INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

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

The International Partnership Program builds Ohio economically, educationally and culturally by bringing together people from diverse cultures to encourage greater international understanding through the arts. As organizations and individuals experience the arts, they explore their commonalities as well as their differences. To understand one another's culture is to respect one another. Mutual respect builds community and provides positive context for global, cultural and human relationships.

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

View a list of Application Questions for International Partnership.

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 International Partnerships Program provides a limited number of small grants to assist Ohio nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and universities and colleges to develop exemplary international arts projects and innovative partnerships in countries where the OAC has signed agreements or established collaborative partnership projects. OAC's international funding priorities are focused on Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Korea and Estonia. The list of partnerships may change from year to year. Contact the Ohio Arts Council for the most current list of partnership agreements.

Allowable Expenses
Examples of eligible activities include:

• An Ohio theater company collaboratively produces a theatrical production with a similarly sized theater company in Chile.
• An Ohio university brings in an Argentinean ballet master for a six-week master class series for dance students, culminating in a performance for the university and surrounding communities.
• An Ohio museum curatorial team researches contemporary art in Central Europe in preparation for an international exhibition exchange with a museum in Hungary.
• An Ohio film festival invites a Mexican filmmaker to speak at the screening and a series of community lectures.

Grant Range
An organization may request up to $10,000; a 1:1 match is required. The Ohio Arts Council's fiscal year runs July 1-June 30; the OAC will review only applications for activities that take place during the current fiscal year.

WHO MAY APPLY

Ohio nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and universities and colleges.

Eligibility Requirements
All applicants should read Appendix A: Legal Requirements and OAC Rules and Grants Process for Organizations before applying to this category.

Additional Eligibility Information
Grants are paid after the grant activities are complete. The grantee must successfully complete the project or program and submit the OAC Final Report Form for Office of Grants Administration approval before payment is made. The Ohio Arts Council must receive the Final Report within 30 days of the end date of the project or program; otherwise, the grant may be canceled. Requests for extensions are reviewed case by case and may be granted if a written request is submitted before the due date of the Final Report. The Final Report Form is linked to the application and Grant Agreement. Applicants should refer to both documents as they prepare the Final Report, or payment may be delayed.

HOW TO APPLY

Call the OAC before preparing and submitting an application to this program. The OAC will accept one application per organization per year. Applications must be received at least eight weeks prior to the project start date. Please refer to the Grants Process for Organizations for a step by- step guide on the entire process of applying for and managing an OAC grant for arts organizations.

Applications
All applications to the International Partnership program must be submitted via the OAC OnLine Grant Application system (OLGA). No paper applications are accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to your organization's primary contact) when your application is received.

Support Materials
To complete an application for this program, all applicants must submit one set of support materials in hard copy to the OAC. Applications that do not include support materials will not be accepted.

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.

Evaluation and Scoring
In general, the International Partnerships Program uses the same funding criteria used in the Sustainability section of the guidelines. In addition, the Ohio Arts Council will consider the following criteria when reviewing grant applications for this program:

• Project involves one of the countries listed under What the Program Supports. Higher priority is given to projects involving one of those countries;
• Project has a direct impact on Ohio audiences. If an organization's project involves travel to another country, how will the organization incorporate the experience abroad into future work in the community?
• Project demonstrates capacity to increase artist and audience understanding of the art form and cultures involved;
• Plan is in place to notify the appropriate U.S. and foreign offi cials that project is taking place with or in a given country;
• International Partnership Program applications are reviewed internally by OAC staff. Representatives from organizations that receive a International Partnership Grant will be required to attend a meeting with OAC staff in advance of the grant activities.