The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is pleased to release the guidelines for its FY20 grant programs! These funding opportunities include:

  • Regional Initiative Grants encourage and support small community arts-based projects that are relevant to a community's current society, culture, and trends and are a good fit for applicants that have a project that targets a specific community matter, reflects on personal experience(s), and/or brings neighborhoods together. Applicants may request $1,000 up to $4,000.

  • Arts Project Grants encourage and support arts-based projects of artistic excellence that are aligned with COA's READI framework. Applicants may request $5,000 up to $15,000.

  • Supporting Arts Grants provide general operating support to help support Connecticut's arts organizations and municipal arts departments as they pursue their mission. Funding allocations are made according to organizational budget size starting at $1,000 up to $15,000.

  • Arts Learning: Presentation Grants provide funding for exposure to the arts through field trips (within CT), school or classroom visits, performance(s), informance(s), and/or lecture demonstrations by artists, artist groups, or arts providers. Applicants may request $500 up to $1,000.

  • Arts Learning: HOT Approach Integration Grants are for K-12 schools only and are tied to professional development focused on improving school conditions and student achievement through effective practices in standards-based arts education, arts integration, school culture change, and leadership development. Grant amounts are $3,000, $5,000, and $10,000.

  • Good to Great Grants provide funding for capital projects initiated by non-profit arts, cultural, and historic organizations that connect art, history, and tourism in ways that enhance and transform the visitors' experience of an arts/cultural venue or historical site. Applicants may request $25,000 up to $150,000.

  • ARTE-accesible Grants (Spanish, pronounced Ar Teh Ock Seh See Bleh) provide funding to support proposals that enhance program offerings and provide greater participation in and understanding of the arts by people of all abilities. Applicants may request $500 up to $3,000.

  • Artist Fellowships are competitive grants to encourage the continuing development of Connecticut artists. These grants provide support for artists to pursue new work and achieve specific creative and career goals. Grant amounts are $1,000, $3,000, and $5,000.

See below for more information on each program!
REGIONAL INITIATIVE (REGI) GRANTS

The Regional Initiative (REGI) grant program  encourages and supports small arts-based projects that are relevant to a community's current society, culture and trends. REGI is a good fit for applicants that have a small arts-based project that targets a specific community matter, reflects on personal experience(s), and/or projects that bring neighborhoods together. REGI grants must be aligned with COA's READI framework.

Grant requests must range between $1,000 - $4,000.

Eligible Applicants:
  • Connecticut Artist - may apply independently or with a fiscal sponsor
  • Creative Entrepreneur - may apply independently or with a fiscal sponsor
  • Curator/Event Planner - may apply independently or with a fiscal sponsor
  • Arts Organization with 501(c)(3) status or with a fiscal sponsor
  • 501(c)(3) non-arts organization with a history of offering publicly accessible arts-based program(s) or project(s)projects 
  • School District or Individual PK-12 School
  • Library
  • College / University

Guidelines: PDF
Application Deadline: on or before 11:59 pm, Saturday, June 1, 2019
Funding Period: October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020

Applicants should visit REGI's webpage for additional information and how to apply.
ARTS PROJECT GRANTS

The  Arts Project grant program  encourages and supports arts-based projects of artistic excellence that are aligned with COA's READI framework.

Grant requests must range between $5,000 - $15,000.

Eligible Applicants:
  • Connecticut Artist - must apply with a fiscal sponsor OR apply using their legal business entity
  • Arts Organization with 501(c)(3) status or with a fiscal sponsor
  • 501(c)(3) non-arts organization with a history of offering publicly accessible arts-based program(s) or project(s)projects 
  • Municipal Department
  • School District
  • College / University

Guidelines: PDF
Application Deadline: on or before 11:59 pm, Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Funding Period: October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020

Applicants should visit Arts Project's webpage for additional information and how to apply.

Interested applicants are encouraged to register for the Arts Project webinar to take place on Thursday, April 25, 2019 from 3 - 4 pm. Register here .
SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

The  Supporting Arts grant program  provides unrestricted funding to help support Connecticut's arts organizations and municipal arts departments as they pursues their mission. This type of grant is flexible rather than for specific projects or programs and gives the grantee the ability to use the funds where they are most needed.

An applicant must be either an Arts Organization or a Municipal Arts Department. Please review the definition of and required criteria for an arts organization and an municipal arts department on the program's webpage.

* First-time applicants to the Supporting Arts program are required to confirm eligibility by contacting Rhonda Olisky .

Funding allocations are made according to organizational budget size:

$1,000 - Micro: Organizational budget of $1,000 and below $30,000
$3,000 - Small: Organizational budget of $30,000 and below $100,000 
$7,000 - Mid-Size A: Organizational budget of $100,000 and below $500,000
$12,500 - Mid-Size B: Organizational budget over $500,000 and below $1.5 M 
$15,000 - Large: Organizational budget over $1.5 million 

Guidelines: PDF
Application deadline: on or before 11:59 pm, Friday, June 28, 2019
Funding Period: October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020

Applicants should visit Supporting Arts webpage for additional information and how to apply.
ARTS LEARNING: HOT APPROACH IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

The Arts Learning program is designed to provide access to arts experiences and to encourage K-12 schools to advance along a Continuum of Practice to provide deeper and more impactful arts learning experiences that contribute to improving student achievement through a well-rounded education.

Ensuring all students have access to a holistic well-rounded education is central to the Federal Education Law: Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). Two of the three purposes of ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program (Title IV part a.) are to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, and to improve school conditions as a means of improving academic achievement. The arts are identified as a defined component of a well-rounded education.  

COA’s HOT Approach to teaching and learning originally designed as a whole-school improvement model, supports and nurtures a safe learning environment and well-rounded education through standards-based arts education, arts integration, and democratic practice. 
 
  • HOT Approach Implementation Grants are for K-12 schools only and are tied to professional development focused on improving school conditions and student achievement through effective practices in standards-based arts education, arts integration, school culture change, and leadership development.

K-12 Schools interested in applying for a HOT Approach Implementation Grant are required to send a team to two (2) professional development sessions on Friday, April 26 & Saturday, April 27 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell, CT.
 
Team Descriptions & Funding Levels:
  • Grade Level Teams consist of 3-5 teachers of the same grade level. Grade Level Teams may apply for a grant up to $3,000.
  • School Teams consist of the principal and 3-5 teachers, including at least one (1) arts discipline teacher. School Teams may apply for a grant up to $5,000.
  • District Leadership Teams consist of the superintendent, assistant superintendent and/or director of curriculum, at least one (1) arts administrator, and a leadership team* of representatives from one or more schools in the district (*leadership team must have a minimum of five (5) individuals). District Leadership Teams may apply for a grant up to $10,000.

K-12 Teams, described above, may include an educator from a 501(c)(3) arts or cultural organization with which a school plans to partner for a grant proposal and become a Community Team. Community Teams may request an additional $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 respectively.

Individuals are welcome to attend the professional development sessions but will not be eligible to apply for a HOT Approach Implementation Grant.

For additional information on the Arts Learning program or if you have questions, contact Bonnie Koba.
GOOD TO GREAT GRANT PROGRAM

The Good to Great program provides funding for capital projects initiated by non-for-profit arts, cultural, and historic organizations that connect art, history and tourism in ways that enhance and transform the visitors' experience of an arts/cultural venue or historical site. This program seeks applications that look beyond basic facilities repair, rehabilitation, or expansion. Strong applications will include new means of sharing and telling the stories of our state’s rich history and culture in engaging, meaningful, and relevant ways. Funding will be prioritized for collaborative projects that demonstrate a clear vision of how individual sites and organizations can effectively tie together local, regional, or statewide cultural assets in ways that demonstrate measurable movement from “good” to “great”. Applicants may request $25,000 up to $150,000.

Interested applicants must submit a Letter of Interest via email to Todd Levine on or before 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 1, 2019.

Guidelines: PDF

Applicants should visit the Good to Great webpage for additional information.   
ARTS LEARNING: PRESENTATION GRANTS

Arts Learning: Presentation Grants provide funding for exposure to the arts through field trips (within CT), school or classroom visits, performance(s), and/or lecture demonstrations by artists, artist groups or arts providers. Presenting organizations may apply for funding up to $1,000. Guidelines coming soon!

For additional information on Arts Learning: Presentation Grants or if you have questions, contact Bonnie Koba .
ARTE-accesible GRANT PROGRAM

The guidelines for the FY20 ARTE-accesible grant program (Spanish, pronounced Ar Teh Ock Seh See Bleh) will be released in early May 2019 with a deadline in September 2019 for a January 1, 2020 - December 30, 2020 funding period.
ARTIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The guidelines for the FY20 Artist Fellowship program will be released in early May 2019 with a deadline in August 2019 for a January 1, 2020 – December 30, 2020 funding period.

The results of the FY19 Artist Fellowship Program will be announced in mid-April 2019!
*All grants funds are dependent on state and federal annual appropriations as allotted by the Governor, the Connecticut General Assembly, and the National Endowment for the Arts, therefore, all grant monies are contingent on availability.
READI FRAMEWORK

The Connecticut Office of the Arts uses the lenses of Relevance, Equity, Access, Diversity and Inclusion to guide programmatic and investment decisions within the framework of artistic excellence.



2019 CONNECTICUT ARTS HERO AWARDS
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
6 pm
Infinity Music Hall, Hartford


2019 CONNECTICUT ARTS DAY
Thursday, May 2, 2019
9:00 am
College Street Music Hall, New haven


Registration Opening Soon!