INTRODUCTION
The MCCC’s Community Cultural Participation Grant Program (CCP) supports community-based cultural events, programs, and organizations. Because of the lingering impacts of the pandemic, we will offer an expanded range of funding types to help your organizations adapt to current challenges. For this grant cycle we are inviting applications for events/programs support, capital/capacity-building projects, and general operating support. Grants range between $1,000 and $3,000.
Applicants can be nonprofit organizations, cultural or neighborhood associations, artist collectives/ensembles, and groups with a declared public purpose. Individuals are ineligible. If you are an individual artist/cultural worker working within a larger organization or ensemble, the organization may apply for a project you are a part of. IRS 501(c)3 status is not required to apply, unless you are applying for general operating support.
MCCC will prioritize applications from organizations led by and projects benefiting communities who have been disenfranchised including Black and Indigenous people and other communities of color, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants and refugees, people living with disabilities, people living with low incomes, people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, houseless people, those living in rural communities, and others.
Si desea postularse en español, envíe un correo electrónico a info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. Le enviaremos los materiales de la solicitud. Gracias.
GRANT GOALS
The purpose of the CCP is to advance the following goals:
- Make culture accessible and affordable to Multnomah County residents.
- Promote cultural diversity.
- Encourage new cultural activities.
- Foster partnerships and collaborations which support the above.
GRANT TIMELINE
Applications for 2024 grants are closed. Applicants can expect to hear about the outcome of their application before December 22, 2023. Checks and grant agreements will be disbursed in January 2024.
All funded activities must take place between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. No extensions will be given. If the proposed project activities cannot be completed in this timeframe, the applicant will be required to return the funds awarded for the period.
HOW TO APPLY
Review the full grant guidelines and application questions from our most recent grant cycle (note that these may change in future):
Starting September 1, access the online application at racc.smapply.org. Applications are due by October 15, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. If you have not used Survey Monkey in the past, you will need to create an account to begin your application. We suggest creating an account that is accessible to multiple members of your organization. If you have used Survey Monkey previously, your existing account can be used for this application.
Attend an optional grant info session via Zoom hosted by MCCC board members. Participation is completely optional and will not impact the selection process. These info sessions are a more personal way to learn about the grant program and application process and to ask questions.
No registration needed. Join us for one of the following sessions via this Zoom link.
- Thursday, September 7, 12:00-1:00 PM.
- Wednesday, September 13, 12:00-1:00 PM.
- Tuesday, September 19, 5:30-6:30 PM
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions about the application process by emailing info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. Please reach out early: we are volunteer-run and do not always have capacity to respond to last-minute/urgent inquiries.
Si desea postularse en español, envíe un correo electrónico a info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. Le enviaremos los materiales de la solicitud. Gracias.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for an MCCC grant, applicants must:
- Demonstrate in your application that your work aligns with one or more MCCC CCP grant goals (see GRANT GOALS above).
- Be headquartered within Multnomah County. The legal address shown on your W-9 form must be in Multnomah County.
- Serve or provide benefit to people in Multnomah County.
- Be an organization or group (individuals are ineligible). Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), partnerships, and other groups with a declared common purpose consistent with the goals of this grant program.
- A business (LLC or other for-profit entity) is eligible if the project being applied for benefits the public. For instance, a small production company applying for funds to finish and publicly present a new film would be eligible, but a small production company applying for funds for equipment for client work would not be eligible.
- 501(c)3 status is required to apply for general operating support.
- If your organization uses a fiscal sponsor, your application must include fiscal sponsor contact information and a signed contract or memorandum of understanding from your fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsors must:
- Be headquartered within Multnomah County.
- Be informed of the application to MCCC’s grant program.
- Provide an EIN and W-9 form.
- Sign a grant agreement accepting responsibility for project oversight.
- Receive, distribute and manage the grant funds, if awarded.
- Additional eligibility requirements for General Operating, Capacity Building and Capital applications:
- The applicant organization’s mission and programming must be focused on arts and/or culture.
- For General Operating applications only: The applicant must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Fiscally sponsored organizations, for-profit organizations and others are not eligible.
- Not have received grants for the past two consecutive years. For example, an organization that was awarded grants for 2022 and 2023 is not eligible to apply for 2024 funding and must wait until the 2025 grant cycle to reapply.
- Provide MCCC with a W-9 form and Employer Identification Number (EIN). The EIN is necessary to help MCCC ensure that awards will be granted in the name of an organization. You can apply to the Internal Revenue Service for an EIN by going to their website at www.irs.gov. The process is very quick and easy. (individuals are not eligible to apply).
INELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES / APPLICANTS
- Grants will not be awarded to a group without an EIN. Individuals are also ineligible.
- Grantees who fail to submit their previous due final reports by January 31, 2024 will forfeit their awards.
- Organizations that have received MCCC funding for the two preceding years.
- Organizations and groups located outside of Multnomah County are not eligible to apply, even if your work benefits Multnomah County residents.
- Activities taking place outside of Multnomah County are ineligible.
- Activities taking place before January 1, 2024 and after December 31, 2024 are not eligible.
- We tend not to fund programs that take place at schools or private organizations unless they are open to and broadly advertised to the public.
REVIEW PROCESS
- MCCC staff and board will review applications to determine basic eligibility. Applicants will be notified if they are ineligible.
- Panels made up of MCCC board members and community members (artists, culture bearers, community organization staff, etc.) will review applications. Panels will determine which applications should receive funding and forward their recommendations to the MCCC board for approval. A current list of MCCC board members can be found on our website.
- Panelists with a conflict of interest will not be permitted to offer an opinion or score on the application in question.
- Panels will review applications using the criteria listed below.
- MCCC will make grants between $1,000 and $3000 in increments of $250 based on panel recommendations. Funding will be distributed by check through the mail.
- Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by email on or before December 22, 2024. Notification and information on award status can only be given after the grants process is complete. Please do not contact the MCCC about award status until after receiving official notification.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Eligibility: The proposal meets eligibility requirements
- Feasibility: The application demonstrates clear planning and the ability to carry out the proposal.
- MCCC Goals: The project advances one or more MCCC grant goals to:
- Make culture accessible and affordable to Multnomah County residents.
- Promote cultural diversity.
- Encourage new cultural activities.
- Foster partnerships and collaborations which support the above.
- Equity: The project is led by and/or benefiting communities who have been disenfranchised including Black and Indigenous people and other communities of color, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants and refugees, people living with disabilities, people living with low incomes, people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, houseless people, those living in rural communities, and others.
- Budget: The budget reflects the proposed activities and requested amount.
Note that the grant panel will consider the diversity in applicants (cultural, geographic, discipline) and organization size (prioritizing smaller organizations) in the final award process.
TIPS FOR APPLYING
Applications funded by MCCC usually share the following qualities:
- The application demonstrates an ability to carry out the proposal by providing a clear, detailed project description of the work you want to do, the timeline, and who will participate.
- The project has a component that is accessible to the public. Projects taking place in schools or private spaces are not competitive unless the activities are for the public and include plans for outreach/marketing. That said, work with specific populations who are unable to access public arts and culture opportunities (such as people who are incarcerated) are eligible.
- The application shows clear planning and consideration for how to make events and projects accessible and affordable including ticket price, venue location, venue ADA compliance, partnerships, outreach, etc.
- The application provides demographic information about the audience, staff, board and other participants in the project and organization.
- Applications that propose to support or connect with specific cultural communities show engagement of those communities in decision-making and program development, and established relationships/partnerships with those communities.
- Applications make it clear that project activities will take place in Multnomah County and benefit Multnomah County residents.
- The budget shows both expenses and revenue (ticket revenue, other earned income, donations, grants, in-kind support, etc.)
- Note that MCCC considers annual budget size when making awards and prioritizes supporting smaller organizations/groups.
MCCC GRANT REQUIREMENTS
- Funding given through this grant must be used between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
- Awardees must submit a Final Report in order to be considered in compliance with grant guidelines. This report will be available via MCCC’s online grant system and will be required within 30 days after the grant funds have been spent or by January 31, 2025 at the latest.
- It is the responsibility of the grant applicant to notify MCCC by email and in advance if possible of any major changes to the funded project or organization.
- Grant recipients must acknowledge the MCCC and the Oregon Cultural Trust in all marketing for the funded project.
ASSISTANCE
If you have questions, please contact us at info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. Thanks for your good work in the community!
Visit our Resources page for grant-writing resources, lists of past grantees and more.