GENERAL FUNDING GUIDELINES

           GENERAL FUNDING GUIDELINES

     The links below provide information necessary for the successful submission of an application

 package and also provided information that details GCA policies and regulations.  The information is 

 "general"  in that it relates to all GCA grants and does not detail specific information for an individual

 program area. For tips on writing a successful application, visit the Resources page.

• About the Grant Application Process
• Changes for Fiscal Year 2010
• Application & Contract Compliance
• Application Glossary of Terms

        ABOUT GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS

     Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a state agency with the mission to provide access to the arts for all Georgians. The agency strives for 100% statewide coverage in the support of arts programming through grants, which are competitive applications for funding that are adjudicated by peers. The charter also encourages the agency to provide services such as programming that supports the arts, artists, and the arts organizations of Georgia. Among these services, GCA maintains and loans pieces from the State Art Collection, supports arts organizations, and partners with other state agencies to provide general support for the arts, as with the quarterly, State of the Arts television series on Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB).

     Though the applicant applies for funding through a grant, those receiving an award are given a contract with the state of Georgia (Contract for Services) for satisfactory completion of the commitments made in the application.

     GCA offers grants in four programming areas: Arts Services, Arts Education, Community Arts, and Traditional Arts. These four areas correspond to the Value of the Arts.  Each area is managed by a separate Program Manager.  You may click on the links below to view the grants offered in each program area and access contact information for the appropriate Program Manager.

• Art Services grants are for single-discipline, nonprofit arts organizations that are dedicated to the production or presentation of art works, enriching the cultural environment of their communities
• Arts Education grants are for improving the educational attainment of Georgia’s students
• Community Arts grants are for growing the cohesiveness, arts access, and identity of a community
• Traditional Arts grants are for preserving the arts (oral, material, and performance) of indigenous and immigrant populations of Georgia.

     Overall, the state of Georgia invests taxpayer funds into the arts for their intrinsic value: their ability to teach us about ourselves and about others, while enriching our lives.

     GCA also offers Artist Rosters, or adjudicated listings of qualified artists and consultants. There is no direct monetary award associated with inclusion on these Rosters, but GCA promotes and markets these to schools, arts organizations, presenters and others, providing grant support to hire GCA-certified touring artists, educational consultants, and teaching artists.

        FUNDING PHILOSOPHY

     As developed by the Georgia General Assembly, the mission of GCA is access to the arts for all Georgians. Under this mandate, the agency recognizes three means of advancing the arts industry in Georgia:

• Artistic Excellence
• Organizational Capacity
• Community Impact

     These three elements assure the Legislature and all Georgians that artistic excellence is promoted, that the organizations receiving awards are capable of executing and meeting their contractual obligations, and that these organizations are enhancing their communities, while providing access to the arts for all Georgians. These same three elements are the core criteria used in adjudicating the applications by the Peer Review Panel.

     Grant applications are competitive instruments; the awards received are not based on need, but on merit and on the applicant organization’s artistic excellence, organizational capacity, and community impact.

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