Construction of new facilities, renovation of existing facilities, or other capital improvements;
- Deficits and debts incurred from past activities;
- Events that present faculty members on the campus of their own institutions;
- Events which are predominantly religious or sectarian;
- Events whose sponsors are not in compliance with the Requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
- Food and beverages;
- For-profit organizations;
- Fundraising events;
- International travel (airline tickets);
- Lobbying expenses;
- General organizational operating support;
- Private events to which the public is not invited;
- Purchase of permanent equipment.
All grants require a 1:1 non-federal cash match, with the exception of Creation Grants and in the case of applicants who are serving Underserved Constituents (see below). Applicants may request up to 50% of the cash expenses of the project. PLEASE NOTE: the amount requested may not exceed the maximum allowed under each grant program or fall below the minimum. Requests that are below the minimum will not be eligible for consideration. For example, Artist Development applicants must have minimum cash expenses of $500 in order to be eligible for the minimum grant award of $250.
In-kind contributions cannot be counted as match for a grant award, except in the case of underserved constituents projects.
The only exception to the 1:1 cash match (see above) is made for:
- Applicants who are applying for funding for a project, in which the main focus is to reach underserved populations such as at-risk families, elders, ethnic and minority communities, people with various disabilities, and/or rural communities.
- Applicants who can make a clear case for reaching one or more of these underserved populations. These applicants may request up to 2/3 of the cash expenses as long as the applicant can provide a well-documented in-kind match of an amount equivalent to at least 1/3 of the cash expenses.
- For example, an applicant has cash expenses of $7,500 and the Council awards a grant of $5,000 (2/3 of the cash expenses). The applicant must demonstrate at least $2,500 (1/3 of the cash expenses) in cash match and $2,500 of in-kind match, for total project expenses of $10,000. In-kind contributions must be well documented and described.
EXAMPLES:
50% (Non-Federal Cash) 50% (Council grant) = 100% (Total Project Cash Expenses)
| Expenses: |
|
| Total Cash Expenses |
$1,000 |
| |
|
| Anticipated Income: |
|
| Total Private Contributions |
$ 300 |
| Applicant Cash |
$ 200 |
| Council Grant Requested |
$ 500 |
| Total Cash Income |
$1,000 |
An Underserved Grant:
Applicant contribution = 37.5% (Non-Federal Cash)
12.5% (In-kind contribution) 50% (Council grant) =100%
(Use worksheet for Underserved Constituents on Budget page of Application.)
| Expenses: |
|
| Cash |
$ 750 |
| In-Kind |
$ 250 |
| Total Expenses |
$1000 |
| |
|
| Anticipated Income: |
|
| Applicant Cash |
$ 250 |
| Council Grant Requested |
$ 500 |
| In-kind Contributions |
$ 250 |
| Total Income |
$1,000 |
Seventy-five percent (75%) of the grant amount will be paid to the grantee after the Council receives the signed contract and any outstanding reports due from previous grants. The remaining twenty-five percent (25%) will be sent after the final report is received.
Final reports are due 30 days after completion of the activity for which the grant was awarded. These reports are essential to the Council's accountability to public and private funding sources and should be submitted in a timely manner. All awards and payment schedules are subject to the availability of state, federal, and private funds. In addition to the signed contract, the Council may also require the submission of a contract or letter of agreement between the applicant and the proposed artist or consultant prior to the release of grant funds.
Upon arrival at the Council office, applications are sorted into program categories. Review panels, representing relevant disciplines, evaluate applications in each category according to the degree to which the applicant meets the criteria listed above and within each category.
Travel/Technical Assistance, Artist Development, American Masterpieces, Mini-Presentation and Teaching Artist Residency Grants applications are reviewed by a panel of staff.
The Council reserves the right to reject incomplete applications. Applications missing any of the following items will not be reviewed.
- Application narrative
- Completed budget
- Artistic support materials where applicable
- Fiscal Agent where applicable
- Copy of IRS 501(c)3 tax exempt letter
- Signature of individual(s) authorized to commit the parties to the project
- Contract or letter of agreement with artists and/or consultant (if applicable)
Applications missing other components such as required attachments or signatures may fare poorly in the review process.
See each grant category for specific deadlines and instructions.