Thank you for participating in The Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA)'s 2024 Free Fall Baltimore. We are proud to support artists and arts organizations, providing free arts & cultural events at participating venues throughout Baltimore City. Showcasing the importance of the arts with free concerts, dance and theater performances, festivals, lectures, workshops, art exhibitions, and special events-- this was another successful year of Free Fall Baltimore.
This program was made possible by the generous funding support of The Maryland State Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and PNC Bank.
Feedback regarding your experience as a grantee for this award is very important to us. The information that you provide will be utilize to enhance the program for the coming years.
Please reach out to to Twi McCallum (tmccallum@promotionandarts.org) if you have any additional questions regarding.
BOPA is offering drop-in style virtual office hours throughout November, for any grantee who who needs guidance with how to complete the final report.
Thursday, November 7 from 6pm-7pm: meet.google.com/nzg-rsik-ipk
Thursday, November 14 from 6pm-7pm: meet.google.com/afn-pvgm-znb
Thursday, November 21 from 6pm-7pm: meet.google.com/cjn-oxhq-sxz
Monday, December 2 from 6pm-7pm: meet.google.com/ezr-mxxu-xbv
Final report is due Friday December 01, 2024, by 11:59 pm. Please remember that this final report is REQUIRED, and if it is not submitted in a timely manner, BOPA may ask grantees to return the grant funding, per stipulations from our federal and corporate funders.
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), on behalf of the Mayor and the City of Baltimore, is excited to announce the Creative Baltimore Grant for FY 2025. Through this grant opportunity, BOPA grants funds to qualified artists and arts and cultural organizations based in Baltimore City. The Creative Baltimore Fund is a grant made annually by the City of Baltimore. The annual allocation from the City’s general fund is administered by the Baltimore City Arts Council. The Creative Baltimore has two primary grant programs:
- General Operating Support (GOS) provides core support for established arts or cultural organizations that benefit the public and are artistically or culturally vibrant.
- Mayor’s Individual Artist Award – Project/Practice Support (PS) provides support for artists individual practice or program that promote public access and encourage the breadth of arts and/or cultural programming in our community.
This application form is for the Mayor’s Individual Artist Award’s Project/Practice Support (PS). You may view a pdf preview of the application questions here.
Key Dates
Application Opens: Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Applicant Office Hours: Sundays 12pm-1pm and Wednesdays from 6pm-7pm via Zoom (details below)
Application Deadline: Monday, December 2, 2024 at 11:59pm
Panel Review: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 – Monday, December 9, 2024
(NOTE: there may be a "due diligence" process where a BOPA team member reaches out to applicants during this period to clarify any information in the application that may not be clear or needs verification before making a final scoring decision).
Award Notifications: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Mandatory Site Visit: To be scheduled between February 2025 – June 2025
Mid-Year Report: Monday, June 2, 2025
Final Report: Monday, December 1, 2025
PROJECT/PRACTICE SUPPORT program for FY25
The purpose of the Creative Baltimore Fund Individual Artist Project/Practice Support grant program is to promote public access and encourage the breadth of arts and/or cultural programming in our community by supporting Baltimore City-based projects and/or creative processes. Projects are intended to promote the health and vitality of artist's individual practices and provide accessibility to arts and culture throughout Baltimore’s diverse neighborhoods Projects should promote active community participation and a process of discovery in art and culture.
Grant Award
The Mayor’s Individual Artist Project Support grant will award 10 artists with $3,000 grant awards. 100% of funds will be disbursed upon contract signing & processing.
Eligibility Criteria - Who May Apply
To be eligible for the FY24 Project Support grant program, applicant individuals must meet each of the following criteria:
• Individual and/or groups of practicing professional artists 18 years of age or older organizing projects in Baltimore City with experience or background that demonstrates their ability to administer a community arts project or demonstrate a need to develop or enhance their artistry through a creative process.
• Have a permanent and viable base of operations in Baltimore City for at least one year prior to the grant application deadline.
• Have produced or presented arts / cultural program(s) open to the public within the previous two years prior to the grant application deadline.
• Provide the required financial documentation in the application.
Who May NOT Apply
The following individuals are not eligible to apply to the FY25 Project/Practice Support grant program (this list is not meant to be exhaustive):
- Units of government; religious institutions without a separate 501c3 organization that specifically administers non-sectarian public programming; individuals who are not in good standing with BOPA and/or in compliance with previous grants.
- Additionally, organizations receiving a General Operating Support grant from BOPA are NOT eligible to receive Project Support funding in the same grant cycle.
Allowable Expenses
- Studio or exhibition space rentals;
- Cost of equipment/materials/supplies;
- Costs for related vending (marketing collateral, photography of work, etc.)
- Research/ creative process related work
Unallowable Expenses
- Partner organizations
- Funds to support a guest artist in collaboration
- Rental of a studio, recording, or exhibition space outside of Baltimore City
- Religious ceremonies or events advancing or inhibiting a particular religious ideology;
- Fundraising or advocacy of specific political causes or candidates;
- Capital improvements (facilities and equipment); agent’s fees for programs contracted through commercial agencies; and travel outside of the United States.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via Submittable, which is a free platform. The application form consists of questions related to: contact information, programming experience, mission/vision, artistic discipline and pedagogy, and use of grant funds. There are also attachment fields, such as previous years programming budget and work samples/portfolio.
The following materials are required and should be submitted with the completed application. Fields to upload each document are provided. Video, Audio and PDF documents are allowable submission formats.
- Individual Artist Resume
- Individual Artist List of Work
- Project/ Practice Budget
Panel Review
All BOPA grant programs are adjudicated using panels of arts and culture professionals from the region who evaluate and score applications. Panelists are not BOPA employees or board members and are recruited through an application process or volunteer database.
Rubric
A panel review team will consider the following factors when scoring applications:
- Artistic and/or cultural and programmatic merit
- Accessibility to under-served communities and a wide range of audiences
- Programmatic quality
- Budget
Office Hours Sessions
Office hours are free, and open to any member of the public who is interested in applying for the grant. Office hours are structured to serve as application help or question-and-answer opportunities. All sessions are held via Zoom and hosted by Twi McCallum, Community Engagement Manager.
Sunday, November 3 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 5 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, November 10 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 12 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, November 17 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 19 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, November 24 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 25 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, December 1 from 12pm-1pm
ZOOM LINK FOR SUNDAY SESSIONS: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81747158864
ZOOM LINK FOR TUESDAY SESSIONS: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84554597560
Mandatory Site Visits & Reporting
Community engagement, data collection, and reporting are a core component to BOPA’s overall mission and our grantmaking efforts. All awarded grantees will be required to schedule an in-person site visit and/or virtual meeting prior to the mid-year reporting deadline. The site visit is meant to be an opportunity to give BOPA staff an opportunity to learn about your work firsthand. Site visits can include a tour of a facility, and invite to an event, or an invite to a staff meeting, just as an example, for any tasks or work that was funded by the grant. Site visit information will be communicated upon contract signing.
Mid-year reports will be provided via Submittable or another digital platform. This report should document any work done between January 2025 – June 2025, including program information, expenses, and an opportunity to share a timeline for programming through December 2025.
Staff
BOPA grant programs are administered by professional staff responsible for ensuring an objective, equitable and transparent grant-making process that meets BOPA’s mission and core values. BOPA staff members provide pertinent and uniform information to the public regarding the grant application process and ensure that program guidelines and requirements are applied consistently. Employees of BOPA are not eligible to apply for this grant.
Ownership of Intellectual Property
BOPA does not own, collect royalties on or hold copyrights to artistic products resulting from its grants, nor will it take any action on behalf of the grantee (cultural partner) to protect the grantee’s intellectual property rights. BOPA does, however, have legal authority to reproduce and use submitted documentation (electronically and in print) of such artistic products for educational, promotional, official, or noncommercial purposes.
Questions
For additional information on the General Operating Support FY25 application please contact: Twi McCallum, Community Engagement Manager, tmccallum@promotionandarts.org. News, updates, and technical assistance workshops will be posted on the BOPA website, Facebook page, Instagram page, and distributed through BOPA’s email distribution list. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign up at www.promotionandarts.org to receive notifications.
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), on behalf of the Mayor and the City of Baltimore, is excited to announce the Creative Baltimore Grant for FY 2025. Through this grant opportunity, BOPA grants funds to qualified artists and arts and cultural organizations based in Baltimore City. The Creative Baltimore Fund is a grant made annually by the City of Baltimore. The annual allocation from the City’s general fund is administered by the Baltimore City Arts Council. The Creative Baltimore has two primary grant programs:
- General Operating Support (GOS) provides core support for established arts or cultural organizations that benefit the public and are artistically or culturally vibrant.
- Mayor’s Individual Artist Award – Project/Practice Support (PS) provides support for artists individual practice or program that promote public access and encourage the breadth of arts and/or cultural programming in our community.
This application form is for General Operation Support (GOS). You may view a pdf preview of the application questions here.
Key Dates
Application Opens: Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Applicant Office Hours: Sundays 12pm-1pm and Tuesdays from 6pm-7pm via Zoom (details below)
Application Deadline: Monday, December 2, 2024 at 11:59pm
Panel Review: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 – Monday, December 9, 2024
(NOTE: there may be a "due diligence" process where a BOPA team member reaches out to applicants during this period to clarify any information in the application that may not be clear or needs verification before making a final scoring decision).
Award Notifications: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Mandatory Site Visit: To be scheduled between February 2025 – June 2025
Mid-Year Report: Monday, June 2, 2025
Final Report: Monday, December 1, 2025
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT program for FY25
General Operating Support (GOS) grants provide unrestricted, core support for Baltimore City-based nonprofit organizations that have:
• A primary mission to create, produce, present or provide arts or cultural services for the public; • A history of vibrant artistic or cultural programming; and •a strong organizational capacity.
Grant Award
Grants to organizations will be made in amounts ranging from $3,000 - $10,000. In previous fiscal years, BOPA has awarded 41 – 86 grantees per year, with the average grant amount being $4,000. BOPA may award grant amounts lower than what the applicant requests in their application. Grant award will be paid 100% at time of contract signing & processing. Award amount will be calculated on factors including but not limited to:
- Merit of application, previous programming, and proposal of future programming
- Annual operating budget
- Staff size
- Availability of other funding sources
Eligibility Criteria - Who May Apply
To be eligible for the GOS grant program, applicants must meet each of the following criteria:
- Have a primary mission to provide programs or activities in areas directly concerned with arts or cultural heritage for the general public.
- BOPA defines arts and culture as including, but not limited to, literature, theater, music, dance, fashion, comedy, the emergence of food and culture, visual art (such as painting, sculpture, photography, film), placemaking (architecture, murals), as well as history and natural sciences (archaeology, folk art, natural history).
- Have a permanent and viable base in Baltimore City for a minimum of two years prior to the submission deadline for the FY25 General Operating Support application.
- Be and have been a 501(c)(3) organization for at least two years or be a successor to an arts or cultural organization that had been a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization for at least three years prior to the submission deadline.
- Organizations that utilize fiduciary organizations are eligible.
- Provide Independently Certified Audited Financial Statements for FY24 and FY23 if its annual budget is $500,000 or more; or provide either Independently Certified Audited or Reviewed Financial Statements for FY24 and FY23 if its annual budget is less than $500,000.
- Have a Certificate of Good Standing certifying that the applicant is a registered nonprofit corporation, in good standing, in the State of Maryland.
Who May NOT Apply
The following types of organizations are not eligible to apply to the GOS Program (this list is not meant to be exhaustive):
- Units of government, including K‐12 school districts; public colleges and universities; libraries; individuals; organizations that are the primary responsibility of a government agency; private K‐12 schools; private libraries;
- Organizations that are not in good standing with BOPA and/or not in compliance with previous grants.
- Additionally, organizational partners to artists receiving Individual Artist/Project Support are not eligible for GOS funding in the same grant cycle.
Funding Restrictions
Creative Baltimore funds cannot be used for:
· Religious ceremonies or events advancing or inhibiting a particular religious ideology
· Fundraising or advocacy of specific political causes or candidates
· Capital improvements (facilities and equipment)
· Agent’s fees for programs contracted through commercial agencies.
· Travel outside of the United States.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via Submittable, which is a free platform. The application form consists of questions related to: contact information, programming experience, mission/vision, artistic discipline and pedagogy, and use of grant funds. There are also attachment fields, such as previous years programming budget and work samples/portfolio.
Panel Review
All BOPA grant programs are adjudicated using panels of arts and culture professionals from the region who evaluate and score applications. Panelists are not BOPA employees or board members and are recruited through an application process or volunteer database.
Rubric
A panel review team will consider the following factors when scoring applications:
- Artistic and/or cultural and programmatic merit
- Accessibility to under-served communities and a wide range of audiences
- Programmatic quality
- Budget
Office Hours Sessions
Office hours are free, and open to any member of the public who is interested in applying for the grant. Office hours are structured to serve as application help or question-and-answer opportunities. All sessions are held via Zoom and hosted by Twi McCallum, Community Engagement Manager.
Tuesday, October 29 from 6pm - 7pm
Sunday, November 3 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 5 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, November 10 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 12 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, November 17 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 19 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, November 24 from 12pm-1pm
Tuesday, November 25 from 6pm-7pm
Sunday, December 1 from 12pm-1pm
ZOOM LINK FOR SUNDAY SESSIONS: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81747158864
ZOOM LINK FOR TUESDAY SESSIONS: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84554597560
Mandatory Site Visits & Reporting
Community engagement, data collection, and reporting are a core component to BOPA’s overall mission and our grantmaking efforts. All awarded grantees will be required to schedule an in-person site visit and/or virtual meeting prior to the mid-year reporting deadline. The site visit is meant to be an opportunity to give BOPA staff an opportunity to learn about your work firsthand. Site visits can include a tour of a facility, and invite to an event, or an invite to a staff meeting, just as an example, for any tasks or work that was funded by the grant. Site visit information will be communicated upon contract signing.
Mid-year reports will be provided via Submittable or another digital platform. This report should document any work done between January 2025 – June 2025, including program information, expenses, and an opportunity to share a timeline for programming through December 2025.
Staff
BOPA grant programs are administered by professional staff responsible for ensuring an objective, equitable and transparent grant-making process that meets BOPA’s mission and core values. BOPA staff members provide pertinent and uniform information to the public regarding the grant application process and ensure that program guidelines and requirements are applied consistently. Employees of BOPA are not eligible to apply for this grant.
Ownership of Intellectual Property
BOPA does not own, collect royalties on or hold copyrights to artistic products resulting from its grants, nor will it take any action on behalf of the grantee (cultural partner) to protect the grantee’s intellectual property rights. BOPA does, however, have legal authority to reproduce and use submitted documentation (electronically and in print) of such artistic products for educational, promotional, official, or noncommercial purposes.
Questions
For additional information on the General Operating Support FY25 application please contact: Twi McCallum, Community Engagement Manager, tmccallum@promotionandarts.org. News, updates, and technical assistance workshops will be posted on the BOPA website, Facebook page, Instagram page, and distributed through BOPA’s email distribution list. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign up at www.promotionandarts.org to receive notifications.