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Colorado CARES Act Grant

The Colorado CARES Act Grant helped save jobs in the arts sector by providing a $5,000 grant to nonprofit arts organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) awarded funds to nonprofit arts organizations in Colorado to help these entities and their employees endure the economic hardships caused by the forced closure of their operations due to the spread of COVID-19.

Grants were made to organizations to support salaries and facilities costs. CCI awarded organizations that impacted a broad constituency. Awardees included a wide geographic range and organizations that serve underserved populations such as those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.

 This program was a one-time grant that closed in May 2020. Applications are no longer accepted.

Overview

Type: Grant

For: Nonprofit arts organizations

Amount: $5,000 per organization

OEDIT division: Colorado Creative Industries

Your organization needed to:

  • be an arts-focused 501 (c) 3 organizations with a primary purpose to support the arts as reflected in their organizational mission
  • have its primary business location in Colorado
  • be registered in Good Standing with the Colorado Secretary of State for at least one year
  • have a cash operating budget between $25,000—250,000 for their last completed fiscal year
  • not be 2019 awardees from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District

Eligible expenses included:

  • salary support, full or partial, for one or more positions that are critical to an organization’s artistic mission. 
  • fees for artists and/or contractual personnel to maintain or expand the period during which such persons would be engaged.
  • facilities costs such as rent and utilities.

The timeline was for the calendar year 2020.

April 17 to May 15 – Grant information period
May 15 – Deadline to submit online application
May 16 to May 31 – CCI staff reviews applications
June 19 – Council reviews recommendations; CCI announces funding
June 20 to June 30 – Grantees return award documents to CCI
July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 – Funding period

You need to include a Colorado Creative Industries logo in all announcements and promotional materials and publicly credit Colorado Creative Industries at any public events related to your grant-funded program and activities.  Recipients may also use the current National Endowment for the Arts logo if desired.

You need to submit a final report about how you met your organizational and project goals and the community impact of the activities. Final reports need to include a financial report for the funded activity clearly showing how you spent the money, numbers of people and communities served, and numbers of artists and youth the project engaged. Grant recipients who do not submit final reports are ineligible for further Colorado Creative Industries funding.

As a condition of the grant, Colorado Creative Industries requires the recipient of public funds to comply with all state terms (PDF) and federal terms (PDF). All material submitted regarding application for grant funds becomes the property of the State of Colorado and is subject to the terms of Colorado Revised Statutes 24-72-201 through 24-72- 206, Public Open Records. The State of Colorado has the right to use any or all information/material presented in reply to the Announcement, subject to limitations for proprietary or confidential information. Disqualification or denial of the application does not eliminate this right. Any restrictions on the use or inspection of material contained within the proposal shall be clearly stated in the proposal itself. The contents of the application will become contractual obligations if the project is funded.

Colorado Creative Industries can withhold, reduce, or cancel awards if a grantee:

  • misses deadlines for reports
  • does not notify the Colorado Creative Industries of significant management changes or instances of fraud or embezzlement
  • fails to comply with the grant award requirements
  • demonstrates inadequate financial management and oversight
  • does not properly credit support from Colorado Creative Industries

Colorado Creative Industries requires recipients of public funds to comply with all state and federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to:

  • Fair Labor Standards – Meet requirements for minimum wage and working conditions.
  • Nondiscrimination – Statutes prohibite discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry or marital status.
  • Audit – All applications accepted for funding become official records of the State of Colorado and are subject to an audit. Colorado Creative Industries requires open access to accounting records for award funds spent for the purpose of audit examination, reference, or transcription.
  • Drug-Free Work Place – Comply to the extent applicable with the Drug-Free Work Place Act of 1988.
  • Fair Language – To comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, grant recipients need to take adequate steps to provide language assistance so people with limited English proficiency can meaningfully access programs, activities, and services.
  • Access for People with Disabilities – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. All events funded by Colorado Creative Industries need to be accessible to people with disabilities including visual, hearing, mobility, and learning impairments. If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Access Gallery at 303-777-0797.

Grantee agrees to send a letter to their state legislators, informing them of the importance of state funding. 

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