Durham Arts Council - Season Grant Program

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Artist Information

Congratulations to the 2011-2012 Durham Arts Council Season Grant Recipients!

Click here for a list of these organizations linked to their websites.

Q & A: Season Grant Program

How can I learn more?

There will be an Information Session for new applicants on January 23, 2012, at 6:00 PM at the Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris Street, downtown Durham. Contact Margaret DeMott for further information: mdemott@durhamarts.org; (919) -560-2720.

What is the deadline for application?

9:00 p. m. on Thursday, March 1, 2012 - For projects taking place between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. NOTE: First time applicants must meet with Margaret DeMott, Director of Artist Services, to discuss their application.

Who may apply?

Applicants must be non-profit organizations with 501(c) (3) status based in Durham County or providing at least 50% of it’s programming in Durham County.

What projects are eligible?

You may apply for support for a single project or for general operations. Season Grants may not be used to support fund-raising activities.

What can I apply for?

You may apply for funds and/or for use of space in the Durham Arts Council building. There is no set limit on how much you may request. However, no applicant will receive more than 15% of the total Season Grant funds. For FY 2011-2012 the average cash grant awarded was $$4,475 with cash grants ranging from $500 to $9,600.

Space grants vary from ongoing use of office, meeting, rehearsal and performance space to the use of a theatre for a single concert. The Durham Arts Council building is a 52,000 sq. ft., city-owned, community arts center that contains spaces for dance, theatre and music rehearsals, meeting rooms, offices, exhibit and performance spaces. As part of your Season Grant request you may ask for use of these spaces for a particular project or for on-going operations. There are fees associated with use of granted space in the building.

What are the criteria by which DAC evaluates applications?

Each application will receive a numeric score for each of the criteria ranging from 1 to 5 (1 being lowest, 5 being highest).

Artistic quality of proposed project or programs
Community impact of project or programs
Ability to plan and implement project
Stability and fiscal responsibility of the organization
Involvement of more than one racial/ethnic group

Who evaluates the applications?

A panel of area artists and arts professionals reviews and scores each application. The panel reviews the entire body of applications and recommends grant awards to the DAC Board of Trustees. The DAC Board of Trustees then must approve the recommendations of the panel for the process to be complete. We are currently planning to complete the review of applications by late June 2012.

Why does DAC ask about the participation of people from more than one racial/ethnic background?

Durham Arts Council recognizes that more than 50% of Durham’s population is African-American, Asian-American, Latino or Native American. As a steward of public and private funds, DAC strives to provide a representative portion of grant support for arts programming that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the County. While we do not expect that every application will propose to serve all cultures represented by Durham’s population, we will look for proposals that explain how the applicant has invited and encouraged representatives of different cultures to participate in the program(s) whether as artists, administrators, audience members or volunteers. We believe that, as appropriate to their missions, the on-going stability of community arts organizations is fortified by their ability to draw on more than one racial/ethnic culture for resources, energy and vision.

Where does the money for Season Grants come from?

The Season Grant Program is funded by the gifts of private individuals and corporations to the Durham Arts Council Annual Arts Fund and by the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. DAC does not require a specific match for a cash grant, however, we will look for evidence that the applicant has actively pursued more than one source for the resources needed and does not expect DAC to provide everything through this Season Grant.

When will I find out if my application was awarded a grant?

Applicants will be notified of the final awards in July of 2012. Final reports will be due in late June of 2013.

How do I apply for a Season Grant?

If you have never submitted a Season Grant application to Durham Arts Council you must review your proposal with Margaret DeMott, DAC Director of Artist Services, (919-560-2720) before you complete your application. If you have submitted an application before but have questions about the application or your proposal, call Margaret DeMott. Fill out the Season Grant Application form and submit 8 copies (including the signed original) of the application (all pages) and appropriate copies of supporting materials to:

Office of Artist Services Durham Arts Council, Inc. 120 Morris Street Durham, NC 27701

Where do I get the application form?

You can pick up an application at the front desk of the DAC Building after January 3, 2012.
You can call the Artist Services Office, (919) 560-2720 and request an application be mailed to you. You can email the Artist Services Office, mdemott@durhamarts.org and request that an application be emailed.
You can download the application here [PDF]