FY25 PEF Application and Submission Information

Section IV.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 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.

Section IV.B: Technical Assistance

CAH staff are available to help grant applicants. They can help during group or individual technical assistance sessions. Applicants may also request review of draft applications. Reviews are available during a thirty (30) minute appointment during business hours. They must schedule the appointment no later than seven days before 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. Before meeting, applicants must prepare their full draft application in the CAH Grants Application Portal. They must also submit any questions in advance. They must do this before scheduling a meeting for technical help.

Section IV.C: Workshops

To improve applications, CAH recommends taking part in one of the workshops below. All workshops are virtual, free, and open to the public. Find more about workshops at dcarts.dc.gov under Grant Writing Assistance. Or, call the CAH Point of Contact listed in Section VII. You can reach workshops at dcarts.dc.gov/page/grant-application-workshops. And, you can reach Live Chats at dcarts.dc.gov/page/grant-application-live-chats. Interested artists and humanities practitioners can register for workshops on Eventbrite. The Eventbrite page is at eventbrite.com/o/dc-commission-on-the-arts-and-humanities-cah-1252966799.

 

 

Section IV.D: Application Forms and Content

CAH utilizes an online portal to receive grant applications. Each application shall:

• Clearly state the design, deliverables, and schedule of the project. This includes the impact of the project on the community. It also covers the impact on the artists and/or organization involved.
• Include a certificate of liability insurance. Or, a price quote from an insurer showing coverage for the whole grant period.
• Present one project. It should have a clear plan for budgeting, marketing, and an implementation timeline. It is not recommended that applicants include multiple projects in their applications.
• Show that you know the community and its members where the project is. Reflect this in the design of the proposed project(s).
• Use methods and tech, when needed, to ensure all can access and join the project.

In addition to the required narrative questions in the online application, applicants must submit more documents with the PEF application. Upload documents as PDFs through CAH Grants Application Portal. Do this before the deadline. Templates and instructions for compliance documents are available in Resources for Grant Applicants.

 

 

Applicants are fully responsible for the content of their application materials. An automated confirmation does not guarantee eligibility. It also does not guarantee that an advisory review panel will review the submission. See below for more on the "Review Process." CAH staff may not edit applications for applicants. CAH staff reviews applications for completeness. They will contact applicants for any missing documents. They do this within five (5) business days of the deadline. Applicants must then update their application within five (5) business days of CAH's notification. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.

Section IV.E: Grant Application Process

1. Read the Guide to Grants.
2. Read the RFA guidelines (for the desired grant program) and determine eligibility.
3. 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).
4. Upon registration, applicants select the desired grant program(s).
5. Complete the application questions, budget, and budget narrative data.
6. Upload required documents, supplementary material, and work samples.
7. Double-check the application for thoroughness, clarity, and typographical errors.
8. Submit the application by 10 PM ET on the grant program’s deadline date.
9. Ensure receipt of grant submission confirmation email, auto generated by the online portal, by the application deadline.

Section IV.F: Submission Dates and Times

You must submit PEF applications online. Use the CAH Grants Application Portal. The deadline is 10 PM EST on Thursday, April 11, 2024. CAH does not accept mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered copies of grant applications or attachments. Report technical issues. Or, if you don't get a confirmation email, tell 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 to submit an application, contact Travis Marcus, Grant Management Specialist, at [email protected]. Then, await approval of the request. You must request accommodations at least seven days before the PEF deadline.

Section IV.G: Technical Assistance

CAH staff are available to help grant applicants. They can help during group or individual technical assistance sessions. Applicants may also request review of draft applications. Reviews are available during a thirty (30) minute appointment during business hours. They must schedule the appointment no later than seven days before 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. Before meeting, applicants must prepare their full draft application in the CAH Grants Application Portal. They must also submit any questions in advance. They must do this before scheduling a meeting for technical help.

Section IV.H: Funding Restrictions

CAH is a District of Columbia agency. It must ensure that it spends award funds in a fiscally responsible way. All awarded funds are subject to audit and Performance Monitoring. Allowable costs are those the District government and CAH have decided are valid expenses. 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 FY25 General Operating Support (GOS) are restricted from applying to FY 2025 Projects, Events, or Festivals (PEF) grants. All FY 2025 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. PEF Organization 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.

Section IV.I: Other Submission Requirements

CAH 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.

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