Subpart 1.
Definitions.
A. "Charitable arts support" means:
(1) unrestricted revenue, including
contributions and donations from foundations, corporations, businesses, and
individuals that are tax deductible by the donor;
(2) the proceeds from benefits, special
events, and memberships that are tax deductible by the donor;
(3) contributed support from a nonprofit
organization or governmental host organization to its arts affiliate; and
(4) grants from government
entities.
For the purposes of the operating support program, charitable
arts support does not include Arts Board operating support funds or in-kind
contributions or revenue associated with gaming.
B. "Presenter" or "presenting organization"
means an arts organization or arts affiliate whose work consists of engaging in
presenting activities as defined in part
1900.0310, subpart 14.
C. "Producer" or "producing organization"
means an arts organization or arts affiliate that is primarily engaged in
conceiving or creating artistic work, and in assembling the artistic elements
of its productions, performances, or exhibitions.
D. "Qualifying expenses" means unrestricted
expenses, but does not include in-kind expenses, nonoperating expenses, nonarts
expenses, or Arts Board operating support funds.
Subp. 2.
Purpose of program.
A. The operating support program provides
general operating support to high quality, established arts organizations that
produce, present, or exhibit works of art; to organizations that provide a
broad range of services to artists; and to community arts schools and
conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and
abilities.
B. The operating support
program recognizes that organizations with an established record of
programmatic service and administrative stability should have access to funds
to support organizational goals and objectives, and to maintain ongoing
programs, services, and facilities without special emphasis on new initiatives
as justification for funding.
Subp.
3.
Additional eligibility requirements.
Operating support applicants must meet the additional
eligibility requirements in items A to C.
A. The applicant must be an arts organization
or affiliate as defined in part
1900.0310 and also must be one or
more of the following:
(1) an arts
producer;
(2) an arts
presenter;
(3) a community arts
school and conservatory; or
(4) an
artist service organization.
B. The applicant must:
(1) be physically located in Minnesota, and
produce the majority of its programming in Minnesota, primarily for
Minnesotans;
(2) have been in
existence, actively providing arts programming or services for at least two
consecutive years before applying for operating support for the first time;
and
(3) meet the average qualifying
expense and charitable arts support requirements printed in the most current
program materials. These levels shall be calculated and adjusted in the even
year of the biennium, based on the rate of change reflected by a professionally
acknowledged economic indicator or index such as the Consumer Price
Index.
C. The following
are not eligible to receive Arts Board operating support funding:
(1) any state agency, public institution, or
nonprofit organization that receives a legislative appropriation or
legislatively mandated grant from the Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage
fund is not eligible to receive an Arts Board operating support grant for the
same fiscal year that it receives the appropriation or legislatively mandated
grant;
(2) any project, program, or
division housed within or affiliated with a state agency, public institution,
or nonprofit organization that receives a legislative appropriation or
legislatively mandated grant from the Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage
fund is not eligible to receive an Arts Board operating support grant for the
same fiscal year that it receives the legislative appropriation or
legislatively mandated grant;
(3)
an affiliate and its host institution may not both receive funding in the
operating support program. However, more than one affiliate of the same host
institution may receive contemporaneous funding; and
(4) two separate organizations whose work
supports or is based upon the same artists or arts programming may not both
receive funding in the operating support program.
Subp. 4.
Uses of
grants.
Operating support grants that include arts and cultural
heritage funds may only be used:
A. to
produce, present, or offer programs, projects, services, or activities in the
arts, arts education, or arts access, and to preserve Minnesota's history and
cultural heritage;
B. to support
programs, projects, services, or activities that take place within
Minnesota;
C. to support programs,
projects, services, or activities for which measurable outcomes have been
established;
D. to supplement and
not substitute for traditional sources of funding; or
E. to underwrite only those administrative,
indirect, or institutional overhead costs that are directly related to and
necessary for the funded programs or activities.
Subp. 5.
Criteria used by advisory
panel and board to make grants.
Applications in full review under subpart 7 shall be reviewed
by an advisory panel which shall make recommendations to the board based on the
degree to which the advisory panel finds that the applicant meets the criteria
in items A to E. Applications in interim review under subpart 7 shall be
reviewed by Arts Board staff using the same criteria.
A. Artistic excellence and leadership that
must, at a minimum, be demonstrated by the following:
(1) high quality activities that achieve a
distinct artistic vision that is consistent with the applicant's stated
mission;
(2) activities that allow
the art form and artist to develop; and
(3) qualifications and achievements of
artists and artistic leadership.
B. Management and fiscal responsibility that
must, at a minimum, be demonstrated by the following:
(1) organizational and fiscal stability;
and
(2) evidence of an ongoing
ability to achieve measurable outcomes.
C. Inclusive public engagement that must, at
a minimum, be demonstrated by the following:
(1) diversity of the board, staff, and
participants; and
(2) evidence of
efforts to reach underserved communities and steps taken to mitigate any
barriers to participation.
D. Benefit to the public that must, at a
minimum, be demonstrated by the following:
(1) a commitment to education and outreach to
enhance quality of life in Minnesota;
(2) activities that help make the arts a
vital part of community life; and
(3) activities that help achieve other shared
public goals.
E.
Assessment and evaluation that must, at a minimum, be demonstrated by the
following:
(1) an effective self-evaluation
plan that measures outcomes, the organization's progress towards goals, and the
strength of its programs and operations; and
(2) evidence that self-evaluation is used to
shape the organization's plans and activities.
Subp. 6.
Merit funding.
Applicants who have met all review criteria in subpart 5 may be
eligible for additional merit funding if the review panel finds that the
applicant has exceeded program expectations. Applicants shall be scored by an
advisory panel based on the degree to which the applicant exceeds review
criteria, and available merit funds, if any, shall be distributed based on
scores.
Subp. 7.
Multiyear funding.
The operating support program shall use a four-year grant
cycle. For each grant cycle, applicants shall undergo a full application review
according to the processes in subpart 8. Each year after the full review, an
abbreviated interim application and Arts Board staff review shall take place to
ensure the applicant's continued compliance with program criteria.
Subp. 8.
Additional
processes.
In addition to the completion of all application materials,
applicant funding shall be contingent upon the following:
A. during full and interim review, a
representative of the Arts Board shall attend a performance, exhibition, or
other artistic activities of the applicant and shall complete a report, which
the advisory panel or staff shall use in its assessments of the artistic
quality of the applicant's activities;
B. during full review, between the
application deadline and advisory panel meeting, applicants shall have an
administrative visit from a staff member and advisory panel member who shall
ask questions raised by the application and receive any updates from the
applicants. An oral report on the administrative visit shall be presented to
the advisory panel; and
C.
monitoring visits review the grantee's progress towards outcomes, gauge the
ongoing success and impact of the applicant's activities, and identify any
issues or challenges the applicant may be facing. Monitoring visits shall be
scheduled in advance and may or may not be combined with an artistic or
administrative visit.
Subp.
9.
Dollar amount of grants.
The minimum and maximum amounts for grant awards and any
matching funds requirements for the operating support program shall be
determined by the board based upon available resources and published in current
program information.
