CAPACITY BUILDING FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES

This program is on hiatus until further notice. No applications are being accepted. Posted August 24, 2009.

Healthy arts and cultural organizations help build vibrant creative communities throughout Ohio. Yet, at times, all groups need additional skills and resources to fulfill their role as vital partners in community life. The Capacity Building program supports established and emerging institutions to develop effective leadership, sound management practices, diverse financial resources and successful partnerships. Applicants are asked to identify appropriate, realistic strategies for developing individual and organizational skills as well as demonstrate readiness to undertake capacity building activities. A flexible application and staff review process ensures that Capacity Building projects enhance the overall artistic, educational and cultural value of organizations to their communities and help maintain a strong infrastructure for the arts throughout Ohio.

Application Deadline: Applications are due on the second Friday of each month (June through April). The grant activity may start no sooner than four weeks after the application deadline.

• What the Program Supports
• Who May Apply
• How to Apply
• Review Criteria

View of a list of Application questions for Capacity Building.

This section of Guidelines is available as a PDF for you to download and print out if you prefer to read it offline. You must also read Appendix A: Legal Requirements if you plan to apply for OAC funding. A PDF of the complete version of the Guidelines is available in the Introduction.

WHAT THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS

The Capacity Building program provides grants to Ohio arts and cultural organizations to strengthen operational capacity. This program supports activities that develop individual and organizational skills across operational areas such as internal governance and leadership, planning, professional development, financial and resource management, resource development, marketing and promotion, program development, evaluation and assessment, information technology and partnership development.

Organizations applying for Capacity Building are expected to engage in a needs assessment process to determine an appropriate course of action and to gain the support of board leadership and staff. Applicants are encouraged to make a long-term commitment to continuous improvement and to develop skills that result in benefits not only for the applicant but also for the larger community.

WHO MAY APPLY

Arts, cultural, community-based and social service organizations doing arts programming may apply to this program. All organizations applying to this program should have nonprofit status or nonprofit intent.

• Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in any discipline (community arts, literature, performing arts, traditional arts, visual arts, etc.);
• Other nonprofit organizations that provide arts programming (government entities, social service agencies, etc.);
• Educational organizations (colleges, universities, etc.) that demonstrate a commitment to arts programming in a larger community setting.

HOW TO APPLY

Please refer to the Grant Process for Organizations in the OAC Guidelines for a step-by-step guide on the entire process of applying for and managing an OAC grant for arts organizations.

Organizations applying for a Capacity Building grant are strongly encouraged to contact their regional program coordinator to discuss their application and the appropriateness of their proposed activity. This contact helps the applicant develop a well-conceived and well-written proposal that increases the organization's chances of successfully competing with other applicants. The OAC also has a number of organizational self-assessment tools that may be of use to applicants, and they are located on the OAC Web site.

Applications may be submitted any time during the year and funds are awarded on a rolling basis as long as funds are available beginning with the start of the OAC fiscal year (July 1).

Each OAC program has different support material requirements. To learn which materials are required for this program, as well as other materials that are optional but may strengthen your application, refer to the Support Materials Grid for Organizations in the OAC Guidelines.

A signature page and support materials must be received in the OAC office by 5 p.m. seven calendar days following the final application deadline date (regardless of postmarked date). If the signature page and support materials do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to your organization's primary contact) when your support materials are received.

• Applicant provides artistic, educational and cultural value to the community;
• Proposed activity will strengthen the organization's capacity to advance its artistic, educational and cultural mission.

• Applicant understands and is responsive to the diverse needs and interests of the community;
• Applicant engages relevant board and community members in planning and implementing its capacity building activity;
• Proposed activity will strengthen the relationship between the community and the organization.

• Applicant employs appropriate planning and/or assessment strategies to establish goals for the capacity building activities;
• Applicant outlines a logical sequence of capacity building activities based on a needs assessment appropriate for the organization's current and long-term circumstances;
• Applicant details appropriate methods of documenting and evaluating its capacity building activities;
• Proposed activity will strengthen the organization's ability to engage in planning and evaluation.

• Applicant demonstrates the ability to manage resources appropriately;
• Applicant's staff, board, volunteers and/or consultants are qualified and demonstrate the ability to complete the proposed activity;
• Applicant demonstrates how knowledge from the proposed activity will be shared throughout the organization;
• Applicant's proposed activity will increase the organization's capacity to effectively manage its operations and resources.