Overview
The goal of this Community Grant area is to promote a vibrant and accessible arts community for all Marin residents.
Engagement with arts and cultural activities is an important aspect of an individual's personal development and quality of life and is a primary factor in fostering a sense of community, respect, and understanding of others. Many factors are undermining the effectiveness of the arts in building community: impediments to the public's awareness of arts and cultural opportunities; time constraints on individuals and families; competing sources of recreation; the segregation of audiences; and the continued economic pressure facing arts organizations. Arts and cultural organizations need improved understanding of the economic and cultural marketplace in Marin County and strategies to engage diverse audiences more effectively. MCF's grantmaking in this area will focus on both arts programming and capacity building of the arts sector.
A logic model for this strategy has been developed that further explains the approaches, activities, and desired impact of this goal area.
Under this goal, MCF will support projects undertaken by arts and cultural organizations, as well as interested non-arts organizations that incorporate the strategy described below.
Grants, Results, and More
Click here to learn about grants made under this goal area, along with results, an impact story, and background about this issue.
Strategy: Strengthen Marin’s arts sector to increase public engagement in the arts.
Approach A: Grantmaking to support arts and cultural programming, with a special emphasis on underserved residents.
MCF focuses its support on arts and cultural programming for underserved populations, including low-income residents; people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ); immigrants; individuals living in rural settings; and youth whose many challenges include not experiencing the benefits of the arts. The Foundation is looking to support an array of arts and cultural programming and activities that engage underserved residents.
In addition, MCF recognizes that many Marin residents are unable to engage in arts and cultural programs and activities due to isolation and/or institutionalization. The arts offer a powerful mechanism to make a difference in the lives of these residents and assist their continued or renewed participation in community activities. MCF will support organizations providing programs or activities that use the arts to enrich and improve the lives of those who are isolated or institutionalized.
Approximately $100,000-$150,000 is available in funding for this area. Requests under $5,000 or over $40,000 are not encouraged.
Eligibility:
Grants are limited to qualified non-profit organizations directly serving residents of Marin County.
Program Limitations:
Funding in this area is limited to project support restricted to a specific piece of work that provides direct benefit to the organization’s constituents over a period of time to achieve measurable results. Project support grants may be used to pay for all costs directly related to the operation of the project. Project support grants cannot be used for general administration of the organization.
Through this Community Grantmaking area, the Foundation does not generally provide support for:
- Individual artists
- Special event sponsorship
- Stand alone tuition scholarship programs
- Innovative or standards-based arts education in school programs (Innovative and standards-based arts education programs are supported through the Arts Education Community Grant Area. An exception is arts education programs offered in a school setting limited to incarcerated youth.)
- Underwriting support to provide free tickets to performances or events as a stand alone project
- Expressive arts therapies
- Capital projects
Selection Criteria:
The most competitive projects will satisfy one or more of the following criteria:
- responds to a clearly demonstrated community need
- demonstrates organizational capacity to meet those needs
- offers programming that is culturally relevant to the constituency served
- presents a program budget that includes a variety of funding sources
- articulates measureable outcomes
Process for Approach A:
This will be a competitive and comprehensive process. Please review the guidelines carefully to determine if your program fits the parameters. All applicants are encouraged to have a brief, preliminary phone call with Shirin Vakharia, program director, before beginning the application. Contact Shirin to schedule a phone appointment on or before September 13 at 415.464.2523 or via email.
Please submit your application using MCF's Grant Application Center. This system will enable you to provide all required information online, without having to fill out and send in paperwork.
Please note that first-time applicants must register before the application can be accessed. The registration process takes one day to complete.
Open Registration Date: September 7, 2011
Deadline for Full Proposal: September 23, 2011
Grants Announced: early December, 2011
Go to the Grant Application Center.
Approach B: Grantmaking, technical assistance, and convening to build the capacity of arts organizations
MCF will focus on building the capacity of the arts sector in order to increase public engagement in the arts and to help arts organizations focus their missions and streamline their operations during difficult economic times. Capacity building projects may include: arts sector convenings; grantee networking groups; professional development; strategic planning; and innovative arts programming.
In addition, MCF will provide technical assistance support to providers to craft strategies aimed at broadening, deepening, and diversifying their audiences and will provide targeted assistance to implement and evaluate these strategies. Specifically, MCF will provide technical assistance and planning grants to two cohorts of organizations. Selected organizations that have received planning grants will then be eligible for implementation grants in subsequent years. Cohorts of grantees and other interested organizations will be encouraged to participate in a learning community. This learning community is designed to foster collaboration among arts providers and explore innovative efforts to enhance public engagement in the arts and culture.
To download a list of resources, including reports and websites, about building capacity in the arts, click on the icon to the right.
Process for Approach B: Grantmaking in this area has been completed for 2011. The next round of grants will be by invitation only and open only to organizations that received funding in the first round of grants.
Approach C: Grantmaking to support a community census
With support from diverse partners, MCF will conduct a community census of public engagement with the arts and culture in Marin County, including an inventory of cultural assets, an assessment of public attitudes about the arts, and research on the motivations of arts donors.
Process for Approach C:
The Foundation will invite proposals from selected organizations. This approach will not use an open competitive process.
