For Immediate Release: March 20, 2009 Elaine Mariner, elaine.mariner@state.co.us, 303-892-3870 Revised 2009-10 Grants to Artists and Organizations Application Now Available Deadline April 23, 2009

Denver, CO (March 20, 2009) - The Colorado Council on the Arts has released the revised guidelines and online application for the 2009-10 Grants to Artists and Organizations (GAO) with a deadline for submission of April 23, 2009. Applicants can access the guidelines and application from the CCA web site at www.coloarts.org. Only online applications will be accepted.

The original March deadline for the 2009-2010 GAO grants was postponed until the CCA received confirmation of the agency’s fiscal year 2010 budget and further details about the National Endowment for the Arts regarding funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The revised guidelines replace the previously released guidelines in their entirety. 

Grants to Artists and Organizations (GAO) is CCA’s primary grant program. Through GAO awards, the Council partners with individuals, arts organizations, community groups, and municipal and state agencies to help achieve our mission and goals. A key aspect of the program is that applicants must have matching funding support from other sources, thus extending the impact of state dollars. Grants to Artists and Organizations are awarded annually on a competitive basis. Grant requests are reviewed by panels that make funding recommendations to the Council board. The review criteria are:

• Artistic excellence and merit of proposed activities;
• Community involvement and benefit from proposed activities; and
• Implementation capacity, such as effective planning, management, and budgeting of the project.

Several changes have been incorporated into the revised guidelines as a result of a 25% budget cut for CCA. Maximum grant requests are reduced from $25,000 to $18,000, the cash match requirement has been temporarily lowered, and grant applications will be reviewed by region. Potential applicants should read the guidelines for full details.

About NEA Recovery Funds
The Federal 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts for one-time funding directed at arts job preservation. A portion of these funds will be available directly from the NEA, and a portion will be available through the CCA. Applicants for a Grants to Artists and Organizations award may also apply directly to the NEA for Recovery funds. Similarly, applicants to GAO may also apply to the CCA for Recovery funds. However, applicants may only receive a single Recovery funds award from the NEA, CCA, or any other entity.

Guidelines for direct NEA Recovery funds are available at www.arts.gov. Guidelines for indirect Recovery funds through the CCA have not yet been published, however, eligibility will be restricted to nonprofit organizations or state or local agencies that have received a GAO or YouthReach award in fiscal years 2007 through 2010. Guidelines for the separate Recover funds application process should be posted to the CCA website at www.coloarts.org by the first of May.

For general information on Grants to Artists and Organization contact coloarts@state.co.us.