Trenton, NJ - The New Jersey State Council on the Arts announces the availability of guidelines and applications for the fiscal year 2011 (7/1/10 - 6/30/11) Organizational Grant Program. Through this program, informed by the needs of the arts community and the public, the Council assists eligible organizations in serving the people of New Jersey through arts programs and projects. The following types of support are available for fiscal year 2011:
Arts Project Support is available for NJ based, nonprofit organizations, colleges or units of local government to help support an arts event.
Building Arts Participation helps support projects that identify and address barriers to broadening, deepening and/or diversifying arts participation.
Notices of Intent to Apply must be submitted through the Arts Council electronic grant application system SAGE by December 11, 2009. Complete applications must also be submitted via the SAGE system and are due by February 17, 2010 for Arts Project Support, and by February 24, 2010 for Building Arts Participation.
In order to be eligible for Arts Council grants, applicants must be a private nonprofit organization incorporated in New Jersey, a unit of local government, or a college/university; be tax-exempt as determined by the IRS; be registered with the New Jersey Charities Registration Bureau; be in existence and providing public programs or services for at least two years; and demonstrate that its activities serve an audience in a multi-county region of the state. Applicants with a primarily local audience from a single county may apply for support through their designated County Arts Agency. Building Arts Participation has additional eligibility requirements, which are detailed in the grant application guidelines. Interested organizations can access complete information about applying for these grants on the Council's web site at www.njartscouncil.org.
Workshops conducted by Arts Council staff will be offered in several locations and via conference call for groups seeking assistance with the application process. A schedule of workshops, intended to furnish applicants with technical assistance and guidance in filing a Notice of Intent to Apply, is as follows:
December 1, 2009-Conference Call Workshop at 2 pm
December 3, 2009-Noyes Museum of Art in Oceanville at 1 pm
December 8, 2009-New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark at 11 am
To reserve a space at a workshop please email carmen@arts.sos.state.nj.us. All workshop sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Applicants in need of special assistance in regard to the workshops should contact the Arts Council office at 609-292-6130 or 609-633-1186 (TTY) or Access Coordinator Don Ehman at don@arts.sos.state.nj.us no later than two weeks prior to the workshop date.
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The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is a division of the New Jersey Department of State. It receives funding through direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since 1966, its volunteer members and professional staff have worked to improve the quality of life for New Jersey, its people and communities by helping the arts to flourish. For more information about the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, please visit www.njartscouncil.org. Further information regarding the arts is found on an interactive web site (http://www.jerseyarts.com) and available on a toll-free hotline (1-800- THE ARTS).
