CARES Act and National Endowment for the Arts State Partnership Grants
The Arizona Commission on the Arts will be regranting $428,700 in federal relief funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Funds are part of a $75 million package allocated to the NEA in the CARES Act, 40% of which is designated to the nation’s 56 state and territorial arts agencies for strategic distribution.
These relief funds acknowledge the hardship nonprofit arts organizations are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and are intended to provide support related to paid personnel/staff costs and facilities expenses.
As a public agency of the State of Arizona, we are committed to serving residents throughout the state. Across Arizona, from urban centers to remote rural communities, local nonprofit arts organizations are staffed by dedicated arts professionals who steadfastly offer high-quality, culturally-relevant, responsive arts experiences.
To ensure relief funds benefit an array of Arizonans, broad geographic distribution will be a key objective for the Arts Commission’s relief grant program. We expect to make at least 40 relief grants with the allocated funding.
The Arts Commission is swiftly finalizing eligibility and guidelines and will announce additional information next week.
CARES Act and National Endowment for the Humanities Grants
Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which also received a $75 million CARES Act allocation, announced this week its guidelines for emergency relief to institutions and organizations working in the humanities.
Some organizations that generally receive funding from the Arizona Commission on the Arts may also be eligible for the NEH’s relief program.
Arizona museums, archives, libraries, historic sites, universities, and other educational institutions are encouraged to explore whether they are eligible to apply for relief funds through the NEH. Additional information can be found
here.
Small Business Administration Loans and Support
This week, Congress approved an additional $310 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep workers on payroll. (The initial $349 billion allocation to the program was quickly depleted.) Eligible businesses can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating.
This new funding is again expected to go fast.
Interested nonprofit arts organizations are encouraged to consult with their banking institution as soon as possible to confirm eligibility and to access information about the loan application process.
