Creative Places Project Grant

Fiscal Year 2023 Program Guidelines

The Creative Places Project Grant provides funding for small, collaborative projects in communities that are using creative placemaking as a job creation, talent attraction and retention, and/or tourism strategy. Eligible projects must provide public access to project activities and impact creative jobs through significant involvement from one or more of the following: artists, artisans, creative entrepreneurs, and arts or cultural non-profit organizations.

Funding for the Creative Places Project Grant 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. Applicants must adhere to the funding policies of the Iowa Arts Council.

Questions

Potential applicants, especially first time applicants, are encouraged to review all published material and contact Program Manager Jon Berg at jon.berg@iowa.gov with questions well in advance of application deadlines.

Accessibility

The Iowa Arts Council is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to eligible applicants. For application support, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator Jennie Knoebel at jennie.knoebel@iowa.gov or 515-242-6194 at least two weeks in advance of application deadlines.

Timeline

Fiscal Year 2023 Application Deadline
Applications will be accepted on a quarterly basis throughout fiscal year 2023 which runs from July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023.

May 2, 2022 at 11:59 PM for the funding period of July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023.
August 1, 2022 at 11:59 PM for the funding period of September 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023.
November 1, 2022 at 11:59 PM for the funding period of December 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023.
February 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM for the funding period of March 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023.

Funding Notification
Applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email within four weeks of the application deadline.

Final Report Deadline
Grant recipients are required to complete a final report by August 1, 2023.

Funding

Grant Amount

Applicants may request funding for eligible expenses that are incurred and expended within the eligible funding period.

Minimum Grant Request: $500
Maximum Grant Request: $2,500

Match Requirement

Applicants are required to demonstrate investment in a project by providing one-to-one matching funds to the grant request for project expenses One half (50%) of the required dollar- for-dollar match must be cash. The remaining one half may be either in-kind or cash. For example, an applicant that requests $1,000 in grant funds must have at least $1,000 in matching funds with $500 of that made up of cash match expenses for a minimum total project budget of $2,000.

Funding Period

Grant funds must be used for expenses incurred within the eligible funding period of based on the date of application:

July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 for the May 2, 2022 application deadline
September 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 for the August 2, 2022 application deadline
December 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 for the November 1, 2022 application deadline
March 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023 for the February 1, 2023 application deadline

Applicant Requirements

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants must be one of the following types of entities. Entities who do not meet these requirements are not eligible to apply.

Nonprofits

Federally tax exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated and physically located in Iowa
Physical location of the organization is defined as maintaining a current home office and registered agent address in Iowa defined by Iowa Code 490.501 as well as maintaining a primary staff presence physically located and working in Iowa
Entities located in a border community may be eligible under the Border State Policy
Entities not yet formally organized may be eligible under the Fiscal Agent Policy

Communities

Unit of local, county or federally-recognized tribal government physically located in Iowa

Ineligible Applicants

Ineligible applicants include the following types of entities.

Applicants who have already submitted two unfunded applications for the same project
For-profit corporation or business
Individuals
Iowa Arts Council administered grantees who have already received a grant from the department for the current application funding period
- Cultural Leadership Partners and Iowa Great Places with active grant contracts are not eligible to apply
- Strengthening Communities Grant and Humanities Project Grant recipients with active grant contracts are eligible to apply.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees who have already received a grant from the department for any part of the project
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees with an outstanding final report or who have been placed on a department funding moratorium
Nonprofit or for-profit institution of higher education
Public and private schools that serve grades pre-K through 12

Creative Places Project Requirements

Eligible Projects

Eligible community projects include festivals, performances, public art or other arts and cultural programs that are intended to advance creative placemaking as a job creation, talent attraction and retention, and/or tourism strategy.

Eligible projects must provide public access to project activities and impact creative jobs through significant involvement from one or more of the following: artists, artisans, creative entrepreneurs, and arts or cultural non-profit organizations. All project activities must have a clear beginning and end date within the eligible funding period.

Applicants may only apply for support of a yearly event or series if the applicant can demonstrate how the project is unique and worthy of support within the particular year of the funding period. Project content must change from year to year.

Ineligible Projects

Projects that fall outside of the identified types of eligible projects may not request funding through this grant program. Ineligible projects also include the following types of activities.

Capital projects
Collection maintenance or restoration
Construction or renovation of a property
Domestic travel dominant projects that primarily benefit the applicant
Fundraiser or benefit event
Lobbying activity
Non-arts project
Ongoing projects or programming for which the identified beginning and end dates are arbitrary
Projects that result in an individual’s course credit, degree or certification
Projects that occur prior to or after the funding period
Projects that have already received an Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grant for any part or phase of the project
Religious activity

Budget Requirements

Eligible Grant Request Expenses

Creative Places Project Grants support one-time, direct project expenses that are essential to the completion of the proposed project. The grant request must be dedicated to eligible one-time, direct project expenses, legitimate parts of the proposed project, and must be incurred and expended within the eligible funding period. Expenses identified in the grant request should be based on competitive, current market pricing. Applicants that include ineligible expenses in the grant request will be considered ineligible.

Eligible grant request expenses include direct project costs such as:

Artist Fees (e.g. creation, preparation, performance time)
Domestic Travel (e.g. mileage, accommodation, per diem)
Equipment under a total of $5,000 per unit (e.g. camera, software, kiln)
Materials (e.g. paint, costumes, props)
Marketing (e.g. print material, ad buys, design fees)
Personnel Time Dedicated to the Project* (e.g. planning, execution, evaluation time)
Professional Services (e.g. printer, graphic designer, security)
Rentals (e.g. stages, lighting/sound, scissor lift, portable restrooms)

*Applicant must demonstrate how personnel time is specifically dedicated to the proposed project. Personnel benefits are not eligible.

Ineligible Grant Request Expenses

Expenses that fall outside of the identified eligible expenses for the project may not be included as part of the grant request. Applicants that include ineligible expenses in the grant request will be considered ineligible.

Ineligible grant request expenses include:

Activity that results in an individual’s course credit, degree or certification
Budget shortfalls
Capital expenditures, including equipment over a total of $5,000 per unit
Collection maintenance or restoration expenses
Deficit or debt reduction, including loan, line-of-credit, or mortgage payments
Expenses incurred prior to or after the funding period
Food, beverage, and alcohol
Foreign travel
Fundraising or benefit activity expenses
Lobbying activity
Ongoing or operating expenses, including utilities, rent/lease, office supplies, and personnel time that is not dedicated to the project
Personnel benefits
Prizes and awards
Property maintenance, restoration or renovation expenses

Match Requirement

Applicants are required to demonstrate investment in a project by providing matching funds in an amount that is equal to or greater than the total grant amount requested from the Iowa Arts Council. The required one-to-one match must be made up of 50% cash expenses dedicated to the project. The remaining 50% match may be made up of cash expenses or in-kind donations dedicated to the project. For example, an applicant that requests $2,500 in grant funds must have at least $2,500 in match, with $1,250 in cash match, for a minimum total project budget of $5,000.

The required match must be dedicated to one-time project expenses that are legitimate parts of the proposed project. Expenses identified in the match should be based on competitive, current market pricing. Applicants will be required to identify all anticipated cash match expenses and in-kind contributions beyond the grant request in the project budget as well as the anticipated revenue sources that will cover them. The cash match and in-kind donations do not have to be secured at the time of application but must be secured and identified in the final report at the end of the funding period.

Cash match is actual cash contributed to direct project expenses by the applicant or other funding sources
In-kind match is donated goods or services contributed to the project by the applicant or other sources
Funding from the state government cannot be used to meet the match requirement
Funding from the federal government cannot be used to meet the match requirement

Iowa Arts Council Administered Grant Program Eligibility

Applicants may only receive one Iowa Arts Council administered grant award per state fiscal year regardless of grant program
- Eligible organizations, schools or communities may only receive an Art Project Grant, Capacity Building Grant, Creative Placemaking Grant, Cultural Leadership Partner Grant, Great Places Grant, or School Arts Experience Grant in a single fiscal year
- Strengthening Communities Grant and Humanities Project Grant recipients with active grant contracts are eligible to apply.
Applicants may not submit more than one application during a single grant deadline or cycle regardless of grant program
Applicants may not submit more than two applications for the same project regardless of fiscal year if both applications are unfunded
Projects may not receive more than one Iowa Arts Council administered grant regardless of applicant, phase of project or fiscal year

Funding Priorities

Applications are encouraged from all applicants that meet the applicant eligibility requirements; however, priority will be placed on applications from organizations that are led by or primarily serve populations that have historically been under-resourced by arts and cultural funding due to rural geography, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status as defined in the Grants Terms and Definitions for fiscal year 2023.

Review Process

Department Eligibility Review

Submitted applications are reviewed by staff for completion, eligibility and adherence to published funding priorities and guidelines. Applications are reviewed as submitted. New application information or subsequent application clarification submitted after a program deadline is not considered unless requested by a program manager. 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 move forward to panel review and are specifically denied any appeals process.

Competitive Review

Eligible applications will be referred to a competitive review by staff with appropriate expertise commensurate to the purpose of the grant program. Applications will be scored and ranked based on the published scoring rubric. Recommendations are submitted to the Administrator of the Iowa Arts Council and Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for consideration and funding approval. Applications will be awarded funding based on the ranked list, funding priorities, and available funding. All funding decisions are final and may not be appealed due to dissatisfaction. Applicants may review the department appeals policy for information on grounds for appeal and the appeal process.

Decision Notification

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within four weeks of the deadline. Applicants are notified of the status of their application whether they are or are not selected to receive funding. Applicants will be contacted if any additional information is required and are encouraged to refrain from contacting staff for application status updates until funding decisions are made.

Online 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 assistance related to the online submission.

Application Narrative Questions and Scoring Rubric

The following scoring rubric will be used to evaluate applications. Each section has criteria and corresponding point values to ensure a fair review process. The rubric is on a scale of 15 points. Application questions are for reference only. Applicants must review and complete application requirements in the Slideroom portal.

Applicant Profile

Local Community Plan or Strategy

Identify the local community served by this project and provide an overview of the local community plan or strategies that support creative placemaking.

Mission Statement

Enter applicant’s mission statement.

Applicant Profile

Describe how the applicant fulfills its mission and serves its target population, including:

description of programming and services
recent notable achievements
strategic goals related to creative placemaking

APPLICANT PROFILE: 3 points possible
3 Applicant demonstrates a record of programming or services and relevant notable achievements that clearly advance its mission and serve its target population. Applicant demonstrates clear strategic goals related to creative placemaking.	2 Applicant offers programming or services that support its mission and target population. Relevant notable achievements and strategic goals related to creative placemaking are identified.	1 Applicant’s programming or services are limited, unclear or do not support its mission or serve its target population. Relevant notable achievements and strategic goals related to creative placemaking are not identified.

Project Description

Describe the proposed creative placemaking project, including:

how it will advance the goals in the local community plan or strategy
how it will support artists, creative entrepreneurs, artisans and local creative culture
how public access to activities will be promoted
the timeline for the project including specific dates for activities

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: 3 points possible

3 Project is of high quality, will clearly advance the applicant's creative placemaking goals, engage the creative community, provide deliberate public access and is achievable within the funding period.

2 Project is of average quality, may enhance the applicant’s creative placemaking goals and engage the creative community, and is most likely achievable within the funding period.

1 Project quality, impact on creative placemaking goals and creative community, and/or achievability are unclear.

Budget

Grant Request Expenses

Itemize the eligible expenses that will be funded by the grant request, including a description and the dollar amount for each. Round to the nearest dollar. Do not enter decimal signs or commas. Add a final "TOTAL" row at the bottom that identifies the total grant request.

Expense Description

Grant Request Amount ($)

Match Expenses

Detail any cash match expenses or in-kind contributions outside of the grant request that are dedicated to the project, including the total cash amount or in-kind value, the funding source, and whether the funding source has been secured for the expense. Round to the nearest dollar. Do not enter decimal signs or commas. Add a final "TOTAL" row at the bottom that identifies the total cash expenses and total value of in-kind contributions.

Expense Description

Cash Match ($)

In-Kind Match ($)

Funding Source

Secured (Yes/No)

Estimated Total Project Cost

Enter the total estimated cost of the project. This value should equal the sum of the grant request, cash match expenses and in-kind contributions. Round to the nearest dollar. Do not enter decimal signs or commas.

BUDGET: 3 points possible
3 Project budget and intended use of requested funds are clear and appropriate. Project demonstrates financial support by leveraging diverse sources of cash and/or in-kind match that are well-defined.	2 Project budget, intended use of requested funds and sources of applicant match are identified.	1 Project budget, intended use of requested funds or sources of match are unclear or inadequate.

Work Samples

Upload 3-5 media samples that demonstrate the artistic or cultural quality of the proposed project.

WORK SAMPLES: 3 points possible
3 Work samples are of high quality and clearly demonstrate strong capabilities in artistic concept and form.	2 Work samples are of average quality and demonstrate capabilities in artistic concept and form.	1 Work samples are of poor quality or demonstrate limited capabilities in concept and form.

Overall Application

The following scoring criteria reference the quality of the proposal and application as a whole and not a particular question.

CASE FOR SUPPORT: 3 points possible
3 Case for support is exemplary and merits investment from the state.	2 Case for support is average.	1 Case for support is below average or does not merit state investment.

Glossary of Terms and Definitions

Applicants should refer to the glossary for clarification of program terms and definitions.