American Rescue Plan Reminders & Updates. Highlights include:

Read the newsletter here.

To better tell the story of the importance of non-profits in our community, COCA, INIE, and UPHS are sharing short animated graphics and copy on our social media accounts beginning Monday, March 1, with a new graphic and message every week.

You may follow along with our timeline if you wish for a coordinated approach. Please download it all here - or follow along on our Facebook page and other social media accounts to share. (Thanks to Sachs Media for the toolkit!)

Your feedback is vital as COCA, INIE, and UPHS will share these results with business and government officials about the strain this pandemic has created in the nonprofit sector. This survey can be completed in fewer than 10 minutes.

All survey participants will be entered to win a COCA Swag Bag that includes a t-shirt, mug, water bottle, and baseball cap (valued at over $75), $50 INIE Money to use toward a class of your choice, and one (1) UPHS Annual Conference Registration (valued at $100).

Connect with the nonprofit sector on the Facebook Group Collaborate Big Bend here.

Take the survey here.

The APAP 10/20/30 Pledge aims to eliminate barriers to leadership, a pledge to steward the work, and a pledge to support cultural workers who identify as Black, Native/Indigenous, People of Color, women, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQIA2S+. It is a commitment to racial equity and gender justice. Join them for The Arts Are REDI: APAP and the 10/20/30 Pledge Roundtable Discussion on Thursday, April 1 at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) to learn more. Register for the roundtable here, and find a full list of advocacy resources here.

The arts and culture sector remains in crisis and everyone is needed at the table to make a difference. The National Arts Action Summit will equip advocates to share data and authentic stories about the impact of the arts in their communities to educate federal decision-makers about why supporting the arts and culture sector is essential. More info here.

The 2021 Sustainable Community Summit, a week-long series of online and limited in-person presentations and workshops hosted by Leon County, will highlight sustainability in action and give attendees an opportunity to hear from community leaders and organizations on a variety of topics related to sustainability, including a creating a sustainable action plan, composting, and saving money through energy conservation. More info here.

Ryco Theatricals needs to collect 5,000 video clips of "From Now On" from The Greatest Showman to break the record and save the Broadway industry, which has been shut down since March 12, 2020. In your video, challenge four of your friends to participate to help break the record. More info here.

This spring, Volunteer Florida will recognize volunteers in different ways, including featuring an individual on social media every day in April – Florida Volunteer Month. The #VF30in30 campaign posts will highlight their volunteer activities and describe the impact of their service. More info here.

Find a list of Venue Re-Opening guides from various organizations, including the Performing Arts Center Consortium, the Event Safety Alliance, The League of American Historic Theatre Venues, The International Association of Venue Managers, and more here.

On March 16th, a change was made to PPP deadlines.

Applications for 1st draw organizations are now due on May 31st, extended by two months. More info on these resource updates here.

The Leon County CARES Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program is now open and will assist eligible residents impacted by COVID-19 with up to 12 months of past-due rent and/or utilities as well as up to three (3) months of future rent and/or utilities. Residents can apply, and find more information, here.

More info on the program here.

Updated 3/31/21: The SVOG portal is set to open on April 8, 2021

More info here and click the image below to register for this lunch-and-learn event on Monday, April 5.

The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) is part of the December 27, 2020 Supplemental COVID-19 relief bill signed by Congress:

More info here.

General Program Support - Application available: April 1. Next deadline: June 1 at 5 PM

Specific Cultural Projects - Application available: April 1, Next deadline: June 1 at 5 PM

Cultural Facilities - Application available: April 1. Next deadline: June 1 at 5 PM

Fast Track Project - Next deadline: September 1

More info here.

Artist Grant provides a $500 USD grant to one visual artist each grant cycle. There are four grant cycles per year – January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15. The deadline for the current grant cycle is April 15, 2021. More info here.

Challenge America – Deadline: April 22 (Preliminary Grants.gov registration due by April 13)

Grants for Arts Projects – Deadline: July 8, 2021

Our Town – Deadline: August 6

More info here.

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify, support, and elevate innovators who are spearheading transformative early-stage projects in the fields of social justice, the environment, and heritage conservation. They will award up to ten prizes, each including a cash award of $150,000 over three years, plus $25,000 in technical assistance funds, for a total award of $175,000. Awardees also receive guidance through the Fund and its resource network, providing tools and training that can help turn innovative ideas into life-changing social impacts. More info here.

The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc. offers competitive grants to schools and nonprofit organizations that effect improvements in areas of importance to the Phish fan community. Their programmatic focus is music education for children. More info here.

This new grant program replaces South Arts' previous Performing Arts Touring and Literary Arts Touring grants. Grants up to $7,500 for organizations to present a Southern artist for a performing arts, literary arts, visual arts, or film engagement. More info about grant guidelines as well as other South Arts grants here.

Artwork Archive’s Art Business Accelerator Grant provides visual artists with unrestricted funds, resources, and a curriculum to help establish, grow and manage their art careers. The grant is designed to arm artists with the necessary business skills to succeed as artists and entrepreneurs—and to make a living through their artwork. More info here.

Beyond Words: Dollar General School Library Relief Program - Deadline: Ongoing

Together with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), they support public school libraries recovering from major disasters by providing grants for books, media, and equipment.

Youth Literacy Grants - Deadline: May 20, 2021, 10pm CST

Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations that help students that are below grade level or having trouble reading are eligible to apply.

More info here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has some key changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which will be available for a limited amount of time to ensure America’s small businesses get exclusive access. If you are a small business owner with fewer than 20 employees or are self-employed, there is new information for you. 

More info here:

INIE’s Nonprofit Management Volunteer Internship Program provides participants with an unparalleled opportunity to acquire administrative experience while gaining valuable insight into the nonprofit sector. Interns will contribute to their own success by selecting a focal area for their internship and will then work with their Supervisor to develop projects upon which much of their time will be focused. More info here.

Music Lessons Express, Tallahassee’s largest music school, is looking to hire a guitar instructor to teach in-home lessons and lessons at their studio on Apalachee Parkway.

Candidates should have at least one year of teaching experience and be comfortable teaching all ages and ability levels. More info here.

The Director of Major & Annual Gifts is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding a portfolio of donors with the goal of retention and upgrade of gifts to CAP. The Director’s primary focus is on major gifts at $10,000+, managing a portfolio of assigned donors at $1,000+, creating annual giving appeals and working collaboratively with the Marketing & Communications, Finance and Program teams. More info here.

The Arts Conservancy for Teens (ACT) in St. Petersburg, Florida is seeking a full-time Development Director to establish and strengthen relationships with donors, employers, foundations, and the community as a whole to build donor awareness, participation, loyalty, raise/leverage resources, and ensure a positive brand experience with ACT. More info here.

TheatreWorks Florida is now accepting applications for a Program Director for CultureWorks. They are seeking a skilled leader who is passionate about diversity, inclusion and equity in the theatre arts, who also believes that building inclusive cultures and creating career opportunities to advance diverse artists and professionals is essential for the industry. More info here.

This webinar will focus on reopening planning in 2021/22. It discusses the steps required to prepare and new developments for reopening, as well as case studies on venues which have managed their own reopening. The webinar will also discuss the “new normal” in a post-Covid-19 world, and the impact to future events and gatherings. More info here.

Join Domi Station and Grow With Google for this free webinar, where you will earn about Google My Business, a free tool for local businesses who want to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps. More info here.

The Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence's knowledge-packed, one-day session will serve as your one-stop-shop for nonprofit operational knowledge. Your participation in any Nonprofit Boot Camp + program will also guarantee you a private consultation with each of the 6 subject instructors. More info here.

If you’ve ever had an awkward moment where you weren’t sure how to handle that business card you just received or

you forgot the name of the person you met 15 minutes before, then you know just how agonizing such moments can be. This two-day virtual workshop from Tallahassee Community College (TCC) will help you handle most of those socially difficult moments. More info here.

In this class, you will learn about the phases in an emergency and potential threats to your area, work on a template for building your plan with the assistance of their instructors, and you will learn tips, tools and know-how to prepare a plan for unforeseen circumstances. At the end of the workshop, you will have a mini-plan to establish additional policies and procedures to ensure your organization’s successful crisis response and help you reduce the impact of the unexpected. More info here.

The Leon County Division of Tourism (Visit Tallahassee) has developed a 2021 Arts Cooperative Advertising that was developed specifically for you! The Arts Co-op is designed exclusively for arts, culture, and heritage organizations to leverage Visit Tallahassee’s annual advertising buy and bring more visitors to your attraction or event. These multi-channel opportunities provide affordable, cost-effective means of reaching consumers in geographically targeted markets. More info here.

Florida’s reputation as the world’s premier vacation destination would not be possible without the vision and dedication of a select group of tourism industry superstars. These individuals are honored by Visit Florida with induction into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. Qualified nominees are contemporary or historic figures whose work & achievements have made a significant impact on the state’s economy and residents. More info here.

If you're planning any type of event, be sure to post it on the Tallahassee Arts Guide - COCA's official interactive web calendar for arts and culture. 

"Behind the Scenes with COCA" photo albums showcase artists at work in their studios. We love to see the creative process and learn more about how our artists of all genres make their artistic magic happen. Enjoy these social media albums below, and submit your own album here.

View artist studio "Behind the Scenes with COCA" albums here.

COCA has created several RESOURCE GUIDES that aggregate ongoing and similar listings by subject. These can also be found on the sidebar of the COCA Classifieds webpage.

Thomasville’s Rose Show & Festival is celebrating 100 years, and they're looking for vendors for their Rose Fest Market at the Ritz. This brand new part of the annual Rose Show and Festival and will be held Saturday, April 24. It is an outdoor artisan market with food and music featuring several different family friendly activities. Vendors will be selected based on the needs of the event. More info here.

Want to expand your target audience? USA Dance has marketed their Florida Sunshine Dance & Symposium to Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama and is calling for vendors. Set up and break down will be on Sat., June 19 at the Days Inn & Conference Center. This is a dancing event with an anticipated group of 200+. More info here.

Theatre Tallahassee is seeking members for its Board of Trustees. The Theatre Tallahassee Board is a governing board that oversees the management and long-term planning of the theatre. The board deals with governance, strategic planning, fundraising and budget oversight. More info here.

COCA’s Board of Directors currently has an opening for a finance seat (City appointment). If you’re interested in serving, applications will be accepted through May 31, 2021. COCA’s Board represents a diverse wealth of knowledge and includes citizens with expertise in the following areas: finance, marketing, volunteerism, history/heritage, practicing artist, tourism, and business. The COCA Board typically meets five times each year with occasional additional special meetings scheduled. More info here.

Cat Family is looking for actors and locations for a music video for bandanna’s “Fish Song.” The video follows the evolution of a mother-daughter relationship, from youth to adulthood, through the connection they share with an uncommon sweater. More info here.

The City of Sugar Land is requesting artists or artist teams to submit a statement of qualifications, a letter of interest, and other materials for the commission of projects through the Creative Placemaking Program, #AllInForSLTX, with a specific goal to aid local small businesses. The goal of the Creative Placemaking Program is to increase resiliency for small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and provide local residents with vibrant and creative spaces that encourage patronage.More info here.

Fine artists from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, the Latin American diaspora, and artists residing in any of the above, are invited to submit their works for a chance to be selected for promotional awards designed to boost their careers. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital, printing, and mixed media are eligible, while all submitted artwork must be available for sale. More info here.

Join Havana Main Street on May 12-15, 2021 for a Plein Aire painting event that will highlight the beauty and history of Havana, Florida. This inaugural event will provide: Artists Talks, “Wet” Gallery, Artist Meet & Great, Artist Happy Hour, Gala Sale Event, and a community Paint Out for locals to learn the art and joy of Plein Aire. More info here.

Artists living within 200 miles of Quincy, Florida, or former Gadsden County residents, are invited to apply to participate in the 33rd Art in Gadsden: Regional Exhibition of Fine Art. New and returning, established and emerging artists are welcome to apply. More info here.

Vast Art Magazine is excited to announce the international open call for Issue n°03. See your work in print and published along side new, emerging, and established practices from around the world. Thirty (30) artists will be selected and profiled in full color print spread showcasing their work, artist biography, and artist statement. More info here.

This exhibit is all about color and the power of pigment. All mediums are welcome, but each piece should be primarily focused on a specific hue of your choice. Color theory encompasses a multitude of definitions, but the goal for this exhibit it to feel the harmony and inspiration brought on by statements of color. More info here.

LeMoyne Arts is looking for 2D abstract and minimalist artists to accompany the figurative ceramic work of Barbara Balzer and Lesley Nolan. Please submit up to 10 pieces for consideration. LeMoyne will pick the works that are best suited for the exhibit. The “Figures in Form: Barbara Balzer & Lesley Nolan” exhibit will be on view September 9th through October 9th. More info here.

CityWalk Shelter is seeking artists who would like to donate their skills to a good cause. They have lots of wall space and invite artists of all mediums to come in and decorate their walls with art/ Schedule an appointment with their volunteer coordinator to pick a wall space. More info here.

USA Dance is hosting a 2-day event, to include a live (in-person) Dance Talent Show. COVID guidelines will be enforced. Awards will be presented to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners. More info here.

CityWalk Shelter is seeking performance artists and musicians who would like to donate their skills to a good cause. They have plenty of room for concerts, plays and other events, so they invite dancers, actors, musicians, and performance artists of all types to put on a show in their community room. Schedule an appointment with their volunteer coordinator to discuss how you can use their space. More info here.

From March 16th through April 16th, students in middle and high school, as well as adult/college aged individuals can enter their original sonnets into the 2021 Sonnet Contest for a chance to win prizes valued at over $1,000!

First, second, and third place winners will be announced at the 2021 Southern Shakespeare Festival the second weekend of May. More info here.

The Write Contest and Community is now accepting entries for their Short Story contest. Writers of any kind are welcome to enter. Early Registration ($25) ends April 1st and Registration ($35) ends April 22nd. In the Short Story Contest you are given a genre, a character prompt, and a location prompt. You write the best story you can, within the word count given. Story Criteria will be sent via e-mail to all registered contestants, who will then have 48 hours to complete and upload their story. More info here.

LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library invites you to participate in their recognition of Florida’s May 20th Emancipation Day. This day marks the anniversary of when the emancipation was proclaimed in Tallahassee on May 20, 1865. They are seeking poets to speak about freedom and invite you to create a video of you reading your original poetry to be featured on @LeonCountyLibrary’s instagram. More info here.

Since launching in January of 2019, Sunspot Literary Journal has amplified diverse multinational voices from around the world. New works have been published in their original language side-by-side with English translations. Visit their website to see Sunspot's calls to writers and artists. More info here.

The 621 Literary Reading Salon is a space for writers at every stage of their journey to gather, share, and connect. The Salon is hosted by 621 Gallery in Railroad Square on the third Thursday of the month at 7 pm. They are always looking for new authors and audience members to strengthen Tallahassee’s writing community. Submissions are due a week prior to the Salon. More info here.

Click here to submit information for the weekly COCA Classifieds email. Deadline for submission is 5:00 pm on the Wednesday of each week. COCA reserves the right to include or exclude any listing at its discretion and to determine the content and placement of all listings. Items may be listed for a maximum of two editions.

COCA does not endorse any artists, organizations, or programs listed herein, nor imply stature through their inclusion in this newsletter. While we have made every effort to ensure that this information is correct, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information.