The Cultural Facilities Program is a new grant program, authorized by the Dallas City Council in fiscal year 2016-17. OCA staff have developed program guidelines, and an application and review process for the award of funds. We have prepared this list of frequently asked questions to assist potential applicants in determining their organizational and project eligibility, and to provide tips on completing the grant application. If you have additional questions, please feel free to email or call us.
[toggle title=”Who is eligible to apply?”]
Complete organizational eligibility requirements are listed on page 2 of the program guidelines. The basic qualifications are that:
- Organizations must be a Texas not-for-profit corporation, and have current 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status.
- Organizations must have administrative offices located within the city of Dallas.
- The applicant’s primary mission must be to conduct arts and cultural programming.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Is our project eligible for funding?”]
Complete project eligibility requirements are listed in the program guidelines. The basic qualifications are that:
- Organizations must own the property where the proposed project is to occur, and the property must be located within the city of Dallas
- The project must be at a cultural facility which is used for the programming, production, presentation, exhibition of any of the arts and cultural disciplines. These disciplines are music, dance, theater, creative writing, literature, architecture, painting, sculpture, folk arts, photography, crafts, media arts, visual arts, and programs of museums and must comprise at least 85% of facility use.
- If the facility is also used as office or meeting space, storage, or other functions, you must provide documentation that 85% of the overall building use is for cultural programming. This may be demonstrated through a schedule of programming for the previous year and cultural program attendance vs. non-cultural program attendance.
- Projects must have a public purpose, a measurable community impact, and should address at least one of the following priorities:
- Urgent-need remodeling, renovation or major repairs of existing facilities including equipment and technology upgrades or replacement
- Improvements to a historic building
- Allow for significant organizational growth
- Bring buildings into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or other building code requirements
- Parking expansion
- Grant funds may not be used for the reimbursement of costs that are paid prior to the execution of a Funding Award Agreement or outside the dates stated in the grant award agreement
Please refer to the program guidelines for a complete list of eligibility requirements and restrictions
[/toggle]
