Introduction

Welcome to the Division of Cultural Affairs General Program Support (GPS) Guidelines. We're glad that you are applying for a General Program Support grant from the Division. These guidelines are incorporated by reference into Rule 1T-1.036, Florida Administrative Code, and detail policies and requirements for the application and administration of General Program Support grants.

These guidelines do not apply to Specific Cultural Project, State Touring, Fast Track, Individual Artist Fellowship, Cultural Facilities, or Cultural Endowment grants. For more information about these grant programs, visit http://www.florida-arts.org/programs/.

Grant Forms

The following forms must be used in the administration of all grants in these guidelines and are hereby incorporated by reference and available from the Division at http://www.florida-arts.org:

# Title Form # Effective Date
1. Grant Application, General Program Support and Specific Cultural Projects CA2E145 4/2015
2. Contract Details CA2E159 4/2015
3. Grant Award Agreement CA2E142 4/2015
4. Contract Details Amendment CA2E160 4/2015
5. Final Grant Report CA2E004 4/2015
6. Grant Funds Expenditure Log CA2E136 3/2014
7. Project Progress Report CA2E162 4/2015

Program Description

The General Program Support (GPS) grant is designed to fund up to $150,000 for the general program activities of an organization that is realizing its stated mission and furthering the state's cultural objectives. Not-for-profit cultural organizations, museums, and recurring cultural programs that meet the Basic eligibility requirements are eligible to apply for General Program Support. The organization's mission must directly support arts and cultural programming.

Recurring cultural programs existing within multipurpose public or private nonprofit institutions such as municipalities, universities, foundations, cultural centers and organizations, museums and other arts and cultural organizations may apply for General Program Support. To be eligible:

Entire departments or schools within a university, college, or other multipurpose institution do not qualify as recurring programs.

The Division offers three types of General Program Support.

Basic Eligibility

All applicants must meet the following basic eligibility requirements at the time of application.

  1. Have submitted no other applications for the General Program Support or Specific Cultural Project programs in the current application cycle (see application restrictions);

  2. Have the required legal status;

  3. Agree to comply with all application requirements:

    1. Complete all proposal activities within the grant period;

    2. Make programming and activities open and accessible to all members of the public (see accessibility and non-discrimination);

    3. Match the grant amount requested, at least dollar for dollar (see request amount and match requirements); and

    4. Include only allowable expenses in the proposal budget (see allowable and non-allowable expenses);

  4. Agree to comply with all grant administration requirements (see How to Manage Your Grants):

    1. Submit the Contract Details Form;

    2. Sign and return the grant award agreement within 30 days;

    3. Request approval for any changes to the awarded grant (see Contract Details Amendment Request);

    4. Submit timely and accurate reports (see grant reporting);

    5. Maintain complete and accurate grant records (see maintaining grant records);

    6. Comply with the requirements of the Florida Single Audit Act; and

    7. Credit the State of Florida and Division of Cultural Affairs for funding (see crediting the Division);

In addition to these basic eligibility requirements, there are specific eligibility requirements for the Discipline-Based Museum, Discipline-Based Professional Theatre, Local Arts Agency, and State Service Organization application types.

Application Restrictions

"In order to equitably distribute limited state funding," the legislature mandated, in section 265.286(9), Florida Statutes, that each grant applicant may submit only one application each annual grant cycle. The legislature defined applicant or grantee as a "nonprofit, tax-exempt, Florida corporation" or a "local or state governmental entity, school district, community college, college, university, agency of state government, or artist engaged in or concerned with arts and cultural activities."

Based on this, an organization may only submit one (1) Specific Cultural Project or one (1) General Program Support application for each annual grant cycle (July 1 - June 30).

To meet the legal status requirement, an applicant organization must be either a public entity or a Florida nonprofit, tax exempt corporation as of the application deadline.

Public Entity
A Florida local government, entity of state government, school district, community college, college, or university. Private schools, private community colleges, private colleges, and private universities are not public entities and must be nonprofit and tax exempt to meet the legal status requirement.
Nonprofit, Tax Exempt
A Florida organization that is both:

  1. Nonprofit: incorporated as an active nonprofit Florida corporation, in accordance with Chapter 617 or Chapter 623, Florida Statutes; and

  2. Tax exempt: designated as tax exempt as defined in section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.

The Division of Cultural Affairs will verify that the applicant is registered with the Division of Corporations as of the application deadline. If the applicant is not registered in Corporations by the application deadline, the application will be deemed ineligible.

If the applicant is registered in Corporations but their status is not "active," the applicant must correct the status within 10 calendar days of notification or the application will be deemed ineligible.

For more information on corporate status, visit http://www.sunbiz.org or call the Division of Corporations, profit and nonprofit information line at (850) 245-6052. To verify corporate status, you can review your corporate record online through the sunbiz.org document search tool.

For more information about tax exempt status, see Exemption Requirements - Section 501(c)(3) Organizations on the Internal Revenue Service website.(http://www.irs.gov).

Required Documentation

All applicants must provide a DUNS number. You can request a DUNS number at https://www.dandb.com/

Nonprofit, tax exempt applicants must provide a letter from the IRS stating that the applicant is tax exempt under 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4). Public entities are not required to provide an IRS determination letter.

The IRS determination letter must be uploaded into the online grant application system. If the letter is not received, the Division will notify the applicant. The applicant must provide the IRS determination letter within 10 calendar days of notification or the application will be deemed ineligible.

Specific Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must also meet these additional eligibility requirements based on Proposal Type and Funding Category.

Proposal Type
Funding Category		 Specific Eligibility Requirements
Discipline-Based
Level 1
  • Total Operating Income of $10,000 to $250,000
Discipline-Based
Level 2
  • Total Operating Income of $250,001 to $900,000
Discipline-Based
Level 3
  • Total Operating Income of $900,001 or more
Local Arts Agency
Level 1
  • Total Operating Income of $4,000 to $250,000
Local Arts Agency
Level 2
  • Total Operating Income of $250,001 to $900,000
  • be incorporated for at least three years at the time of application
Local Arts Agency
Level 3
  • Total Operating Income of $900,001 or more
  • be incorporated for at least five years at the time of application
State Service Organization
  • Total Operating Income of $10,000 or more
  • reach at least 34 counties with services and activities

All General Program Support applicants must be eligible to request a minimum of $1,000 and also meet the following requirements.

To request more than $25,000
  • have at least one completed grant from the Division of Cultural Affairs. A grant is completed (closed) after the cycle is concluded and the final report has been approved.
To request more than $50,000
  • have at least 3 years of completed programming; and
  • have at least one paid, full-time staff member in a management position
Museum discipline only
  • be open to the public for at least 180 days a year;
  • own or utilize works of art, historical artifacts, or other tangible objects (animate or inanimate); and
  • exhibit these works of art, historical artifacts, or other tangible objects to the public on a regular schedule
Professional Theatre discipline only
  • compensate artistic staff and actors

Proposal Types

Discipline-Based

Discipline-Based program support is intended to provide financial support for the programs of eligible organizations that conduct cultural programming, realize their stated mission, and further the state's cultural objectives.

The Discipline-Based proposal type has three funding categories based on Total Operating Income (TOI). To determine the correct category and request amount, use the Total Operating Income from the applicant's most recently completed fiscal year as reported in the application operating budget.

Funding Category Total Operating Income (TOI) Maximum Request
Level 1 $10,000 to $250,000 $25,000 or 10% of TOI whichever is less.
Level 2 $250,001 to $900,000 $90,000 or 10% of TOI whichever is less.
Level 3 $900,001 or more $150,000 or 10% of TOI whichever is less.

The Division encourages the use of Florida-based artists whenever possible.

Discipline Categories

Discipline-Based applicants must select one of eleven (11) discipline categories.

The discipline category of the application will determine which review panel will evaluate and score the application. Applicants should select the discipline that best fits their proposal. Applicants should consider whether they are presenting or producing the activity when choosing a discipline category.

Applicants that produce festivals should select the discipline category for the festival activity. For example, an organization producing a film festival should apply to the Media Arts discipline while a cultural festival that is producing music, visual art, and dance activities should apply to the Multidisciplinary category. For more information, contact a program manager (see help).

Dance

The Dance discipline is for organizations that promote excellence in dance. This includes producing dance companies and other organizations with dance programming.

Literature

The Literature discipline is for organizations that promote excellence in the literary arts. This includes small presses, noncommercial publishing houses, professional literary groups, and other organizations with literary programming.

Media Arts

The Media Arts discipline is for organizations that promote excellence in film, video, radio, and television. This includes film and video festivals, and media art exhibitions, conferences, and seminars.

Multidisciplinary

The Multidisciplinary discipline is for organizations with programming that presents two (2) or more separate artistic or cultural disciplines.

Artistic and cultural disciplines include, but are not limited to:

Museum

The Museum discipline is for organizations that are primarily educational and aesthetic with proposals focused on the applicant's collections and/or exhibits. This includes zoos, botanical gardens, arboretums, nature centers and aquariums.

To be eligible to apply to this discipline, a museum must:

Museums are encouraged but not required to participate in the American Alliance of Museums' Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and to pursue or maintain national accreditation through American Alliance of Museums (AAM), American Zoological Association (AZA), or Zoological Association of America (ZAA).

Museums may include but are not limited to the following:

Non-museum organizations conducting visual art exhibitions should apply to the Visual Art discipline. Multidisciplinary museums may also apply to the Multidisciplinary discipline.

Music

The Music discipline includes both vocal and instrumental music and is for organizations that promote excellence in music performance and creation.

The Music discipline includes but is not limited to chamber or jazz ensembles, choral groups, community bands, orchestras, opera, and world music ensembles.

Producers of musical theatre should submit their application to the appropriate Theatre discipline (professional or community). Presenting organizations should apply to the Presenter discipline.

Presenter

The Presenter discipline supports the presentation of performing arts groups, individual artists, or other cultural providers.

A Presenter is an organization that enters into agreements to provide performances or other cultural activities. The organization generally does not create, rehearse, cast, or have artistic control over the performance or activity.

Applicants producing, rather than presenting, should apply to the appropriate discipline for their activities, such as Music, Theatre, or Dance.

Theatre (Community and Professional)

The Theatre disciplines support producing theatres and other organizations that promote excellence in theatre performance. Musical theatre can be included in this discipline. Organizations producing opera should apply to the Music discipline. College and university theatre programs should apply to the Community Theatre discipline.

Community Theatre

The Community Theatre discipline is for producing community theatres.

Most of the artistic staff of a community theatre are not compensated; however personnel may be hired to perform administrative, artistic, or production duties.

Community theatres should be very specific when describing how artists are compensated. Although it is assumed that most community theatres will not be compensating most actors, applicants should address whether or not technical staff (directors, designers) are compensated and if any actors receive financial compensation.

If a community theatre is in the process of becoming a professional house, the application should describe where the applicant is in the transition and when the applicant expects to be offering full compensation to artistic staff.

Professional Theatre

The Professional Theatre discipline is for producing professional theatres.

Organizations applying to the Professional Theatre discipline must compensate their artistic staff and actors. Professional Theatre panelists strongly emphasize the importance of payment to actors.

Companies should be very specific when describing the financial compensation and/or benefits that are offered to artistic staff and actors. For information on minimum pay rates for actors and staff contact a theatrical union such as Actors Equity (http://www.actorsequity.org).

Traditional Arts

The Traditional Arts discipline is for organizations that preserve and present traditional arts from specific cultural groups in Florida. This includes performances, exhibitions, festivals, and other programming featuring traditional artists and their work.

Traditional arts are traditional cultural expressions through which a community maintains and passes on a shared way of life. These communities can be job-related, ethnic, religious, age-related, or based on location.

Traditional art expresses a sense of the community's values and aesthetics. Traditional art expressions are usually learned informally through a relative or the community and are maintained without formal teaching.

The Traditional Arts discipline includes many forms and processes of expression including, but not limited to:

Note: The Traditional Arts discipline is not intended for programming that focuses primarily on the following activities:

Applicants with such programming should consider applying to one of the other disciplines. Contact the Traditional Arts program manager (see help) with any questions.

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts discipline is for organizations that promote excellence in the visual arts through activities such as:

Local Arts Agency

The purpose of the Local Arts Agency (LAA) proposal type is to assist in the development of local arts agencies. A local arts agency is a public or private nonprofit organization located in Florida and operating on a permanent basis for the primary purpose of strengthening, supporting, and stabilizing the activities of arts and cultural constituencies that operate in the county or counties designated to the LAA.

Applicants to this proposal type must be a local arts agency (LAA) designated by at least one county commission as the official LAA for that county. Only one designated local arts agency per county may apply.

To be eligible for funding in this proposal type all applicants must provide documentation (letter, proclamation or official meeting minutes) of official designation by one or more county commissions. This includes county arts councils established in accordance with section 265.32, Florida Statutes.

Funding Categories

The Local Arts Agency proposal type has three funding categories based on Total Operating Income (TOI). To determine the correct category and request amount, use the Total Operating Income from the applicant's most recently completed fiscal year as reported in the application operating budget.

Funding Category Total Operating Income (TOI) Maximum Request Applicants must
Level 1 $4,000 to $250,000 $40,000 or 25% of TOI
whichever is less
 
Level 2 $250,001 to $900,000 $90,000 or 15% of TOI
whichever is less
  • be incorporated for at least three years at the time of application
Level 3 $900,001 or more $150,000 or 10% of TOI
whichever is less
  • be incorporated for at least five years at the time of application

All General Program Support applicants must also meet the following requirements.

To request more than $25,000
  • have at least one completed grant from the Division of Cultural Affairs. A grant is completed (closed) after all grant activities are done and the final report has been approved.
To request more than $50,000
  • have at least 3 years of completed programming; and
  • have at least one paid, full-time staff member in a management position

State Service Organization

A State Service Organization (SSO) is a public or private nonprofit organization located in Florida operating on a permanent basis for the primary purpose of implementing statewide programs that:

SSOs are typically dedicated to specific disciplines or subject areas (for example: music, dance, museums, theatre, leadership, arts administration, etc.). SSOs work to strengthen and support cultural organizations and individuals working in the cultural community.

The purpose of SSO program support is to support state service organizations and to encourage collaborative work between the Division and these organizations to achieve state goals and objectives.

To be eligible to apply as a State Service Organization, the organization's services and activities must reach at least 34 Florida counties.

The maximum request amount for SSOs is 20% of the Total Operating Income from the applicant's most recently completed fiscal year or $150,000 whichever is less.

Application Requirements

Grant Period

All proposed activity must take place within the grant period.

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination

The Division of Cultural Affairs is committed to making the arts and culture accessible to everyone, including:

Applicants may receive up to 10 points during panel review through the accessibility review criterion.

Organizations seeking support for activities are required to be open and accessible to all members of the public, regardless of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, or marital status.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, transportation and telecommunication. The ADA extends the requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to all activities of state and local governments and places of public accommodations operated by private entities, including places of public display. You can find the 504 Self Evaluation Workbook and downloadable Disability Symbols at http://dos.myflorida.com/cultural/info-and-opportunities/resources-by-topic/accessibility/.

Request Amount

General Program Support grants have a minimum request amount of $1,000 and a maximum request of up to $150,000 based on proposal type and funding category. The proposal types and funding categories are described in detail in the Proposal Types section of the guidelines. Use the following table to determine the maximum request amount.

  1. Select the proposal type and funding category (column 1 and 2) that fits your organization;

  2. Calculate the appropriate percentage (column 3) of your Total Operating Income. Use the Total Operating Income from your most recently completed fiscal year as reported in the application operating budget; and

    Note: Public entities that are applying for funding for a specific department, center, gallery, or other unit with a distinct budget, must use only the budget of that unit when determining request amount, not the budget of the entire entity.

  3. Compare the number from step 2 to the maximum request in (column 4). The number that is less is the maximum request amount for your organization.

Proposal Type Funding Category % of Income Maximum Request
Discipline-Based Level 1 10% $25,000
Level 2 10% $90,000
Level 3 10% $150,000
Local Arts Agency Level 1 25% $40,000
Level 2 15% $90,000
Level 3 10% $150,000
State Service Organization N/A 20% $150,000

Grant Proposal Budget

The Proposal Budget expenses must equal the Proposal Budget income.

Match Requirements

Applicants must provide at least one dollar in cash or in-kind (donated goods or services) for every dollar requested from the division. This is called match. Some expenses can only be included in the Proposal Budget as match (see Match Only Expenses).

Total Proposal Expenses are defined as match (cash and in-kind) + request amount. No more than 25% of the Total Proposal Expenses may be in-kind. See the in-kind section of the guidelines for more details.

Matching funds may be anticipated at the time of application, but must be received by the end of the grant period. All expenses (both state grant and match) must be paid out (not merely encumbered) by the grant end date.

Exception: The Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) recognizes rural or economically distressed counties and communities. Applicants that are located within an economically distressed county or community as of the application deadline are not required to provide cash match; however REDI applicants are still required to show 50% match of in-kind (donated goods or services). You can find more information and a list of economically distressed counties and communities at http://www.floridajobs.org/business-growth-and-partnerships/rural-and-economic-development-initiative/rural-definition.

In-kind (Donated Goods and Services)

In-kind can appear in both the proposal budget and the operating budget. To calculate the value of volunteer services, use the federal minimum wage (see the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor http://www.wagehour.dol.gov). If the volunteer is professionally skilled in the service provided (such as a photographer donating photography services or a Certified Public Accountant providing a pro bono audit), use the wage rate the individual is normally paid for the service.

The value of all professionally skilled services used as in-kind must be documented in writing by the volunteer. The value of donated goods must also be documented. Records of such documentation must be available upon request.

Use the following formulas to calculate maximum allowable in-kind.

Total Proposal Expenses (as reported in the proposal budget) may not include more than 25% in-kind.

  • Maximum allowable in-kind = Total Cash Expenses (cash match plus request) divided by 3

The amount of in-kind allowed in the Operating Budget depends on the applicant's Total Cash Income as defined in the application.

If Total Cash Income is $150,000 or less, Total Operating Income may not include more than 25% in-kind.

  • Maximum allowable in-kind = Total Cash Income divided by 3.

If Total Cash Income is over $150,000, Total Operating Income may not include more than 10% in-kind.

  • Maximum allowable in-kind = Total Cash Income divided by 9.

Exception: There is no limit on the amount of in-kind that can be included in the Proposal Budget for applicants in a county that qualifies under the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

Allowable Expenses

Allowable expenses must be:

Only allowable expenses may be included in the proposal budget.

Spending state grant funds on expenses that have not been approved by the Division, even if directly related to the program or project, will be disallowed and could result in a legal demand for the return of grant funds.

Match Only Expenses

No state funds may be used towards operational or indirect/overhead costs which include, but are not limited to:

Non-Allowable Expenses

The Grantee agrees to expend all grant funds received under this agreement solely for the purposes for which they were authorized and appropriated. Expenditures shall be in compliance with the state guidelines for allowable project costs as outlined in the Department of Financial Services' Reference Guide for State Expenditures, which are incorporated by reference and are available online at http://www.myfloridacfo.com/aadir/reference_guide/. The following are non-allowable expenses for grant and matching funds.

Review Criteria

All applications will be evaluated and scored using the following four criteria.

Excellence

Applicants must demonstrate excellence in all aspects of the proposal. Panelists will use the following application responses:

(Up to 40 points)

Impact

Applicants must project the expected impact of the proposal. Panelists will use the following application responses:

(Up to 30 points)

Management

This criterion covers administration, planning, and evaluation. Panelists will use the following application responses:

In addition, panelists will also use the applicant's reporting history and compliance status as of the panel meeting (see noncompliance).

(Up to 20 points)

Accessibility

Points will be awarded based on the demonstration of accessibility in the applicant's facility and programming. Panelists will use the responses to the Accessibility questions in the application.

(Up to 10 points)

Scoring

Applications must earn a minimum average score of 80 to be recommended for funding.

The maximum number of points an application can earn is 100. Panel members will individually score each application. The average of the individual panelist scores will be rounded to three decimal places. When the fourth decimal is a 5 or greater, the score will be rounded up in favor of the applicant. For example, 79.9995 will be rounded to 80 but 79.9993 would remain 79.999.

Review Process

The application review process includes the following:

  1. Staff Review for eligibility;
  2. Panel Review and scoring;
  3. Florida Council on Arts and Culture recommendations; and
  4. Secretary of State approval.

Staff Review

Division staff will review all applications that meet the deadline for eligibility (see basic eligibility and specific eligibility). Staff review does not include subjective evaluations or comments on the content or quality of any grant application. Only applications that meet eligibility requirements will move forward to the grant review panel.

Staff will contact the applicant during the staff review to address issues with eligibility including:

Staff will also contact the applicant if the application indicates support materials are included but no materials are received.

After the application deadline, applications may only be amended at the request of Division staff. Only changes that are approved by the Division will be provided to the review panel.

Panel Review

After Division staff review, the Division will release eligible applications to the grant panel for review and scoring. Panelists must be practicing artists or other professionals. Panelists will be appointed by the Secretary of State each year based on the following considerations (in no particular order):

The Division is always seeking panelist nominations. Anyone may nominate a panelist (themselves or someone else) at any time by contacting a program manager (see help). Panelists may serve on a specific panel for up to 3 consecutive years. Panelists serve on a volunteer basis.

All panel members must comply with the Standards of Conduct for Public Officers and Employees of Agencies as set forth in section 112.313. Florida Statutes, and voting conflict of interest laws as set forth in sections 112.3143 and 286.012 Florida Statutes.

Panelists independently evaluate each application based on the review criteria detailed in these guidelines and are required to follow the Division's scoring instructions. After each panel member has evaluated the applications, there will be a public panel meeting to review, discuss, and score the applications. Panelists must voice their scores in the panel meeting. Only scores voiced during the panel meeting count towards the final average score for an application.

Panel Meetings

Panel meetings are a public process (usually conducted by teleconference) and anyone can participate by attending in person or by calling in via a toll-free number. Participation instructions will be emailed to applicants and posted on the Division's web site. The Division strongly encourages applicants to participate in the grant panel meeting, however it is not required. Participating in the panel process can be very helpful for those that intend to apply for future grants.

Panel meetings are chaired by a member of the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. If a member of the Council is not available a Division staff member will serve as the panel Chair. Chairs do not vote on applications being reviewed.

A typical panel meeting will include the following:

  1. Call to Order;

  2. Introduction of Panelists, Staff, and Call-In Participants/Audience;

  3. Panel Instructions from the Chair;

  4. Preliminary scoring of applications. For each application:

    • the Chair will announce the application number and applicant name;
    • applicants may provide a brief update on the application. Updates may only include new proposal information;
    • applicants will be permitted to respond to panelist questions;
    • each panelist will voice his or her score; and
    • Division staff will calculate and voice the total points and the average panel score.

  5. Public comment prior to panel consensus on scores:

    During public comment, anyone (including applicants) may speak about the applications under consideration. After public comment, panelists may adjust their scores before the final vote to accept all scores.

  6. Panel Recommendations;

  7. General discussion from the panel (policies, procedures);

  8. General comments from the public (limited to 3 minutes or at the Chair's discretion);

  9. Closing remarks from the Chair; and

  10. Adjournment.

Florida Council on Arts and Culture Review

After the panel meeting, the Division will report the panel recommendations to the Florida Council on Arts and Culture in the form of a ranked list. The Council will amend panel recommendations based on new or existing information about the applicant or panel proceedings.

Information that will allow recalculation of the average score by the Council is:

Information that will result in the Council recommending zero funding is:

Council Recommendations

All General Program Support applications recommended by the Council will be merged into one ranked list in accordance with section 265.286(3), Florida Statutes, using the following system.

  1. Applications will be ranked by average score (highest to lowest);
  2. Applications with a tied average score will be ranked using the average points scored on each criterion in the following order:
    1. Excellence;
    2. Impact;
    3. Management; and
    4. Accessibility.
  3. If there is still a tie after the score for each criterion has been compared, the applications will be ordered by a sequence number assigned at application submission (lowest to highest).

This ranked list will be submitted to the Secretary of State for review and approval.

Funding

Subject to legislative appropriation, all applications approved by the Secretary of State will be funded according to the following method:

  1. If the eligible request is $1,000 or greater and the application of the funding formula results in a recommendation that is less than $1,000, the award will be increased to $1,000.

  2. If the eligible request is $1,000 or greater and the application of the funding formula results in a recommendation that is greater than $1,000, the award will be the amount that is determined by the formula.

  3. In accordance with section 265.286(7)(a), Florida Statutes, should an entity receive legislative funding outside the Review Panel or Secretary of State, that entity shall not be eligible to receive financial support from the Division for the same scope of work within the same fiscal year in which the legislative funding is made available.

The Formula

  1. Step 1:

    Initial award amounts will be determined by a score-based formula that proportionally distributes the appropriation.

    1. request amount
    2. score as a percentage (average score of application / 100)
    3. adjusted request = request amount (A) x score as a percentage (B)
    4. total appropriation
    5. proportional ratio = appropriation (D) / total of all adjusted requests (C)

    initial award amount = adjusted request (C) x proportional ratio (E)

  2. Step 2:

    If the initial award amount from step 1 is $999 or less, the award amount will be increased to $1000. The total amount of all $1,000 awards will be subtracted from the original appropriation and the score-based formula will be re-run. Step 2 will be repeated if necessary, until all grant awards equal $1,000 or greater.

The Department of State's Legislative Budget Request will include the Secretary of State's approved ranked list of General Program Support applications. The Legislature may use this list to appropriate an amount in accordance with section 265.286(3), Florida Statutes.

How to Apply

All application information submitted to the Division is open for public inspection and subject to the Public Records Law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes).

Application Form

The application must be completed using the Division's online grant system and submitted online by 5:00 pm ET on the application deadline. Deadlines and a link to the application form will be posted on the Division's web site.

Applicants may request that a submitted application be electronically un-submitted at any point before the application deadline. The application must be re-submitted by the application deadline to be considered.

Attachments and Support Materials

Attachments and support materials must be uploaded into the online grant application system. Attachments and support materials will not be accepted by another other method including email and fax.

Attachments

Attachments are required documentation of eligibility. The required attachments for General Program Support are:

Attachment Required for
IRS 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) determination letter nonprofit, tax exempt applicants
Documentation of official county designation as a local arts agency Local Arts Agency applicants

Support Materials

Support materials may be considered in the panel review and scoring so including them is highly recommended but is not required. We encourage all applicants to submit support materials.

Support materials may include, but are not limited to:

You may submit any combination of support materials. For example, you could submit:

Please submit only high quality materials that support your application and only as many as you need. Required attachments do not count towards the 10 upload limit.

It is your responsibility to verify and receive permission for the use of any copyrighted materials. You are also responsible for considering accessibility of your materials.

File Formats

Panelists are not required to own specific software and the Division makes no guarantee that panelists will be able to view your digital materials. To increase the chances of file compatibility, make sure files are in one of the following formats.

Uploading Instructions

Attachments and support materials must be uploaded in the online system by the application deadline.

You may include up to 10 uploads for your support materials in addition to your attachments. You can include more than one item in an upload. You are not required to upload multiple copies. You must describe your materials as you upload them.

Help

For general information about the Division of Cultural Affairs and to access grant information, panel details and resources, visit our web site at: http://www.florida-arts.org.

For information about the General Program Support program, contact the program manager responsible for your proposal type and discipline.