Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund Round One
The Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund provides short-term financial relief to those in the arts, cultural and creative industries most impacted by state disaster declarations, natural disasters, and other forms of emergencies.
The program is administered by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Funding is made possible by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Applicants must adhere to the funding policies of the Iowa Arts Council.
State of Iowa Public Health Emergency Declaration
The Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund has been activated to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and Public Health Emergency Declaration in the State of Iowa issued by Governor Kim Reynolds on March 17, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its related effects have placed unprecedented strain on families, workers, and businesses across Iowa, including the arts and cultural community. Artists and contract workers engaged in producing art and arts and cultural events, in particular, are facing unprecedented loss of income due to widespread cancellation of events, residencies, and production contracts. Nonprofit organizations, particularly those dependent on revenue from admissions, ticket sales, and other sources of earned income, are another segment of the Iowa arts and cultural community especially hard-hit by this public health emergency.
Grants awarded through the Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund are intended to support those most impacted and vulnerable by serving as a bridge between severe financial loss and other state and federal public assistance.
Program Guidelines
Round One: April 13-17, 2020
Funding Categories
During the current funding round, the Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund grants will be made available to support Iowans in two categories:
- individual Iowa artists
- including working artists, musicians, filmmakers, teaching artists, production personnel, and arts-based contract workers who have incurred substantial income loss from the COVID-19 pandemic and who are facing significant short-term financial challenges as a result
- nonprofit Iowa arts organizations
- that have incurred substantial financial loss from the COVID-19 pandemic and that have a demonstrated record of artistic and financial performance
- that had annual operating expenses between $50,000 - $150,000 for the most recently completed fiscal year
Available Funding
The Iowa Arts & Culture Emergency Relief Fund has been established with initial funding from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
Due to the extent of this public health emergency, grant requests are anticipated to exceed available funding. Should additional funding become available, the application period may reopen. Eligible applicants who have applied before the deadline, but have not yet been awarded funding, will not need to reapply should the applications reopen. Unfunded, eligible applications may be considered in subsequent application cycles. Applicants will be notified of their status as indicated in the program timeline.
Timeline
April 13, 2020 - Application Opens
The application will open on April 13, 2020.
April 17, 2020 - Application Deadline
The application will close on April 17, 2020 at 11:59 PM.
April 24, 2020 - Award Notification
Applicants will be notified of their status and funding decisions by April 24, 2020.
Funding
Grant Amount
- Grants of $1,000 will be awarded to eligible individual artist applicants
- Grants of $2,500 will be awarded to eligible arts nonprofit applicants
Eligible Use of Funds
Grant funds provide financial relief to Iowa’s creative workers and organizations who have experienced a loss of opportunity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are awarded as general operating support to Iowa artists and organizations and may be used at the discretion of the grant recipient.
Ineligible Use of Funds
Funds may be used at the discretion of the grant recipient; however, the following expenses cannot be covered using operating support:
- Capital expenditures, including equipment equal to or greater than $5,000 per unit
- Donations or contributions to other organizations
- Foreign Travel
- Fundraisers or benefits
- Lobbying activity
- Prizes and awards
- Religious activity
Matching Requirements
There are no matching requirements.
Funding Disbursement
Grant recipients will receive a contract via email for electronic signature upon notice of award decisions. Contracts will be processed upon completion and funding will be disbursed as quickly as possible through the State Accounting Enterprise which typically takes 1-2 weeks to process.
Taxes
Grant payments are processed as non-taxable payments by the State of Iowa. Recipients of Iowa Arts Council administered funds will not receive a 1099MISC form for grant funding received from the Iowa Arts Council. Recipients of Iowa Arts Council administered funds should consult a tax advisor regarding the implications of grant payments on taxes.
Funds are administered through the State of Iowa. Grant recipients who have outstanding debts to the State of Iowa will receive garnished award payments to fulfill any debts.
Individual Artist Applicant Requirements
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Individuals who do not meet all of these requirements are not eligible to apply.
- Individual Iowa artists
- defined as an individual who creates or performs works of art or arts as defined in the grant terms and definitions; or
- an individual who earns substantial income from work in the arts sector directly connected to the production of works of art or arts events, and who has lost income-producing opportunities (e.g. cancelled events, gigs, or contracts) as a direct result of the public health emergency.
- substantial income is defined as reportable income of at least $5,000 in the last 12 months from employment in the arts, excluding full-time or part-time employment as an educator in K-12 or higher education. For full-time arts workers, this income would be reported on a Form W-2. For freelance, gig or contract arts workers, this income would be reported on a Form 1099.
- Legal Iowa resident
- 21 years of age or older
- Full-time Iowa resident physically located and residing in Iowa since March 17, 2019
Ineligible Individual Artist Applicants
The following types of individual artists are not eligible to apply:
- Individuals enrolled in any type of undergraduate or graduate degree granting program at the date of application
- Individuals who have been physically located or residing out of state for more than 182 days in the year immediately prior to the date of application opening
- Artist groups including bands, artist collaboratives and artist collectives
- Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees with an outstanding final report or placement on a department funding moratorium
Nonprofit Arts Organization Applicant Requirements
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Nonprofits that do not meet all of these requirements are not eligible to apply.
- Organization is incorporated in Iowa under the Iowa Nonprofit Corporation Act and holds federal 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.
- Organization identifies as an arts organization, whose primary mission and purpose is focused on arts.
- arts as defined in the grant terms and definitions
- Organization has annual operating expenses of $50,000 - $150,000 for the most recent fiscal year.
- Organization has incurred substantial financial loss as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic
- substantial financial loss is defined as a projected or realized loss of 25% or more in earned income, compared to budgeted or forecasted income for the same period, from closure or the cancellation of planned events taking place on or after March 17, 2020
- Organization has a demonstrated record of artistic and financial performance
- Defined as at least 3 years of continuous artistic programming since March 17, 2017 and an operating surplus or deficit of 10% or less, compared to budget, for the organization’s previous fiscal year
Ineligible Nonprofit Arts Organization Applicants
The following types of nonprofits are not eligible to apply:
- Non-arts organizations
- Organizations that receive funding through CARES Act Grant program from the National Endowment for the Arts will be subject to adjusted funding amounts for this and future grant programs from the Iowa Arts Council
- Organization physically located outside of Iowa including border communities
- Organization that uses a fiscal agent or the Iowa nonprofit or federal tax-exempt status of another organization
- For-profit corporation or business, religious organization, political party or national service/professional organization
- Auditorium, convention center or similar type of venue
- Educational institution, organization or pre-K through 12 school, whose primary orientation, mission and purpose is education and the awarding of academic credits
- Local governments (including affiliated entities such as an arts or cultural department or division of a municipal government that is also incorporated in Iowa under the Iowa Nonprofit Corporation Act, libraries, parks and recreation departments).
- Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees with an outstanding final report or who have been placed on a department funding moratorium
Iowa Arts Council Administered Program Eligibility
- Eligible applicants are allowed to receive one emergency award in addition to the one allowable grant award per state fiscal year given the emergency nature of the funding
- Organizations that receive funding through CARES Act Grant program from the National Endowment for the Arts will be subject to adjusted funding amounts for this and future grant programs from the Iowa Arts Council
Application Submission
Applicants must submit applications via the Iowa Arts Council’s SlideRoom, an online application portal. Applications will not be accepted in any other format. Late, incomplete or ineligible applications will not be accepted. Applicants can access the current online application requirements at iowaartscouncil.slideroom.com. Applicants must create a login to view the full application requirements for the program. Applicants can visit help.liaisonedu.com for SlideRoom assistance related to the online submission.
Review Process
Applications are reviewed by staff for completion, eligibility and adherence to published guidelines. Applications are reviewed as submitted. New information or subsequent clarification submitted after a program deadline is not considered. Staff will also review an applicant’s record of compliance and good standing with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, State and Federal government. Applications or applicants determined by staff to be ineligible or incomplete will not be considered for funding and are specifically denied any appeals process.
Review Criteria - Individual Artist Applicants
Eligible applications will be reviewed and awarded to the extent that funding is available. To maintain equitable access to available funds, the following funding priorities will be considered:
- Demonstration of need and loss of opportunity
- Demonstration of activity as Iowa artist or arts worker engaged directly in the production of works of art or arts and cultural events
- Underrepresented artist who identifies as female; who identifies as a person of color; who identifies as a person with a disability; who identifies as LGBTQIA+; who lives in a rural community (located in an eligible rural county)
- Order of submission
Review Criteria - Nonprofit Arts Organization Applicants
Eligible applications will be reviewed and awarded to the extent that funding is available. To maintain equitable access to available funds, the following funding priorities will be considered:
- Demonstration of need and loss of revenue
- Demonstration of artistic and financial performance
- Organizations that primarily serve underrepresented populations who identify as female; identify as persons of color; identify as persons with disabilities; identify as LGBTQIA+; and/or organizations located in rural communities (located in an eligible rural county)
- Order of submission
Contact
Potential applicants are encouraged to review all published material and contact the following staff members with questions in advance of application deadlines.
Individual Artist Questions: Contact Grant Services and Artist Programs Manager Veronica O’Hern at veronica.ohern@iowa.gov
Nonprofit Questions: Contact Arts Learning Manager Jennie Knoebel at jennie.knoebel@iowa.gov