INTRODUCTION TO THE OAC

Established in 1965, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is a state agency that was created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and the preservation of Ohio�s cultural heritage. Our mission is to support quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. With funds from the Ohio Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, we provide financial assistance to artists, schools, arts organizations and nonprofit organizations that provide arts programming for their communities.

PUBLIC PURPOSES OF THE ARTS

We believe in the Four Public Purposes of the Arts, as identified by the 92nd American Assembly. They are as follows:


	1.	The arts help define what it is to be an American--by building a sense of the nation�s identity, by reinforcing the reality of American pluralism, by advancing democratic values at home and by advancing democratic values and peace abroad.

	2.	The arts contribute to quality of life and economic growth�by making American communities more livable and more prosperous and by increasing the nation's prosperity at home and abroad.

	3.	The arts help form an educated and aware citizenry�by promoting understanding in our diverse society, by developing competence in school and at work and by advancing freedom of inquiry and the open exchange of ideas and values.

	4.	The arts enhance individual life�by encouraging individual creativity, spirit and potential and by providing release, relaxation and entertainment.

GOALS OF THE OAC'S 2011-2013 STRATEGIC PLAN

Protect Ohio's quality of life.
Communicate the value of the arts.
Connect Ohioans to arts and culture.
Help citizens of all ages learn and thrive through the arts.
Establish arts and culture as a partner in community, regional and state development.
Develop leadership for arts and culture.

THE OAC BOARD

The OAC board is composed of 15 voting members appointed by the governor and four nonvoting legislative members. The board is responsible for overseeing and implementing agency policy and for final approval or disapproval of funding support requests. The board invites the public to attend its policy meetings in the fall and grant recommendation review meetings in the spring and summer. Most panel meetings and other scheduled meetings that are held to carry on the business of agency programs are open to the public.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the largest annual funder of arts in the United States. An independent federal agency, the NEA is the official arts organization of the U.S. government. Created by Congress, it became an independent agency of the federal government on September 29, 1965. The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education.

The NEA receives annual appropriations from Congress, from which it awards matching grants to nonprofit, tax-exempt arts organizations of outstanding quality and individual fellowships to artists of exceptional talent in literature, folk arts and jazz. In its history, the NEA has awarded more than 120,000 grants that have brought art to Americans in communities large and small. The Arts Endowment gives grants to nonprofit organizations in these areas: Access to Artistic Excellence, Learning in the Arts, Challenge America and Partnership Agreements. Forty percent of its funds are awarded to state jurisdictional arts agencies and six regional arts organizations.

The Endowment is directed by a chairman, appointed by the president of the U. S. for a four-year term and advised by the National Council on the Arts, a 26-member body of distinguished private citizens who are widely recognized for their expertise or interest in the arts, also appointed by the president. For information about programs and grants, contact the National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20506-0001; phone 202/682-5400 or 202/682-5496 TDD; www.arts.gov.

ABOUT ARTS MIDWEST

Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout a nine-state region of the Midwest providing meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge and understanding across boundaries. As one of the six nonprofit regional arts organizations in the U.S., Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years. Arts Midwest reaches close to a million people annually by initiating cultural programs, such as performances by high quality theater, dance and music ensembles, educational arts activities, visual arts exhibitions and conferences.

Arts Midwest's partners and investors include the NEA, foundations, corporations, individual supporters and nine member state arts agencies: Illinois Arts Council, Indiana Arts Commission, Iowa Arts Council, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Minnesota State Arts Board, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council and Wisconsin Arts Board. As members of Arts Midwest, state arts agencies ensure access to Arts Midwest's programs and services for constituents in their state. Through strategic alliances, key programs reach into Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and beyond.

For information about funding, contact Arts Midwest, 2908 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 200, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408-1954; phone 612/341-0755 or 612/822-2956 TDD; fax 612/341-0902; www.artsmidwest.org.

ABOUT OHIO CITIZENS FOR THE ARTS

Ohio Citizens for the Arts (OCA) is a statewide, nonprofit, grass-roots membership organization working to increase public support for the arts in Ohio. Incorporated in 1976, OCA represents all geographic areas of the state and all arts disciplines. It continues to work for increased funding for the arts in Ohio and increased public awareness of the arts by informing local citizens of the needs of the arts in Ohio; promoting citizens and arts organizational involvement in the statewide arts advocacy network; contacting Ohio's legislators and explaining issues that are important to the arts locally and statewide; bringing arts-related issues to the attention of the local media; and promoting greater support of the arts and arts advocacy efforts in business and industry. Throughout the state, OCA enables effective advocacy for funding of the OAC and the NEA.

OCA monitors and speaks out on public policy issues affecting the arts and arts education in Ohio and maintains a year-round presence at the statehouse through a professional lobbyist and a network of volunteer arts advocates.

For more information, contact Ohio Citizens for the Arts, 77 South High Street, 2nd Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-6108; phone 614/221-4064; fax 614/241-5329; www.ohiocitizensforthearts.org.

ABOUT THE OHIO CULTURAL DATA PROJECT

The Ohio Cultural Data Project (CDP) is a powerful online financial management and reporting tool designed to strengthen arts and cultural organizations. Launched in 2009, the Ohio CDP provides organizations with an array of tools for gathering, analyzing and reporting financial, programmatic and operational data. The CDP allows organizations to track financial and programmatic performance over time and benchmark their organization against comparable organizations in specific disciplines, geographic regions and budget sizes.

This unique, user-friendly, online system enables arts and cultural organizations to enter their data into a standardized form and then use the CDP to produce a variety of reports. Organizations can easily compare their own information with aggregate records from cultural organizations in other states, including California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The CDP is provided to all nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Ohio at no cost to participating organizations. Participation in the CDP is required of all grantees in the OAC�s Sustainability program.

The Ohio CDP is overseen by the Pew Charitable Trusts with the support of the OAC, the OCA and a statewide partnership of public and private funders. For more information, contact the Ohio CDP Help Desk at 1-888/606-4237 or help@ohculturaldata.org, or visit the website at www.ohculturaldata.org.

OVERVIEW OF APPENDICES

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 and OAC Rules if you plan to apply for OAC funding.

PDF of Introduction to the OAC
PDF of Appendix A: Legal Requirements and OAC Rules
PDF of Appendix E: Credit and Publicity Responsibilities

PDF of Complete Guidelines
Right Click the file and choose Save Target As: to download the file.