MAINE ARTS RECOVERY PROGRAM

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)

Grants will be approved on October 23, 2009.

The maximum grant amount is $10,000.

The second round of this competitive grant program is again presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, and offers funds to subsidize the preservation of jobs within nonprofit arts organizations. These stimulus dollars are designated to help arts organizations as well as Maine’s creative workers in all genres of the arts.

Organizations that have suffered critical staffing cuts or can provide proof that an important existing position is in jeopardy, or have compelling reasons why the retention of a creative worker is vital to the health of the organization, may apply for this grant. This includes the employment or commissioning of creative workers to make work in support of an organization’s mission only when the initiative can show that it is in long-term planning stages. No funds will be made available for the creation of new or previously unscheduled work.

This is the second round of grants from the Maine Arts Recovery program. The same terms apply to this round; most notably applicants must have had a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts or Maine Arts Commission since 2005, and no applications will be accepted for development staff. As this is a second round of grants there are some important additional stipulations:

Applicants who were not funded in the first round can request that their original applications be considered again.
Applicants that were not funded in the first round can apply for a new position.
Applicants who were funded in the first round can reapply for a different position.
Any new organization that fits the requirements can apply.

Additional Applicant Eligibility

Applications will be accepted by any free standing professional arts organization which meets the following stipulations:

They are a nonprofit and legally established in Maine.
They have tax exempt status 501(c)(3) from the Internal Revenue Service.
The organization promotes, presents, produces and/or teaches visual, performing literary or traditional art(s) as its primary purpose.
They have completed and filed all final reports required for previously awarded Maine Arts Commission grants. A record of consistent tardiness with final reports may jeopardize an organization’s ability to receive a grant under the Maine Arts Recovery Act.

Remember! Applicants are required to have had a successful grant with the Maine Arts Commission or the National Endowment for the Arts since 2005.

Maine Arts Recovery funds are offered to assist with the recovery or retention of specific positions, not specific individuals. The Maine Arts Commission does not require the grantee to justify who it wishes to employ, however; priority will be given to positions that may be held by a practicing artist. Please note that development positions are not eligible for federal funds under this or any of our granting programs.

Additionally, as Maine has one of the largest ‘graying’ populations (15% of Maine’s population is 65 or older and a considerable number of Maine residents are retirees,) applicants are encouraged to retain employment for elders as part of this program. The agency is happy to offer information regarding Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act/Employment and the Age Discrimination Act in Employment of 1967 upon request.

Review Process

The Executive Committee of Maine Arts Commission and other qualified members of the public, as needed, will serve as the review committee for the Maine Arts Recovery program. The Committee’s recommendations will be presented to the full Maine Arts Commission for approval of the selection process at its next regularly scheduled meeting on October 23, 2009.

Review Criteria

All grant proposals are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

Evidence that the applicant is a quality, free-standing, nonprofit arts organization that promotes, presents and/or produces visual, performing, literary or traditional art(s) as its primary purpose.
Extent to which the applicant clearly describes importance and essential nature of the position or contract it is seeking to retain or reinstate and how that position or contract relates to the organization’s infrastructure as a whole.
Clear, concrete and compelling evidence of the climate that led to the loss or potential loss of a position.
Articulation of the impact that these circumstances will have on the administrative and artistic goals of the organization, as well as the well being of the arts in Maine.

Reporting Burden

Both the State of Maine and the Federal Government through the National Endowment for the Arts are requiring stringent, swift and transparent reporting on all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) activities of which the Maine Arts Recovery program is part. The Federal Government’s Office of Management and Budget is providing guidance concerning specific grant terms as well as reporting requirements and the State of Maine has already established an ARRA Fraud Hotline.

Although not all details of that reporting have been announced as of yet, if given an award it is essential that you to keep copies of all receipts, contracts and any other paperwork related to this grant and anticipate filing all report documents in a timely manner. In addition to the standard final report, recipients of any ARRA funds will be required to provide quarterly reports that measure such things as basic metrics about each funded position (e.g., number of hours worked, type of job, salary or fee) and information on the organization in which each position is being preserved (e.g., geographic location, type of organization). More information will be provided with grant contracts once an award is made.

Required Application Materials

Please do not submit work in elaborate file folders or packaging. Make copies of all application materials for your records prior to submitting them.

eGRANT Application
You will upload all supporting documents (with exception to video, audio or images) through eGRANT.
Operating Budgets
From the last two completed fiscal years. Also include the working budget for the cycle you're in and indicate any reductions that have made the job losses necessary. Use the Budget Work Sheet field to upload these documents.
Letters of Support
One or two from community members. Upload as indicated.
Job Description
Full job description as outlined in application narrative. Use the resume field in eGRANT to upload this document.
Documentation
Evidence that might include board meeting minutes, revised budget figures, correspondence directly with staff member(s) involved, press accounts, etc. Use the third Letter of Support field to upload these documents.
Application Narrative (form below)
Clear, specific responses to each of the project description statements, addressed sequentially and numbered. Responses can not exceed three pages. The project description is the central element of the grant request. Upload as indicated.
Assurances Form (form below)
With an original signature of an authorizing official. Please mark with name of applicant.
Vendor Form (form below)
This is information used by the Treasury to generate a check if the grant is awarded. Applicants should be sure to indicate the address the check should be sent to. You must mail form with your signature to our office. Faxed copies are not accepted.

STOP!

Each Applicant must speak with Kathy Ann Shaw, senior development associate and accessibility coordinator. kathy.shaw@maine.go, 207/287-2750 or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878 User ID: kathy.shaw, about the project before submitting an application. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.

Print out the section titled Required Application Materials for instructions on uploading specific documents using the Maine Arts Commission’s eGRANT system. Because this is a one time grant program, we are asking you to use the fields to upload files in a different manner. If you have trouble uploading any of the digital documents you may simply clearly mark them and email to arts.clerical@maine.gov.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to apply through the Maine Arts Commission e-GRANT system. E-GRANT will accept applications until 11:59 pm, E.S.T., however; agency staff is only available to answer questions until 5:00 pm, E.S.T. Because of the volume of e-GRANT submissions on the day of any grant deadline, we strongly recommend you give yourself a 24 hour buffer.

Applicants who are unable to apply through e-GRANT must contact Kathy Ann Shaw at 207/287-2750, 877/887-3878 TTY/NexTalk User ID: kathy.shaw or kathy.shaw@maine.gov to discuss an alternative prior to applying. Alternative submissions will not be accepted without prior authorization.

The agency will not accept late or incomplete applications under any circumstance.

Accessible Print Symbol Grant information is available in large print format by request. All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.

Apply Now!

Maine Arts Recovery Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Application eGRANT	Assurances (PDF)	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative