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Applications for 2024 closed on November 10, 2024.


2025 COMMUNITY CULTURAL PARTICIPATION (CCP) GRANT GUIDELINES 

INTRODUCTION 

The MCCC’s Community Cultural Participation Grant Program (CCP) supports community based cultural events, programs, and organizations with grants between $1,000 and $3000. For the 2025 grant cycle, we invite applications for events/programs support, capacity building/capital investments, and general operating support.1 

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 focus grantmaking on creative communities and projects that can most benefit from MCCC funding. We value investments in projects, artists, and organizations that prioritize communities that have historically been neglected by or excluded from institutional funding for arts and culture. Such communities may include but are not limited to Black and Indigenous people, communities of color and otherwise racialized communities, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants and refugees, people living with disabilities, people living with low incomes, people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, people experiencing houselessness, those living in rural communities, and others. MCCC considers annual budget size when making awards and generally prioritizes supporting smaller organizations/groups. 

Si desea postularse en español, envíe un correo electrónico a info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. Le enviaremos los materiales de la solicitud. Gracias.  

MISSION STATEMENT  

Multnomah County Cultural Coalition (MCCC) supports communities and organizations through grantmaking and advocacy that enrich and improve access to arts and culture throughout the county.

MCCC CULTURAL PLAN 2024-2027

The following strategic priorities guide MCCC’s work in alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and values. View the full Cultural Plan here.

  1. Focus grantmaking on creative communities and projects that can most benefit from MCCC funding.
  2. Engage in and encourage local, regional, and national collaborations that enrich and support a thriving arts and culture ecosystem in Multnomah County.
  3. Advocate and build public support for increased funding for arts and culture activities in Multnomah County. 

GRANT GOALS  

The purpose of the CCP is to advance the following goals:  

  1. Make culture accessible and affordable to Multnomah County residents.  
  2. Promote cultural diversity.  
  3. Encourage new cultural activities.  
  4. Foster partnerships and collaborations which support the above.  

GRANT TIMELINE  

Applications open on Monday, September 30, 2024, and close on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 11:59pm PST.  Applications are now closed. Applicants can expect to hear about the outcome of their application before January 20, 2025. Checks and grant agreements will be disbursed in February 2025.  

All funded activities must take place between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. If a project cannot be finished within this timeframe, the awarded funds will need to be returned. While extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances, we encourage applicants to adhere to the specified period. Should unforeseen changes to the program timeline occur, please contact MCCC as soon as possible.

HOW TO APPLY

  1. Review the full grant guidelines and application questions:
  1. Starting on September 30, access the online application at racc.smapply.org/prog/mccc. Applicants must complete and electronically submit an online application by November 10, 2024, at 11:59pm PST. 

MCCC hosts the CCP grant application on the RACC Opportunity Portal, managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) via Survey Monkey Apply. 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.

  1. (Optional) Attend the virtual Grant Info Session on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 12:00-1:00pm PST, hosted by MCCC board members via Zoom. Participation is completely optional and will not impact the selection process. The info session is a casual opportunity to learn about the grant program and the application, and to address questions in real time.

    This presentation was recorded and is available here (passcode: sw0NH8s!).
    View the slide deck for the presentation here.

MCCC board members are available to answer questions at info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. 

Please reach out early: we are volunteer-led and do not always have capacity to respond to last-minute/urgent requests.  

ELIGIBILITY  

To be eligible for an MCCC grant, applicants must:

  1. Demonstrate in your application that your work aligns with one or more MCCC CCP grant goals (see GRANT GOALS above). 
  2. Be headquartered within Multnomah County. The legal address shown on your W-9 form must be in Multnomah County.  
  3. Serve or provide benefit to people in Multnomah County.  
  4. 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, however 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.  
  5. Be seeking funding for a maximum of the second consecutive year. After this period, you must skip one year before becoming eligible to apply again. For example, an organization funded in both 2023 and 2024 would need to wait until the 2026 grant cycle to be considered for funding again.
  6. 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. Individuals are not eligible to apply. (Groups that don’t have an EIN and are ready to create a business entity that will be responsible for the management, disposition, and tax reporting of its funds and assets can apply to the Internal Revenue Service for an EIN by going to their website at https://www.irs.gov.)

INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS / EXPENDITURES  

  1. Grants will not be awarded to individuals nor groups without an EIN.
  2. Grantees who fail to submit their previously due final reports by January 31, 2025 will forfeit their awards.  
  3. Grants will not be awarded to organizations that have received MCCC funding for two consecutive years immediately prior to the current grant cycle.
  4. Organizations and groups located outside of Multnomah County are not eligible to apply, even if your work benefits Multnomah County residents.  
  5. Activities taking place outside of Multnomah County are not eligible.  
  6. Activities taking place before January 1, 2025 and after December 31, 2025 are not eligible.  
  7. 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.  

If you’d like to learn more about our past grantees and the types of projects we tend to support, or find resources to help with grant application, please visit our website: https://multcoculturalcoalition.org/about/ 

APPLICATION REVIEW & SELECTION PROCESS 

  1. MCCC staff and board will review applications to determine basic eligibility. Applicants will be notified if they are ineligible.  
  2. 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.  
  3. Panelists with a conflict of interest will not be permitted to offer an opinion or score on the application in question.  
  4. Panels will review applications using the criteria listed below.  
  5. MCCC will make grants between $1,000 and $3,000 in increments of $250 based on panel recommendations. Funding will be distributed by check through the mail.  
  6. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by email on or before January 20, 2025. 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:  

  1. Eligibility: The proposal meets eligibility requirements.  
  2. Feasibility: The application demonstrates clear planning and the ability to carry out  the proposal.  
  3. MCCC Goals: The project advances one or more MCCC grant goals to:
    1. Make culture accessible and affordable to Multnomah County residents.  
    2. Promote cultural diversity.  
    3. Encourage new cultural activities.  
    4. Foster partnerships and collaborations which support the above.  
  4. Equity: The project is led by and/or benefiting communities that have historically been neglected by or excluded from institutional funding for arts and culture. These communities may include but are not limited to Black and Indigenous people, communities of color and otherwise racialized communities, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants and refugees, people living with disabilities, people  living with low incomes, people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, people experiencing houselessness, those living in rural communities, and others.  
  5. Accessibility: The application shows clear planning and consideration for how to make events and projects broadly accessible and affordable including ticket price, venue location, venue ADA  compliance, partnerships, outreach, etc.  
  6. Impact: The application addresses impact for the communities served, exemplifying that the project/organization is grounded in its community with direct involvement from its constituents.
  7. Budget: The budget reflects the proposed activities and requested amount.  
  8. Need: MCCC prioritizes grantmaking for creative communities and projects that stand to gain the most from our support. We especially seek to assist smaller organizations and groups that may benefit significantly from our funding.

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 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.)  

MCCC GRANT REQUIREMENTS  

  1. Funding given through this grant must be used between January 1, 2025 and  December 31, 2025.  
  2. 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, 2026 at the latest.  
  3. 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.  
  4. 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!  

LANGUAGE

The language that MCCC has used to address identities, equity, and accessibility reflects our sincere intention to be inclusive and to serve those who can benefit most from MCCC funding. We acknowledge that while our current language may not capture every group facing inequities due to their identities or how they are perceived, our aim is to prioritize and support all such communities. We understand that language evolves and are committed to continually refining our approach. We welcome and encourage community feedback and suggestions to help us improve and better meet the needs of all groups.

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION  

The MCCC is committed to making our resources available to every member of Multnomah County without regard to national origin, race, ethnicity, color, age, marital or familial status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, educational background, disability, religion, veteran status, political opinion, physical appearance, or source of income. We expect our grantees to uphold this policy in their work.  

1 General Operating Support: Unrestricted funds that support the general operations of an organization (for example, salaries, rent, utilities, supplies). Applicants MUST have a 501(c)3 designation from the IRS to apply for general operating support.  

Project Support: Funds that are designated to a specific project carried out by the organization.  

Capacity Building/Capital Support: Funds that are for board and staff development, technological assistance and upgrades, and strategic planning, or for the purchases of needed equipment, etc.

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