**As of June 6, 2023, we are no longer taking applications for Forsyth County ARPA Funding.**
About the Program
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners recently earmarked $4.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to be managed by Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County. These funds will be used to provide aid to the local arts and the cultural sector, including arts and cultural organizations and artist small businesses through new revitalization and expansion of community-based arts programming, arts workforce development programs, and technical assistance. Requests for funding may range from $1,000 to $75,000. Higher requests may be considered but are not guaranteed. All projects must be sustainable and show diverse community impact. Awards will be made on through reimbursement contracts, however this should not be a barrier to apply.
Timeline
Application Deadline: The final deadline to submit ARPA applications is June 5 at 11:59pm EST. Based on the number of requests we received and the amount that has already been allocated (over $4MM), we are closing the application process after this deadline. Our committee recently met to review the May submissions and after their award recommendations, the remaining amount of ARPA funds available is $380,000. These funds are geared toward the areas of revitalization, community expansion, professional development, and capacity building. Part of the overall allocations that have been approved by our committee year-to-date include 2 new specific funding initiatives. These include $50,000 for individual artist mini grants and $125,000 for arts and education initiatives for teachers and school enrichment. The application for these 2 pools of funds will be launched in the coming months.
Please Note: All applications and supporting, required documents must be submitted via the Submittable grants portal.
Review of Application: Applications will be reviewed by Arts Council Public Support and Community Engagement Committee on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. To be considered at the monthly review meeting, applications must be submitted by the 5th of the month.
Award Notification: By the end of each month the application was submitted.
Project Period: All projects must be completed by December 31, 2024
Reporting: Monthly reporting will be required as outlined in the Eligibility Documents below.
Eligibility Criteria
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Must be an organization, business entity or individual artist that resides and/or produce most of their program and services in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County.
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ARPA contract recipients must acknowledge the receipt of eligibility documents for the ARPA Fund Application, and agree to comply to all guidelines, procedure and policies of this contract award process.
Evaluation Criteria
Arts Council staff will review all applications to ensure their eligibility. All eligible applications are evaluated by Arts Council Public Support and Community Engagement Committee the 3rd Wednesday of every month.
Below are the guidelines upon which your ARPA Application will be reviewed and evaluated:
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BUDGET: Is the budget clear with detailed expenses? Does the project budget align with the project narrative?
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SUSTAINABILITY: Is the sustainability plan for this project clear and feasible?
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COMMUNITY IMPACT: Is it clear as to the constituency being served in this project? How does this align with Arts Council strategic visioning roadmap.
Note: At least 50% of the ARPA Funds must serve project initiatives in disproportionately impacted communities, and provide initiatives in areas that are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty level. More information about the Federal Poverty level can be found in our resource drive below.
Required Eligibility Documents for ARPA Fund Application
Please review all eligibility documents prior to submitting application.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17bmSh3eOiLeygl6gKGC1fftxTQLzwWXE?usp=share_link
Forms for ARPA Fund Application
Required forms to upload in ARPA Application.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kX9P5MHoJebvK8APCmDnqmVCMUxStRYa?usp=share_link
Contact
General Questions:
Shannon Stokes
Director of Community Impact and Programs
(336) 747-1416
To Schedule a Call with Grants Team:
Cécile Boynton
Community Grants and Services Manager
(336) 747-1412