Creative Baltimore Fund FY08

							                                       Creative Baltimore Fund FY10
                                      Operating Grant for Organizations
                                        General Information and Application

Background & Purpose
Mayor Sheila Dixon and the City of Baltimore are committed to nurturing and supporting a vibrant, creative community that
inspires individuals, celebrates our culture and showcases the arts. Using the Baltimore City General Fund and other
funding sources the Creative Baltimore Fund will provide grants that will total over $200,000 to non-profit cultural
organizations. This grant will support general operating expenses of the eligible organizations

Program Administration
      The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) will administer the Creative Baltimore Fund as a
      competitive grant program.
     The fund will award up to $5,000 to eligible cultural organizations.
     Awards will be made based on the track record of the organization, the quality of their public cultural programs,
      particularly those geared towards children/teens, the availability of other financial support for the organization, the
      organization’s service to the community and the organization’s ability to effectively manage its resources (financial,
      manpower, program, and administrative).

Time Line
      Applications available on line (www.promotionandarts.com) Friday, November 6, 2009
      Applications due by 5:00 pm, Friday, January 8, 2010
      Jury review takes place February 1 – February 28, 2010.
      Awards will be announced March 31, 2010.
      Final reports due by Friday, December 11, 2010.

Eligibility
        Non-profit cultural organization with 501(C)3 status headquartered in Baltimore City or providing at least 50% of its
         programs within the City.
        Produces or presents cultural, visual, performing or literary arts programs or performances.

Funding available for:
      Operating Expenses - All awards will be competitive.

Financial Information
All applicants will be required to participate in the Maryland Cultural Data Project (Maryland CDP). The Maryland CDP is a
standardized online system for collecting historical financial and organizational data for grant applications to participating
funders. It was designed to provide an easier application process for potential grantees through the development of a
standardized form for financial and organizational data that will accompany grant requests to the partnering funders.
Applicants will only need to complete this form once each year. New applicants must provide two years of data.

In addition to creating a streamlined application process for the hundreds of arts and culture organizations throughout
Maryland, groups will benefit from this project through an enhanced ability to track their individual data and trends over time
and compare how they operate relative to their peers and to the sector at large. It is hoped that access to reliable data about
the cultural sector will enhance both individual organizational capacity as well as the overall effectiveness of the nonprofit
cultural community.

       Please visit http://www.mdculturaldata.org, email help@MDCulturalData.org or call 1-866-9-MD-DATA for more
        information.
Staff Review:
After the application is received, it will be reviewed by staff at BOPA for completeness and adherence to the guidelines set
forth in this document. Applicants will be notified by e-mail whether their application is complete or if additional information
or corrections are necessary.

Advisory Panel Review:
When the application is complete, it is assigned to members of an independent Advisory Panel for review. Advisory Panels
meet formally to evaluate the applications submitted within their disciplinary areas.

Awards:
All applicants will be notified of the final decision by email by March 31, 2010.
Grant recipients must become a member in good standing of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. GBCA exists as a
catalyst to create a cohesive cultural community that strengthens the livability and economic vitality of the Greater Baltimore
region. Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance serves arts organizations, coalitions and individual artists by being a unifying
voice and bridge builder, acting as a convener, and providing information and services.

Payment:
Grant agreement forms will be sent with the notification email and must be executed before grant funds are disbursed.

Required documentation:
Applicants must submit the following:
       Most current audited financial statement for the organization
       Maryland CDP Funder Report
       Copy of 501(C)3 tax exemption determination letter
       Copy of Maryland Certificate of Good Standing
       List of current Board of Directors
       List of paid staff (FT and PT)
       Resumes of key artistic and management personnel (with salaries listed)
       List of activities scheduled and completed in the past two years


General Application Information:

One complete application, including supporting materials, should be mailed to:

Krista D. Green
Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
7 East Redwood Street, Suite 500
Baltimore, MD 21202
Attn: Creative Baltimore Fund


Using the Downloaded Application:

The application is designed in Microsoft Word format.




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                                               Creative Baltimore Fund
                              Operating Grant for Organizations - 2010 Application
Directions: Answer every question completely, using only the allotted space for your response. Do not use a font smaller than 10
points.

Applicant Information                                                Member GBCA?           Yes       No
Legal Name of Organization

Organization Address                                         City       State       Zip Code
                                                             Baltimore, MD
Mailing Address (If different than above)                              City        State   Zip Code
                                                                       Baltimore
Contact Person            Title             Email                      Phone                Fax

Executive Director                          Email                     Phone

Federal Tax ID Number      Year Organization Was Founded
                                                  501 (c) (3) Yes             No

Grant Amount Requested:

Part One: Organization Information

    Describe the mission and provide a brief history of your organization.




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                           Creative Baltimore Fund 2010 Grant Application
Applicant Name:


How do your activities reflect your mission statement?




Briefly describe the community your organization serves.




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                           Creative Baltimore Fund 2010 Grant Application

Applicant Name:


How do you evaluate the quality or success of the activities your organization provides?




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                               Creative Baltimore Fund 2010 Grant Application

Applicant Name:

Describe the activities that will occur in the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011).




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                             Creative Baltimore Fund 2010 Grant Application

Applicant Name:

What activities/programs does your organization provide for children/teens?




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                               Creative Baltimore Fund 2010 Grant Application

Applicant Name:

Describe your organization’s staff structure and the responsibilities of all paid staff




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                             Creative Baltimore Fund 2010 Grant Application

Applicant Name:


Are the activities offered by your organization ADA accessible?       Yes    No

What programs will you offer in the next fiscal year that will provide access for underserved audiences?




How do you publicize your projects or performances?




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                                         Part II – Organization Budget

   All applicants are required to participate in the Maryland Cultural Data Project (Maryland CDP). The Maryland CDP is
    a standardized online system for collecting historical financial and organizational data for grant applications to
    participating funders. All applicants are required to complete a Cultural Data Profile through the Maryland CDP, which
    can be found at http://www.mdcutluraldata.org.

   In order to complete the Cultural Data Profile, organizations must first register at the Maryland CDP Web site by
    creating an organizational login ID and password. Information for the Cultural Data Profile is organized by fiscal
    year-end and data is only entered for completed fiscal years for which an approved financial audit or review
    exists. Organizations that are not audited or reviewed will enter data based on approved year-end financial
    statements.

   Applicants are asked to provide two years of financial and organizational data the first time they complete the Cultural
    Data Profile. (Going forward, groups will only need to provide one year of data.) You will have access to online
    training and can get support from the Help Desk during regular business hours.

   The Cultural Data Profile will collect the financial and programmatic information for your organization or arts
    program; project budgets and narratives will NOT be captured by the Maryland CDP.

   Upon completion of the Cultural Data Profile, applicants should go to the “Funder Reports” section of the Maryland
    CDP Web site and print the pre-defined report for the BOPA Creative Baltimore Fund FY08 application, which is to be
    included with the application materials. Relevant information from the applicant’s Cultural Data Profile will
    automatically be imported into the Funder Report.

   The completion of the Cultural Data Profile will require an investment of time. A number of resources will be available
    to help applicants, including a Help Desk and online training.

Please go to http://www.mdculturaldata.org, email help@MDCulturalData.org or call 1-866-9-MD-DATA for more
information.

REQUIRED DOCUMENT CHECKLIST
The following materials are required and should be submitted with the completed application.

□       Completed, signed original application with required materials
□       Maryland Cultural Data Project Funder Report
□       Most current audited financial statement for the organization
□       Copy of 501 (C) (3) tax exemption determination letter
□       Copy of Maryland Certificate of Good Standing
□       List of current Board of Directors
□       List of paid staff (FT and PT)
□       Resumes of key artistic and management personnel with salaries (one page each)
□       List of activities scheduled and completed in the past two years




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CERTIFICATION

I, the undersigned, certify that all the information in this application is true, complete, and accurate. I have been authorized
by the Board of Directors to submit this application to the Creative Baltimore Fund on its behalf. (Please sign in blue ink.)

Signature: _______________________________________________________________________

Typed name of signer: _____________________________________________________________

Title: ___________________________________________________________________________

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________




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