Award Notices, Anticipated Announcement, and Award Dates
CAH will notify applicants of the results of their application and the applicable award disbursement process on or shortly after October 1, 2026, via (1) letter of intention to award, (2) letter of ineligibility, or (3) letter of denial. These notifications will be sent via the applicant’s email as it appears in the CAH Grants Portal.
For award recipients, the date of CAH grant award payment disbursement(s) is subject to the availability of funds and the processing of required documentation. CAH staff will advise grant award recipients on the payment disbursement process on or after October 1, 2026. More details may be found on CAH’s website at Managing Grant Awards. CAH reserves the right to rescind any grant award for non-compliance with CAH policies, regulations, and RFA guidelines at any time. Grant recipients with unmet reporting obligations regarding any CAH funding program are ineligible to receive additional awards from CAH.
Programmtic, Administrative, and National Policy Requirements
Grant award funds must be spent within CAH’s Fiscal Year 2027, October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. Federal and District of Columbia law require all grant applicants to comply with all applicable laws and regulations that regard non-discrimination. The list of those laws and regulations include: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which provides that grant recipients must take adequate steps to ensure that people with limited English proficiency receive the language assistance necessary to afford them meaningful access to grant-related programs, activities and services); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sections 1681-1686) (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Section 794); the DC Human Rights Act of 1977; and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. §§12101 - 12213) (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabilities). If there are any conflicts between the terms and conditions of the RFA and any applicable federal or local law or regulation, or any ambiguity related thereto, then the provisions of the applicable law or regulation shall control, and it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure compliance.
All grant recipients are subject to risk assessments and monitoring requirements. Those practices are discussed in greater detail in the applicants’ grant agreements with CAH. Activities funded by CAH will be monitored and evaluated by its staff, to assure compliance with all applicable District of Columbia’s statutes, regulations, orders and other requirements. This monitoring process may include site visits, an evaluation of allowable costs, as assessment of efforts to meet projected grant applicant benchmarks, providing proof of expenditures, etc. Additionally, grantees agree to include a CAH logo and a credit line in all grant-related announcements and promotional materials and that it will make its best efforts to publicly credit CAH’s support in all related public events.
Conditions of Funding, Reporting Requirements, & Grant Cancellations
CAH will notify each applicant of the acceptance or rejection of their application for grant award within 45 days after the application submission deadline (DC Code §§ 1–328.13-.14) All award decisions will be announced on or after October 1, 2026, via (1) letter of intention to award, (2) letter of ineligibility, or (3) letter of denial.
- Certification of “Citywide Clean Hands” (CCH) from the DC Office of Tax and Revenue. Applicants may visit My Tax DC for more information and obtain their CCH certificate.
- Register the applicant organization with the District Integrated Financial System (if new applicant to CAH) OR check the registration status of account in District Integrated Financial System (if returning applicant).
The date of award disbursements is subject to the availability of funds and the processing of required documentation. CAH does not disburse grant award installment directly through its office. To expedite grant award fund delivery, CAH advises grantees to register to receive a direct deposit for the grant award, by completing an Automated Clearing House (ACH) Form. Request the form by emailing [email protected] and asking for ACH Form Version 8.1
CAH reserves the right to withhold, reduce or rescind a grant award for non-compliance with grant guidelines, policies or regulations according to the terms and provisions of the grant agreement, or if the grantee exercises any of the following:
- Fails to comply with the terms of the grant award contract requirements.
- Fails to demonstrate adequate oversight and management of the project.
- Fails to properly publicly credit CAH’s support.
CAH reserves the right to rescind all grant awards for non-compliance with CAH grant guidelines, policies, or regulations, at any time. FY27 grant recipients with unmet reporting obligations regarding any CAH funding program as of October close of business on October to receive additional awards from CAH
Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act of 2020
In accordance with the District’s Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act (NFCA), when making grant awards to non-profit organizations, the DC government will honor an unexpired federal Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or a similar rate negotiated with another DC government agency in the last two years. If applicant organizations do not have a NICRA, those applicants may assign a maximum of 10% of all direct costs in their awards to indirect costs under the grant.
Alternatively, grantees may elect to negotiate a new indirect cost rate with the agency - or seek out an independent DC Certified Public Accountant to calculate an indirect cost rate using the Office of Management and Budget guidelines.
Applicants may include these indirect costs in their budget calculations and identify the basis for the calculation in supporting materials.
Reporting Requirements
Grantees are required to submit to CAH Interim and Final Reports regarding: (1) the extent to which they met their CAH grant award-related organizational and project goals; (2) the level to which the funded projects or activities were accessible to a diverse group of constituents in the city; and (3) the growth that was made in advancing practices of equity with internal and external stakeholders.
Each grantee’s respective report must also include:
- Financial reporting regarding the funded activities that clearly shows how the subject grant funds were used.
- Proof of expenditures and related locations data.
- Numbers of people and communities served.
- Numbers of schools served (if applicable).
- Numbers of local artists and youth engaged.
Grantees who do not submit Final Reports are ineligible for further CAH funding.
Grantees awarded $12,500 or less must submit a Final Report by Friday, October 15, 2027.
Grantees awarded above $12,500 must submit an Interim Report by Thursday, April 15, 2027, and a Final Report by Friday, October 15, 2027.
Grantees with delinquent reports will not be eligible to receive subsequent payments or awards in current or future grant cycles. All the above-referenced reports must be completed and submitted to CAH through its online portal. Grantees may access the Interim and Final Report forms through the Resources for Grant Recipients page on CAH’s website. CAH provides guidance on narrative and financial report content in a recorded workshop available on its website.
Grant Management and Rescission
CAH has the right to withhold, reduce, or rescind a grant award according to the terms and provisions of the grant agreement or if the grantee exercises any of the following:
- Fails to meet deadlines for grant reports.
- Fails to notify CAH of changes in project collaborators or other significant management changes or changes in the project scope without advance approval.
- Refuses to provide access for monitoring.
Citywide Clean Hands (CCH)
All applicants must obtain a clean hands certification to receive a grant award from CAH. This certification is required before any related grant disbursement may be made. Certification may be obtained by registering with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue using the following link: My Tax DC.
Legal Compliance
Federal and District of Columbia law requires all grant applicants to comply with all applicable laws and regulations that regard non-discrimination. The list of those laws and regulations include: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which provides that grant recipients must take adequate steps to ensure that people with limited English proficiency receive the language assistance necessary to afford them meaningful access to grant-related programs, activities and services); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sections 1681-1686) (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Section 794); the DC Human Rights Act of 1977; and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.§§12101 - 12213) (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabilities); the Hatch Act, Pub. L. 76-252, 24 Stat. 440 (7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.); Fair Labor Standards Act, Pub. L. 75-718, 52 Stat. 1060 (29 U.S.C.201 et seq.); Language Access Act of 2004, D.C. Law 15-414 (D.C. Official Code § 2- 1931 et seq.); and Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act of 2020, D.C. Law 23-185 (D.C. Official Code § 2-222.01 et seq.).
Americans with Disabilities Act
CAH is a community-centered agency that recognizes the importance of equality and community engagement within the arts and humanities. We embrace the nuance of DC's distinct cultural design and are committed to ensuring all DC residents have universal access to the arts across all 8 wards of the District. CAH also complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq.) in all of our grants and processes. For reference, applicants may use this link to access the text of the ADA: https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/ Notwithstanding the fact that it has shared hyperlinks attached immediately above and later below, the District government does not represent that the shared text of the ADA (or any other text) is the latest version of the subject law.
Credit/Acknowledgment
Grant recipient agrees that it will include a CAH logo or a credit line in all of its grant-related announcements and promotional materials. Also, the grant recipient will make its best efforts to publicly credit CAH support in any and every public event that is held and that is related to CAH’s funding of programs and activities. Certain CAH awards are underwritten in part or in whole by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Grant recipients in receipt of NEA funds as part of their GOS award must publicly credit NEA in any of their grants-related announcements and promotional materials.