Heartland Creative Corps is a grant program designed to provide funding to individual artists and culture bearers and arts and social service organizations to create projects that fall in line with the four program focus areas: 1) public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19; 2) public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness, relief and recovery; 3) civic engagement, including election participation; and 4) social justice and community engagement.

Additionally, a targeted focus will be on communities within our representative regions that fall within the bottom quartile of the Health Place Index.

By working with our partner agencies within our regions of influence, we look to provide grants to artists and impact our region and increase the awareness and power of art within our communities.

The Heartland Creative Corp currently represents the regions of: Merced, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.

We are working with: 1) The Merced Arts Council; 2) Stanislaus Arts Council; 3) Tuolumne County Arts

The Heartland Creative Corp will award funding to sub-grantees that are arts and social service organizations, individual artists, and cultural workers.

While a sub-grantee can apply to multiple AOs, grantees can only receive funding from ONE AO.

1.) 18 years of age or older

2.) Artistic evidence - Individual artists must submit work samples of past artistic projects.

*Artist(s) to be compensated and supported by this grant must show relevant experience of at least two years, be based in California, and may not be engaged in the project as full-time students in a degree program

**Rates of compensation for individual artists and/or arts workers to be supported by this grant must be appropriate to experience and comparable to fees for other local skilled workers

1.) Types of organizations that can apply - 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and organizations using fiscal sponsors (see fiscal sponsors for more information)

2.) Regionally Based - Organizations applying must be located within the regions of influence of the grant.

3.) Certificate of good standing - Nonprofit organizations must provide an IRS Determination letter and have active status with the California Secretary of State, showing evidence of good standing at the time of application. A reviewer will check this status during the initial review stage.

4.) Financial Documentation - Each organization will be asked for a Form 990 and basic financial information.

1) An applicant organization without nonprofit status must use a fiscal sponsor with a federal 501(c)(3) designation to apply for funding. For-profit businesses and individuals may not use a fiscal sponsor to apply. Types of applicant organizations eligible to apply using a fiscal sponsor include but are not limited to artist collectives, guilds, and 501(c)(6) organizations.

2.) A letter of agreement between the fiscal sponsor and the applicant organization must be signed by a representative from both parties and submitted with the application. A blank signature field will not be accepted. If the grant is awarded, the fiscal sponsor becomes the legal contract holder of the grant.

3.) A fiscal sponsor change is not permissible during the Grant Activity Period, except in extenuating circumstances based on staff assessment.

4.) Fiscal sponsors must have a minimum two-year history of fiscal sponsorship activity.

REQUEST AMOUNTS

Individuals may request up to $150,000 and organizations may request up to $300,000 for the grant period. Budgets for the grant applications should reflect the scope of the project and the experience of the artists involved.

GRANT PERIOD REQUIREMENTS:

During the grant period, all projects created must be presented, exhibited, or distributed freely to the public.

GRANT BUDGETS GUIDELINES:

Sub-grantees may use up to twenty percent (20%) of the grant award for costs associated with program design and implementation.

Eighty percent (80%) of funds must either be granted directly to individuals or used by nonprofit sub-grantees to hire individual artists.

MATCHING FUNDS

This program does not require matching funds.

WHAT WE DO NOT FUND

1.) Nonprofit organizations not in “good standing” with the California Secretary of State

2.) Former grantee organizations not in compliance with CAC grant requirements, such as failing to submit a final report (as stipulated in the grant agreement)

3.) Expenses incurred before the start date or after the ending date of the Grant Activity Period

4.) Expenses that would supplant other state funding

5.) Operational, administrative, or indirect costs of schools, colleges, or universities

6.) Fundraising activities or services such as grant writing, annual campaigns, or fundraising events

7.) Lobbying activities that intend to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials or specific legislation

8.) Projects with religious purposes

9.) Trusts, endowment funds, or investments

10.) Construction projects, purchase of land and buildings, or capital expenditures used to maintain, upgrade, acquire, or repair capital assets

11.) Debt repayment

12.) Hospitality expenses, meals, or food

13.) Out-of-state travel

(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

January 2023 - February 2023: Listening sessions will occur to answer any questions potential applications may have in our regions of influence

February 15th, 2023 - April 15th, 2023 - Funding launch date. Applicants are encouraged to apply on the online portal for Phase 1 funding.

April 15th, 2023 - Phase 1 funding portal closes

May 15th, 2023 - Funding decisions are made by panelists selected by the partner agencies in the regions of influence (we will notify the chosen grantees between May 19 - May 26)

June 1, 2023 - Phase 1 grants are awarded

July 2023 - June 2024 - Projects must be completed no later than June 2024

The California Healthy Places Index, developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California and visualized by Axis Maps, is a powerful tool to explore the community conditions that impact life expectancy. The HPI helps prioritize public and private investments, resources, and programs in neighborhoods where they are needed most.

This data is used by community leaders, policymakers, academics and other stakeholders to compared the health and well-being of communities, identify health inequities and quantify the factors that shape health.

To learn more: Healthy Places Index

The grant program, California Creative Corps, was developed by the California Arts Council in partnership with the State legislature. California Creative Corps is an economic and workforce recovery pilot program intended to support pandemic recovery and the environmental, civic and social engagement of California’s most disproportionally impacted communities. Using a variety of art forms, including visual, performing, and traditional arts, artists will advance positive community outcomes by creating locally focused, contextually and culturally sensitive public messaging and work.

As the Administering Organization for the three counties, United Way of Merced County will regrant funds to arts and social service organizations and to individual artists and cultural workers throughout Merced, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.