A. Address to Request Application Package
CAH utilizes an online grant portal to receive grant applications. The PEF application may be found online in the CAH Grant Application Portal, available at https://jlweb.co/prod1/portal/portal.jsp?c=4193775&p=6947885&g=6947905. Incomplete, incorrect, or late applications may be deemed ineligible for review and funding.
B. Technical Assistance
CAH staff are available to assist grant applicants during group or individual technical assistance sessions. Applicants may also request review of draft applications during a thirty (30) minute appointment during business hours scheduled no later than seven calendar days in advance of the grant application deadline. CAH staff will not write applications for applicants. To schedule a meeting, applicants may contact the CAH staff listed in Section VII below. Applicants must prepare their full draft application in the CAH Grants Application Portal along with any questions in advance of scheduling a meeting for technical assistance.
C. Workshops
To improve the strength of applications, CAH strongly recommends participating in one of the following virtual workshops listed below. All workshops are virtual, free, and open to the public. More information about workshops may be found at www.dcarts.dc.gov under Grant Writing Assistance, or by calling the CAH Point of Contact listed in Section VII. Workshops and Live Chats may be accessed by visiting dcarts.dc.gov/page/live-chat-dccah-grants-specialist. Interested artists and humanities practitioners may register for workshops via Eventbrite at eventbrite.com/o/dc-commission-on-the-arts-and-humanities-cah-1252966799.
| Workshop | Time | Live Chats | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, May 18 | 2 to 3:30 pm EST | View Recording | Friday, May 12 | 2 to 3:30 pm EST |
| Tuesday, May 30 | 5:30 to 7 pm EST | Friday, May 19 | 2 to 3:30 pm EST | |
| Thursday, June 8 | 10:30 am to Noon EST | Friday, May 26 | 2 to 3:30 pm EST | |
| N/A | N/A | Friday, June 2 | 2 to 3:30 pm EST | |
| N/A | N/A | Friday, June 9 | 2 to 3:30 pm EST |
D. Application Forms and Content
CAH utilizes an online portal to receive grant applications. Each application shall:
- Clearly articulate the design, deliverables, and schedule of the project, including the impact of the project on the community and on the artists and/or organization involved in the execution.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the community and community members where the project is implemented and reflect this understanding of its location and participants through the design of its proposed project(s).
- Employ methods and technology, where appropriate, to ensure project accessibility and engagement for all project participants.
- Present one distinct project with a clear plan for project budgeting, marketing, and a timeline for implementation. It is not recommended that applicants include multiple projects in their applications.
- Include a certificate of general liability insurance or a price quote from an insurance provider detailing coverage for the entire period of the proposed grant award.
In addition to the required narrative questions within the online application, applicants must submit additional documents with the PEF application. Documents must be uploaded in PDF form through CAH Grants Application Portal prior to the application deadline. Templates and instructions for compliance documents are available in Grantee Resources.
Mandatory Documents
| 1 | Work Samples |
CAH recommends reviewing the Work Sample Addendum (found within the Guide to Grants) to determine materials that would best support the application. Work samples must be no more than three (3) years old from the date of submission. Submitting older work samples may render the application ineligible for funding consideration. |
| 2 | Support Materials |
Up to three (3) additional items (e.g., letters of support, awards, programs, publicity, etc.). |
| 3 | Resumes of Key Personnel |
Examples include artistic/managing/executive directors; teaching artists; etc. Provide roles, areas of responsibility, and ward or state of residence. |
| 4 | Budget Form |
Detailed financial analysis of how grant funds will be spent, if awarded. |
| 5 | Certificate of Clean Hands |
Issued within 30 days of the application deadline. Applicants may visit the following site to obtain more information: mytax.dc.gov |
| 6 | Statement of Certification |
Date must match that of the PEF application submission |
| 7 | Signed IRS Form W-9 |
Post office boxes are prohibited. The applicant’s address must match the address in the grants portal, the address on file in the DC Government’s vendor registration system (PASS), and in the DC Vendor Portal. The October 2018 version of the form must be used and have the same date as the PEF application submission. |
| 8 | Certificate of Liability Insurance (general coverage) |
Be sure to include a written waiver of subrogation. |
| 9 | Balance Sheet (Organizations only) |
From most recently completed fiscal year |
| 10 | Current Organizational Budget (Organizations only) |
Approved by the organization’s Board of Directors. |
| 11 | IRS 501(c)(3) Letter of Determination. (Organizations only) | 501 c (3) letter of determination. |
| 12 | IRS Form 990 (Organizations Only) | Most-recently filed |
| 13 | Letter of Project Site Agreement (Organizations only) | Only required for Festivals. Optional but recommended for all other PEF applicants. |
| 14 | List of Current Board of Directors (Organizations only) | Provide board roles (e.g. president, treasurer, etc.), responsibilities and home address/wards. |
| 15 | Profid and Loss Statement (Organizations only) | From most recently completed fiscal quarter. |
Applicants are fully responsible for the content of their application materials. An automated confirmation of an applicant’s submission does not guarantee an applicant’s eligibility, and therefore review by the advisory review panel (see below, “Review Process”). CAH staff is not permitted to make corrections to applications on behalf of applicants. CAH staff reviews applications for completeness and contacts applicants for any incomplete documents within five (5) business days of the deadline. Applicants are then responsible for updating their application within five (5) business days of CAH’s notification. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.
E. Grant Application Process
- Read the Guide to Grants.
- Read the RFA guidelines (for the desired grant program) and determine eligibility.
- Go to Apply for Grants and select Grant Application Portal to register as a user.
(Note: To reset a user password either select “Forgot your password?” or click here). - Upon registration, applicants select the desired grant program(s).
- Complete the application questions, budget, and budget narrative data.
- Upload required documents, supplementary material, and work samples.
- Double-check the application for thoroughness, clarity, and typographical errors.
- Submit the application by 10:00 PM ET on the grant program’s deadline date.
- Ensure receipt of grant submission confirmation email, auto generated by the online portal, by the application deadline.
F. Submission Dates and Times
Complete PEF applications must be submitted online via the CAH Grants Application Portal by 10:00 PM EST on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. CAH does not accept mailed, emailed or hand-delivered copies of grant applications or required attachments. Technical issues or failure to receive a confirmation email should be immediately brought to the attention of the CAH staff listed in Section VII below. Incomplete, incorrect, or late applications are deemed ineligible for review and funding.
CAH accepts reasonable accommodation requests from applicants with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for application submission, contact Travis Marcus, Grant Management Specialist at [email protected] and await request approval. Reasonable accommodation requests must be made no later than seven calendar days before the PEF application deadline.
G. Technical Assistance
CAH staff are available to assist grant applicants during group or individual technical assistance sessions. Applicants may also request review of draft applications during a thirty (30) minute appointment during business hours scheduled no later than seven calendar days in advance of the grant application deadline. CAH staff will not write applications for applicants. To schedule a meeting, applicants may contact the CAH staff listed in Section VII below. Applicants must prepare their full draft application in the CAH Grants Application Portal along with any questions in advance of scheduling a meeting for technical assistance.
H. Funding Restrictions
As a District of Columbia agency, CAH must ensure that all award funds are expended in a fiscally responsible manner; all awarded funds are subject to audit and Performance Monitoring. Allowable costs are those that the District government and CAH have determined as valid expenditures. Grantees will be responsible for demonstrating expenses in Final Reports.
Examples of "Allowable Costs" Related to the Grant:
- Salaries for arts and humanities professionals for nonprofit organizations.
- Artists/humanities practitioners, or consultants.
- Space rental and fees directly related to project implementation.
- Travel and transportation directly related to project implementation.
- Materials, supplies, and equipment purchases that are no more than 25% of the award and are directly related to the work of project implementation.
- Overhead, maintenance, and administration not exceeding 35% of the grant award.
Examples of "Unallowable Costs" Related to the Grant:
- Food and beverages.
- Tuition and scholarships.
- Expenses associated with an organization assuming the role of a fiscal agent for another organization.
- Costs related to fundraisers and special events.
- Debt reduction.
- Expenses unrelated to the execution of the scope of work.
- Operational reserve.
- Temporary or permanent public art projects.
- Activities for youth.
- Re-granting (also known as “sub-granting”).
- Funding to universities, foreign governments or DC government agencies, including
Organizations that have applied to FY24 General Operating Support (GOS) are restricted from applying to FY 2024 Projects, Events, or Festivals (PEF) grants. All FY 2024 GOS recipients may apply to only one “Project Grant” and one “Capacity Grant” as defined below.
Projects, Events, or Festivals (PEF) applicants may apply to the Arts and Humanities Education Project (AHEP) grant program. PEFo applicants with annual budgets under $500,000, headquartered in the District’s NE and SE Quadrants may also apply to the East Arts (EA) grant program. There must be no project scope overlap between programs.
The grantee will be responsible for demonstrating expenses, as applicable, in Interim and/or Final Reports. Grantees with questions regarding allowable costs may contact PEF grant program managers.
I. Other Submission Requirements
The Agency shall not be liable for any costs incurred in the preparation of applications in response to the RFA. Applicant agrees that all costs incurred in developing the application are the applicant’s sole responsibility.
View Eligibility Information <— | —> View Application and Review Information